Panels from IMPROVISATIONS (Series B)

Shortly after completing IMPROVISATIONS in 2005, I realized that a number of pages in the last part of the book would look good in color and explored the possibilities in three series. Big Bridge published Series A as part of its feature on IMPROVISATIONS in its 2006 issue.

Several weeks ago, Andrew Topel’s avantacular press announced that it was seeking collections to visual poetry to publish as ebooks. I submitted Series B and avantacular press accepted it for publication:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/29099825/Panels-From-Improvisations-Series-b

I’m pleased that avantacular press has chosen to publish my work. Again, I find myself in the company of many astonishing visual poets, including Andrew Topel, himself.

I discovered Topel’s work about two years ago, when it appeared with mine in an issue of Otoliths, Mark Young’s excellent magazine of cutting-edge literature. Topel’s use of text and image and text as image seemed to parallel mine. When I joined Spidertangle, I received greater exposure to his work and gained a greater appreciation of its breadth, depth and brilliance. His grasp of visual possibilities seems endless. In browsing his blog just now, I discovered some fascinating textual work, in addition to the visual. He’s also designed his own line of clothing. Frankly, my attempt to describe his work doesn’t come close to encompassing it. Topel seems to be a living torrent of creative energy continually finding new, brilliant and original ideas to make tangible through his expression. Instead of trying to grasp the scope of his work, I suggest you experience it at:

http://avantacular-press.blogspot.com/

LIE /ISLE

is a relatively new magazine I’m glad to see. Over the past few years, a number of my customary publishing venues have closed their doors, but until recently very few new ones have surfaced. Recently, however, LIE/ISLE (HTTP://LIESISLE.COM ) came to my attention. My poem, “The Hungry on Strike” appears in the latest issue:

http://liesisle.com/ISSUE03/thehungryonstrike.html

LIE/ISLE publishes a number of writers whose names I’ve never encountered, but whose work in a variety of media deserves attention. And I'm very pleased with the way LIE/ISLE presented my work.