Douglas Blazek reads on March 15

A Political Documentary

Admission for tonight’s show of crickets
is to scratch music from a violin
the price for the morning’s birds
is to chant an egg out of your chest

Alternative?

The sun will clench itself
into a hammer at noon
and flatten your heart

Winter will strangle your
reproductive organ like a swan’s neck
in the hands of a madman

Alternative?

Turn your power into snow
you will melt into summer—
the avenue of your voice
without a trace of artillery
parading like the wind

- Douglas Blazek

Our March poetry reading features Douglas Blazek. We are very excited about this one as Doug gives very few readings nowadays and in small press circles is somewhat of a legend. During the 1960s, he was one of the main people behind the "mimeograph revolution", a small press movement which, following the Beats, gave voice to a lot of non-mainstream poets, people who worked outside the academy. With his literary magazine Ole and the Open Skull Press, as well as editing for other presses, he introduced poets Like Charles Bukowski to people. He is the author and editor of over 35 books, including a forthcoming volume of poems to be published by Poems-for-All/The Book Collector's Richard Hansen. The Time Tested Books reading is on Sunday March 15. We will be open at 7 pm and poetry will start soon after. We are asking for a $5 donation, money which will go to the poet.