:: Mental Kudzu ::

Wrote a book review. Yup, after all these years – I’m back in the critic’s saddle again.

The review is on BlogCritics.com. Here’s a tasty little piece of the piece reviewing My New Mac, The Snow Leopard Edition and My New iPhone - both books with the subtitle: 52 Projects to Get You Started.

What can we learn from the back covers of Mr. Wang’s books? Curiously, there’s quite a bit of information here. Not quotes from famous geeks recommending purchase, instead we read a “Sustainable Forestry Initiative” logo proclaiming the books construction is of Certified Fiber Sourcing. And there’s more. These are RepKover books “I LAY FLAT”. This is a durable binding that does not snap shut. For me, that puts these instruction manuals a shelf above some of the others I’ve purchased lately.

Then there is the About the Author blurb. Wallace Wang not only writes computer books, he’s a stand-up comic. Of course he is. He uses a Mac. John Houseman is the only comedian who wittingly uses a PC and that is, arguably, because he’s paid to pimp Microsoft. (Please excuse that little bit of geek humor, folks…)

Salt Lake City, UT

University of Utah College of Nursing – Call for artist’s letter of interest and qualifications for the creation of public artwork for this newly remodeled facility. The Artist Selection Committee, representing a wide variety of constituents, hopes the artist(s) can help them create integrated art into this newly remodeled facility that will respond to the student, faculty and this place of teaching and learning the art and science of human caring.  A place where the individual learns about caring for humanity and contributing to quality of life of the community.  To download the RFQ visit: www.utahpublicart.org or contact Fletcher Booth at fbooth@utah.gov or 801-533-3586
Budget: $77,000 – Deadline: October 15, 2009

Jim Glenn
Utah Public & Design Arts
617 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT  84102
801-533-3585

Bellwether Prize for Unpublished Manuscripts
The Bellwether Prize supports the writing and publication of serious literary fiction addressing issues of social justice in culture and human relations, underlining the political power of literature. In addition to the $25,000 cash prize, the award guarantees publication of the winning novel by a major U.S. publishing house. The publishing partner for the 2009–2010 prize is Algonquin.

Deadline: October 2
For more information: Download an application at www.bellwetherprize.org or contact National Writers United Service Organization, 113 University Pl., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10003-4527.

N.C. State Fair
The prospectus is now available for the juried exhibition for fine artists and photographers at the 2009 N.C. State Fair. The exhibition is open to all N.C. residents with original works of art in the specified media completed within the past two years and not previously exhibited at the N.C. State Fair. Cash prizes will be awarded.

Deadline: September 25
For more information: Visit www.ncstatefair.org (pdf file) or contact Tamar Harris-Warren at ncartsuper@msn.com or (919) 389-4217.

International Physical Theatre Laboratory

October 25-31, 2009

Retzhof Castle
Leitring bei Leibnitz, Austria

Intensive practical training, lectures, conference, discussions.
Accommodation and meals are organized for participants.
The working language is English.

Programme & Registration: http://www.iugte.com/projects/PhysicalTheatre.php

A wonderful time was had by all last night in Hickory at the Taste Full Beans coffee house where Mule poets read their work and shared the caffeine buzz with each other. Thanks to Scott Owens for all his preparations, thanks to Poetry Hickory and thanks be to Helen Losse for her hard work and determination.

Two YouTube videos, made by Jess Carty, are available. In the first video, Helen Losse reads her work, followed by Scott Owens reading a piece of creative non-fiction that I wrote years ago — it’s a description of my paralegal days when I worked for Michael Fox in Greenville NC. It begins at 3:52, if you want to skip ahead for my genius… ahem…
Video #1

Video # 2

Our little haven, this remote little town of wonder, is getting a dog park. Who knew? It took outsiders, yup, those folks who move here from *somewhere else* and who have *weird accents* to push the populace into approving such a thing. The best news is – it’s a couple blocks from our house.

All my dogs will benefit from dog park excursions and exercise with other canines.

Good deal.

Whoa Nellie. Got the new Mule fiction loaded at last. The Dead Mule issue for June will have 1/2 its fiction on the 5th and the other half on the 15th. Just finished adding photos, including a nice bunch for Kevin Blankenship’s hauntingly beautiful chapbook. Now it’s time to move on back to the Art House Coop projects and to my own assemblage art.

Have begun a “sketching” class. Invited Next-door Peggy to start going with me but don’t know about her summer obligations elsewhere.

Will load photos of latest work in a bit. Rob and I are anxiously awaiting the ginormous box of ephemera we won on a recent ebay auction. It’s coming from Canada, so we’re trying to be patient. Read about it here on the Assemblagist site.

So, now I’m keeping up The Mule on Facebook and LinkedIn, writing the Assemblagist blog, this blog, reading/editing/accepting and publishing Dead Mule writers AND training El Roxanne the Amazing Puppy, all the while keeping existing Jack Russells content and exercised, working on 3 projects for Art House Coop, creating assemblages out the wazoo, helping Rob scrape and paint the exterior of our house, playing with grandsons,

and

working on a new fitness program with Rob.

That’s about it for an update, ya’ll. Read the new Mule tomorrow. Great Fiction. Pleasant Essays. Kick-ass Chapbook by Kevin.