this is kim calder » News

back from the dead

kim — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:36:05 +0000

Hi all,

Sorry it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me! It’s been a crazy, busy month–lots of visitors in town, lots of going out of town…so no blogging. But, I’m back, and want to tell you about some exciting events coming up and some other new news.

I’ll be in NYC with my man from August 27th-September 2nd, and while I’m there, I’ll be doing a very special reading on the 31st at goodbye blue monday in Brooklyn. It’s the first time I’ll be reading a large section of my work in progress, prison-house, and I’ll also be collaborating with a talented friend of mine.

Stefanos Tsigrimanis (AKA animal nudity) will be accompanying me as I read prison-house (think noisy, noisy goodness). He’s one of my favorite people and a great musician. Here’s his info:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=50786080&MyToken=5a937580-ccd6-4554-a853-dabe8e4f243f

And here’s the info for goodbye blue monday:

http://www.myspace.com/goodbyebluemondayinc

As you can see on their calendar, we go on at 9 pm. I’ll also read from the book, and animal nudity will kick out some jams. I’m excited, and hope to see some old friends there!!!

In other news, I’ve started up a page at www.goodreads.com, a great site my friend recommended to me. This neat site allows you to keep track of what you’ve read, what you’re reading, and what you’re planning on reading. I’ll be writing book reviews, and it’s a great way to connect with your friends on the reading tip. If you’re interested, you’ll find me here:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1441658

Right now, I’m working on Adorno’s Negative Dialectics with my very brilliant friend Greg. We meet every Sunday and discuss a section of the book we’ve read. It’s difficult material, and slow going, but really exciting stuff (and really relevant to prison-house). I’m also beginning to put together applications for Creative Writing MFA programs across the country, and am hoping, next year, to get paid to write for a few years. I’ll keep you all posted on how it goes!

Well, see you East Coast folks soon!

“Two roads diverged in yellow wood…” Wait, what happened???

kim — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:55:25 +0000

This has to be one of the funniest articles I’ve ever seen:

Court throws the book at Frost home trespassers

A beer party in a former home of the poet lands several teens and young adults in literature class.

By John Curran, Associated Press
June 9, 2008

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — Call it poetic justice: More than two dozen young people who broke into Robert Frost’s former home for a beer party and trashed the place are being required to take classes in his poetry as part of their punishment.

Using “The Road Not Taken” and another poem as jumping-off points, Frost biographer Jay Parini hopes to show the vandals the error of their ways — and the redemptive power of poetry.

“I guess I was thinking that if these teens had a better understanding of who Robert Frost was and his contribution to our society, that they would be more respectful of other people’s property in the future and would also learn something from the experience,” said prosecutor John Quinn.

The vandalism occurred at the Homer Noble Farm in Ripton, where Frost spent more than 20 summers before his death in 1963. Now owned by Middlebury College, the unheated farmhouse on a dead-end road is used occasionally by the college and is open in the warmer months.

On Dec. 28, a 17-year-old former Middlebury College employee decided to hold a party and gave a friend $100 to buy beer. Word spread. Up to 50 people descended on the farm, the revelry turning destructive.

When it was over, windows, antique furniture and china had been broken, fire extinguishers discharged, and carpeting soiled with vomit and urine. The damage was put at $10,600.

Twenty-eight people — all but two of them teenagers — were charged, mostly with trespassing.

About 25 ultimately entered pleas — or were accepted into a program that would allow them to wipe their records clean provided they underwent the Frost instruction. Some will also have to pay for some of the damage, and most were ordered to perform community service in addition to the classroom sessions. The man who bought the beer is the only one who went to jail; he got three days behind bars.

Parini, 60, a Middlebury College professor who has stayed at the house before, was eager to oblige when Quinn asked him to teach the classes.

Eleven recently turned out for the first of two sessions, with Parini giving line-by-line interpretations of “The Road Not Taken” and “Out, Out –,” seizing on parts with particular relevance to draw parallels to their case.

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,” he thundered, reciting the opening line of the first poem.

“This is where Frost is relevant. This is the irony of this whole thing. You come to a path in the woods where you can say, ‘Shall I go to this party and get drunk out of my mind?’ ” he said. “Everything in life is choices.”

“It’s a lesson learned, that’s for sure,” said one of the vandals, 22-year-old Ryan Kenyon, whose grandmother knew Frost. “It did bring some insight. People do many things that they don’t realize the consequences of. It shined a light, at least to me.”

Reading w/Sarah Heston and Gabriela Jauregui 6/7

kim — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:00:15 +0000

That’s right, folks, ANOTHER reading! I’ll be reading with Sarah and Gaby, who are both absolutely amazing. Here’s the deal:

Sarah Heston’s Art Jam Out

June 7th, 7 p.m.
in basement of 810 e 3rd st, # 45
(enter at the big iron gate at 801 e Traction across the street from Blooms Store at Hewitt and Traction)

Hey friends, so I’m heading to Finland in June and then I’m off to Missouri to get my Ph.D. from the Univ. of Missouri, where I’ve been named the (duh duh) Distinguished Fellow of Creative Non-Fiction, for my memoir, which some of you are mentioned in. And I’ve only been back in LA for mere months…so, I will read a bit from the memoir, sing, dance, and humiliate myself, all for you. In addition, there will be other readers and performers, art on display, and drinks and food in this incredible downtown studio of Dave’s and Frank’s (the dads).

Sarah Heston reads from the memoir
Kim Calder and Gabriela Jauregui read from their *new and awesome* books of poetry
David Hollen’s fabulous and slightly dangerous sculptures will be on display, so be careful and bid high!
and I think many others, like beautiful Swedish jazz musicians? erudite accomplished Armenians? unicorns? my grandparents??
Google names for books and art. Forward email to mutual friends.

But most importantly, this is my way to party with you before I take off, once again, but this time with university backing for a book that is saving my life. Please come dance with me, bring alcohol if you can, and check out the work of my friends and my own, because we’re all doing what makes life great. And you are great. I’ve seen your bands a million times, now you can come see what I do.

Please RSVP by letting me know you’d like to come, and I’ll advise Sarah so she can make enough food, etc. I can’t say enough about Sarah’s writing–and she’s also just one of my favorite people out there. Gaby’s going to be incredible, as well, and it should be one hell of a party. So come on out!!

I advise you check out Ms. Heston’s writing, ASAP, at:

http://sarahheston.blogspot.com/

and, this is what none other than Marjorie Perloff said about Gaby’s book:

Remarkable. . . . Gabriela Jauregui displays perfect pitch: Her lyrics are impressive in their scope, range, empathy-and especially their authentic passion.-Marjorie Perloff , author of 21st-Century Modernism

Publication Update

kim — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:47:37 +0000

On the publication of who’s to say what’s home.

I’m beyond excited to announce that my first collection of poems will be available next month!

It’s strange how these things come about.

My life in New York in 2006 was fairly routine—-at 4 am, I’d leave the bar, get on the subway, and manage to make my way home (eventually, due to the frequent “naps” I often involuntarily took on my return journey). One such night, after crawling my way up five flights of stairs and into my apartment, I sat down at my computer, clicked the wrong icon on my desktop, and accidentally signed into an ancient instant messaging application I hadn’t used in years. Before I could remedy the error, a long-lost friend and fellow poet, Chiwan Choi, greeted me.

Chi told me he’d been trying to reach me for some time—-he and his wife, Judy, were launching a publishing company called Writ Large Press, and they wanted to publish my work.

I had no idea how much that night would change my life. Before I knew it, I was on my way home to L.A., and on my way to realizing a lifelong dream.

This is a book that means the world to me. I’ve come a long way, and through a lot, during its creation and publication. I’m delighted to be able to finally share it with the world, and so grateful to everyone who’s believed in me, inspired me, and helped to make this possible.