prayers for children, possibly blasphemous

Because possibly blasphemous is the best.

I'm not quite sure why I'm still up, though. Getting almost too bleary-eyed to type articulately. Plus, I have PMS. Plus, I'm not exactly convinced by my latest hair cut. BUT. That aside.

I'm here to say that my dog's newest lover is an entire bolt of fabric in a garish fake red velvet. I have the photos to prove it. Soon, I'll be blackmailing my own dog.

Also wrote a new designer vagina this evening, partly inspired by a childhood memory, although that sounds a little wonky, doesn't it.

Most especially though, I'm here to say that I have three poems in this fabulous, hideous, kinky new publication called Prayers for Children--and I find it so delightfully amusing that this mag. has a warning label advertising 'Queer Adult Content'. Woohoo! I love queer! So for the queer-friendly, check this out for sure. Lots of wonderfully provocative visual art and more.

As for my poems, the first piece 'Warm Milk' just so happens to be a selection from my upcoming chapbook FONDANT PIG ANGST (see entry below). Then there's a goth cheerleader piece. Then there's a different spin on Nellie Oleson piece. (I have several of these Nellie Oleson poems; another one of those is forthcoming in Columbia Poetry Review).

Anyway, this issue of Prayers for Children strikes me as very San Francisco (and I mean that very fondly) and I hope I can wrangle up some stuff to submit for their next issue and maybe you can too. Next issue has an ugly ducklings theme; this issue has an initiation theme. Check it out here:

http://www.prayersforchildren.be/

awkward insertion of meat hook

If you were desiring a more peculiar tease about FONDANT PIG ANGST then what I offered below, you're in luck. You can now read a book blurb from a robot.

I came to Juliet Cook's collection, Fondant Pig Angst, for glimpses into what it means to be human. I navigated my way through the detritus of the living -- took silk in my mouth, floated in a vat of tapioca, awkwardly inserted the meat hook. Cook's voice has disemboweled my assemblage, replaced my casing's wires with warped strings. If I am to believe Cook's speakers, the state of being human is nothing more than a blend of saltwater and ambergris, all in a jelly binding. I would rather remain a robot than dine at this feast, replete with cockroaches, confections and endless conditions.

--Feldman the Robot

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In other poetry chapbook news & views, my 2008 Blood Pudding Press chapbook 'Planchette' (available via http://www.bloodpuddingpress.etsy.com/) has recently been reviewed by poet Sarah Sarai on her fabulous and multifaceted writerly blog called 'My 3000 Loving Arms' (Ganesh has got nothing on Sarah Sarai). Here's an excerpt from her review:

"While hypomania is a 'mild mania' I have heard in arenas more esoteric than Webster's, hippomancy to be linked to divination. Which brings me back to that early girl. Whether the blue pills are valium or more 'narcotic,' in the poem they serve as emblem of the 'secret bruise' Cook writes of, of the 'Dream of white fizz' and its powers.

I'm figuring 'white fizz' can nullify the bruise. Pills do what pills will do. Mind will continue to struggle, as will spirit, thank God. Hence, poetry. The fizz feels chemical, feels alchemical, and that's part of Cook's intention, to draw the reader into a mysterious, suspect but real world."

You may read her review in its entirety (including excerpts from some of the tome's poems) on the aforementioned blog, here:

http://my3000lovingarms.blogspot.com/2009/10/stroking-poem-planchette-by-julia-cook.html

I read her review last night and at one point Sarai mentioned that I'm probably 20 years younger than she is and offers some perspective upon the sensibilities of young women, the girl sitting in the back of the class with her goth and punk leanings, etc...

Then shortly after reading her review, I found myself gazing in my bathroom looking glass, plucking out silvers, suddenly obsessing that my new hair cut seems to bring out the proliferating gray in my hair.

It must be some kind of arrested development, I thought to myself, because it can't be youth.

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P.S. I've written several little animal-oriented articles lately, so I added an 'Animal Articles' section along with my other various little articles sections, in the lower right side bar zone.

Also, here's an article I wrote about artist Frida Kahlo:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2360792/filling_the_emptiness_frida_kahlos.html?cat=2

And here's a follow up article, wherein I briefly analyze several Kahlo paintings:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2367968/bleeding_all_over_the_landscape_a_view.html?cat=2

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Saturday update: Gold Wake Press has revamped the design of their website, adding more visual oomph, and allowing poets to contribute an image to accompany their e-chaps. I contributed a piece of an old collage with a piece of an old (hideously over the top) poem. If you missed my small sequence of six short poems , (B)URN, published by GWP some months back, why not check it out now in the context of the site overhaul?

http://goldwakepress.org/2009/09/11/juliet-cook-burn/

It's coming!

FONDANT PIG ANGST coming soon!

See the Slash Pine Press blog:

http://slashpinepress.blogspot.com/2009/11/its-coming.html

In other news, my new hair cut kinda makes me look like a cockatoo.

ever so slightly belated Halloween treats

Happy November.

I wasn't feeling very well yeterday (drank the wrong mixer the night before), so didn't manage to make mention here of a few little Halloween treats of the poetic variety.

Firstly, my poem 'The Paper Dolls' debuted at Abjective on Halloween. Abjective publishes one poem/story/text every Saturday and how delightful for me that my Saturday was Halloween. Read the poem here:

http://www.abjective.net

Secondly, I published a special Halloween edition of Thirteen Myna Birds last night, featuring the spookily poignant poems of one Matt Jasper. All six of his poems within this dark flight formation were taken from his recent BlazeVOX book, "Moth Moon", which is well worth a read. I am going to try to write a review of the book this month. For now, you can sample six of his wares here:

http://13myna.blogspot.com

Thirdly, I didn't get it together enough to dress up as the Log Lady or much of anything else for Halloween, but I did wear a lovely black dress, glittery witch stockings, witch shoes, a macabre necklace--and I watched a horror movie.

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Furthermore, I wrote an article about DIY publishing and Blood Pudding Press for the latest edition of local Columbus Ohio magazine The Outer Belt, so feel free to check that out, too, on pages 16-18.

And it's not too late to sponsor a local independent horror film. Read my pitch on that matter in the same issue, pages 30-31:

http://theouterbelt.com/

Monday update: Even more Blood Pudding Press (and small press galore) goodness; I participated in a Chapbook Roundtable, amongst various other small press editors, published in this month's issue of The Chapbook Review:

http://thechapbookreview.com/current-issue/

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Finally (for now), if you're in the market for a more superfical but true tale, feel free to read my silly little article about the time I accidentally bleached off my eyebrows:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2346872/the_worst_beauty_trick_ive_ever_triedi.html?cat=69

my latest designer vagina in diagram

Okay for those of you perverts who are reading this because of the title, but aren't in the know, my designer vaginas are poems--and the diagram is an uber-fabulous online poetry magazine.

It's one of my favorite online poetry magazines, so I'm extremely pleased to have one of my designer vaginas doing its designer vagina thing in the new issue, 9.5, surrounded by other fine poems and weird diagrams and suchlike.

http://thediagram.com/9_5/cook.html

If this poem whets your appetite in some strange way, you can partake of more of my designer vaginas in the latest issue of diode (another favorite online poetry magazine), which was published a little while back.

http://www.diodepoetry.com/v3n1/content/cook_j.html

Even more designer vaginas are out & about, looking for the right homes. If you want one, let me know. Or else it'll probably give itself away to someone else.

Your chance to support an independent film

New Columbus-based independent film company, CutThroat Entertainment is putting the finishing touches upon their upcoming short horror movie, BREAK. The film is set to hit the screen December 3 as part of an exclusive premiere party at the Park Street Patio. This premiere party will include the first showing of the film, the chance to interact with cast & crew in the flesh, and other exciting morsels of entertainment. Tickets are currently on sale and now CTE is also seeking sponsors for this special event.

Are you involved with a local business that is independent, unique, and creative and would enjoy the opportunity to support another independent and creative local entity while simultaneously taking advantage of some fabulous exposure and well-deserved advertising for your own organization? If so, then consider sponsoring the premiere of BREAK.

Available sponsorship packages range from $1000-$100 to suit every company budget. By sponsoring CutThroat Entertainment, your organization will be supporting an innovative independent film company on the cusp of many exciting new projects, associating yourself with their first movie (which is already generating significant buzz and anticipated to sell out the venue), and gaining unique exposure for your own enterprise.

Depending upon which sponsorship package you choose, the perks and advertising benefits to you may include the opportunity to air a promotional commercial or video for your business immediately preceding the screening of the film, being able to host a promotional booth at the venue the night of the event, being able to feature a banner or sign of your choosing at the venue the night of the event, being featured on numerous promotional materials (including posters, flyers, radio spots, commercials, and billboards), receiving a permanent link to your business on the CutThroat Entertainment website (http://cutthroat-entertainment.com/home/) , and complementary passes to the fun-filled party.

To become a sponsor or to receive more information about this opportunity, please feel free to contact CutThroat Entertainment’s President & CEO, Adam Whitton, at cutthroat-entertainment@hotmail.com .

Tell him Juliet sent you.

P.S. If you're not in a position to offer sponsorship, but are still interested in attending the event, tickets are available for $20 each. Ask me for more details and/or read more about the film itself here:


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2250035/cutthroat_entertainment_hones_the_sharp.html?cat=2

HORRIFIC CONFECTION soon to be consumed forevermore

I only have ten print copies still available of my very first full-length poetry collection, HORRIFIC CONFECTION, so I thought I'd send out a little heads up to potentially interested parties who may have been delaying their gratification for some strange sexual reason or putting off its acquisition until the time was right. The time is RIGHT NOW, dark dumplings!

My HORRIFIC CONFECTION would make a macabre Halloween delight or a sordidly delectable Xmas gift, but soon it shall be too late.

Find out more about the book via the HORRIFIC CONFECTION tab of my website at http://www.julietcook.weebly.com/ or buy the book via the Blood Pudding Press etsy shop at http://www.bloodpuddingpress.etsy.com/ or by contacting me directly or circuitously or via bloody telekinesis, in which case I may or may not hear you depending upon which doppelganger is occupying the noggin.

more poetry reading photos

A few more photos from last week's poetry reading (pilfered from Christina Brooks's camera); if you missed my video footage from the event, please feel free to scroll down a couple entries to see it.

Also, here is a fun little article I wrote about gross American foodstuffs:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2304081/ten_unusual_and_possibly_gross_food.html?cat=16

Also, related to my continued work with local independent film company, CutThroat Entertainment, we are now offering sponsorship packages, catered towards companies who would like to support another indepedent local entity while also benefiting fron some fabulous advertising for their own organization. Any Columbus-area businesses interested in more information, please feel free to contact me.

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I'm having a kind of bad day, but here's a fun quote from an article I'm currently writing about Blood Pudding Press:

"Blood Pudding Press poetry is not chicken soup for the soul; it’s more like a homemade pastry bag trying to squeeze out railroad track debris in the form of misshapen rosettes. "

for crying out loud

Age 37 for crying out loud.

This is absurd. Egads.......

poetry reading video footage

Here is some video footage from Wednesday night's poetry reading at Mac's Backs Books in Coventry Village. The first piece is '(a small sponge cake with a synthetic cream filling)' from my book HORRIFIC CONFECTION. The second piece is 'Midwestern Gothic' from my forthcoming chapbook, FONDANT PIG ANGST. I also posted some poetry reading photos at Facebook.