OK, I'm Over It Now....

Yes, my beloved Phillies bit the dust, losing the World Series 4 games to 2 to the Best Team Money Can Buy, the New York Yankees. In all honesty, the Yankees played like the better team. The Phils didn't get the consistent pitching they needed (other than from Cliff Lee), and their bullpen just couldn't do the job. (So much for Brad Lidge's "comeback".) Yankees pitchers tied up the Phils' left-handed bats (except for Utley) - Howard for the most part looked just awful at the plate. Oh well, it was still a good run - the first time the Phillies won back-to-back National League pennants, and I have to say they still exceeded my expectations this year. So you Yankees fans go right ahead and gloat over your 27th World Championship - it's easy to root for a perennial winner.

Poetry: It's been a busy week for me - went to the launch of Edison Literary Review's Issue #8, which includes my peom "Mosquito Truck", on Sunday the 15th, at South Brunswick NJ Library. It was a fine event featuring ELR honchos Gina and John Larkin and Tony Gruenwald, as well as contributors like me and an open mic. Monday the 16th I was featured poet at Poetry in the Round, Barnes and Noble in Marlton NJ. Not a real big turnout, but I did sell four copies of my book afterward. Wednesday was editorial meeting for Quick and Dirty Poets and our journal Up and Under: The QND Review. We're accepting submissions until December 31 if you are interested - click the link above.

My new book, Breathing Out, is finally out and looks great! Thanks to Leah and Kevin Maines of Finishing Line Press for a great job. Visit their website if you would like a copy but haven't ordered yet. It's also available on Amazon.com.

I've also received word on two acceptances: "Dream" and "Monster Accosted by Telemarketers" have been accepted by Fox Chase Review for their next issue, and Schuylkill Valley Journal has also accepted a poem of mine, though I will be changing the title.

I've been doing Robert Brewer's Poem-a-day Chapbook Challenge on the Poetic Asides blog - running a couple of days behind, but managing to get a poem out almost every day.

Music: Well, most of the musical pundits from various publications and websites have released their best-of-the-year album lists, even though it's still the last half of November, so why shouldn't I be any different? So here is my list of top 20 albums and songs of the year. These are always hard because intellectually I can appreciate some of the albums that are declared "best" by the so-called experts, but I just went with my personal favorites - no apologies:

Albums
1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
2. White Rabbits - It's Frightening
3. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
5. Bell X1- Blue Lights on the Runway
6. Iron and Wine - Around the Well
7. Various Artists - Dark Was the Night
8. Passion Pit - Manners
9. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
10. The Swell Season - Strict Joy
11. Death Cab for Cutie - The Open Door (EP)
12. Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada
13. Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Tell ‘em What Your Name Is!
14. Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree in the Ear
15. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
16.Moby - Wait for Me
17. Beirut - March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland
18.Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill
19. Sam Roberts - Love at the End of the World
20.Son Volt - American Central Dust

Songs
1. White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"
2. Decemberists - "The Rake's Song"
3. Animal Collective - "Summertime Clothes"
4. Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"
5. Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - "Sugarfoot"
6. Bell X1 - "The Great Defector"
7. East Hundred - "Slow Burning Crimes"
8. Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
9. Great Lake Swimmers - "Pulling on a Line"
10. Woodpigeon - "I Live a Lot of Places"
11. White Rabbits - "They Done Wrong, We Done Wrong"
12.Neko Case - " People Got a Lot of Nerve"
13. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
14. Death Cab for Cutie - "Little Bribes"
15.Sam Roberts - "Detroit ’67"
16.Roman Candle - "Eden Was a Garden"
17. The Damnwells - "Bastard of Midnight"
18. Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You"
19. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
20. Melody Gardot - "Who Will Comfort Me?"

Poem of the Month: Here's one I wrote for this month's poem-a-day challenge, and dedicated to every baseball fan whose team didn't have as good a season as the Phillies and Yankees.

Another Long Season

S. is a slacker, D. is a drag,
W. can’t hit his way out of a bag.
P. is a slowpoke, B. is a bum,
G.’s a good shortstop, but boy is he dumb.
C. is a closer who can’t save a game,
N. has been called every kind of bad name.
R. is a choker, H. a hot dog,
L.’s got less hustle than a hollowed-out log.
O.’s overpaid, V.’s over-the-hill,
U.’s been suspended for using some pill.
F. is a flake, M. plays for the money,
K. strikes out so much it's not even funny.
These guys haven’t given me much reason to cheer;
all I can say is: Just wait till next year!