Poetry in Action: Rodrigo Toscano & TC Tolbert

February 16

poets

and

7 pm
The Drawing Studio 33 S. 6th Ave., Tucson
$5 general admission $3 student admission

Rodrigo Toscano is the author of To Leveling Swerve (Kruspkaya Books, 2005), Platform (Atelos, 2004), The Disparities (Green Integer, 2002) and Partisans (O Books, 1999). His new book, Collapsible Poetics Theater, was a National Poetry Series 2007 winner. It will be published in 2008. His poetry has appeared Best American Poetry 2004, War and Peace (2004 & 2007), and in the Criminal's Cabinet: An anthology of poetry and fiction (2004), and in McSweeny's "Poets Picking Poets". He was a 2005 recipient of a New York State Fellowship in Poetry. He was poetry co-coordinator for "The Social Mark" symposium (Slought Foundation), and a recent panelist on "Poetry & Empire, Post-Invasion Poetics" (University of Pennsylvania), "Societies of American Poetry, Dissenting Practices" (Georgetown University), "Authorship and the Turn to Language" (University of Teubingen, Germany), "Diasporic Avant-Gardes: Experimental Poetics and Cultural Displacement" (University of California, Irvine).Toscano is also the artistic director and writer for the Collapsible Poetics Theater (CPT). His polyvocalic pieces, poetics plays, and body-movement poems, have been performed at the Disney Redcat Theater in Los Angeles, Ontological-Hysteric Poet's Theater Festival, Poet's Theater Jamboree 2007, and the Yockadot Poetics Theater Festival. His radio pieces have appeared on WPIX FM (New York), KAOS Public Radio Olympia, WNYU, and PS.1 Radio. His work has been translated into French, German, Italian, and Catalonian. Toscano is originally from Southern California. He works in Manhattan at the Labor Institute, and lives in Brooklyn.

see ChicagoPostmodernPoetry.Com for an extended interview

TC Tolbert is a gender-queer feminist, photographer, thinker, and poet. He received his MFA in Poetry from the University of Arizona in 2005 and is now learning to play a little classical guitar. Hiking, climbing, writing, reading, sharing, and exploring are all very good for his health. www.tigercakes74.blogspot.com

from What is "Poetics Theater"? (by Rodrigo Toscano)

Poetics Theater and guests.

Poetics Theater and a few rough-hewn acquaintances.

Poetics Theater and several polished slimestones.

Poetics Theater on the sidewalk, at ground level, studying the parade.

Poetics Theater, your attention is hereby snatched.

Poetics Theater was in motion before you were I, before we were she, he.

Imperious nobodies cherish Poetics Theater.

Anyone can say "Poetics Theater", no one can vouch for it.

Poetics Theater sops up the blame for all failed post-avant movements, gladly.

Poetics Theater is a latino handmaiden to anglo males in fireproof shirts humming green lyrics to the blackest female hearts?

Poetics Theater admires only the blackest female hearts; the whitest lyrics are pinking around puke blue #8 calling all chromium ambitions tin; imagine that! Things are dull enough yo.

Poetics Theater is thus poliphisticated, feline, minimal in its steps across the fine arts district.

from latitude: perceived obsolesence: unplanned (by TC Tolbert)

(we lay there for months drawing back

tiny muscle. and grafting an exegesis of skin.)

My voice, which is the most terrible gift from me.

Indiscriminately. You refuse to touch me with sound.

I want you to tell me a story about unknowing me.

Even the mirrors have become bars we lean against.

Even the body has become a gift we regret.

Poetry in Action 2007-08:

September 23

Michael Kelleher and Tyrone Williams

October 27
David Gitin and Frank Parker

November 17
Maureen Owen and Tenney Nathanson

February 2 Pierre Joris and Cynthia Miller

(co-sponsored by Chax Press)

February 16 Rodrigo Toscano and TC Tolbert

March 15
Beverly Dahlen and Charles Alexander

April 12
Lewis Warsh and Paul Klinger

May 3
Leslie Scalapino and Matt Rotando

and:

November 2-5 2008
Norman Fischer (poetry reading, talk, meditation workshop)

POG events are sponsored in part by grants from the Tucson/Pima Arts Council, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. POG also benefits from the continuing support of The University of Arizona Poetry Center, the Arizona Quarterly, Chax Press, and The University of Arizona Department of English.

POG is also grateful to 2007-2008 donors and programming partners:

Patrons Gail Browne & Frances Sjoberg, Barbara Henning, Paul Klinger, and Boyer Rickel

We're also grateful to hosts and programming partners

Casa Libre en La Solana Inn & Guest House