By Request For The Speakeasy Cafe

Here's the piece I read tonight on The Speakeasy Cafe's show. It's featured in the American Music anthology and No Chaser; it's called Free Associations on a Lamentation:

If the death of the heart really is the worst death imaginable– as Oscar suggests, then most of those among us never need to fear. It is impossible to kill what has yet to live. --- If pain is worse than indifference and hearts are meant to remain intact, then by god, we are doing something right. Wearing our suits of armor and living by the sacred credos of Be on your guard! and Trust No One! we’ve done a remarkable job of keeping each other at a distance, which is the best way to keep ourselves unscathed. I suppose we could go pick up that “Mission Accomplished” banner now, but somehow, when I walk down the street, I don’t feel so victorious. All I feel is this dangerous flood of curiosity, and I keep wondering how to find my way to where the people aren’t sleepwalking. I must need a better map, because I sure as hell can’t track them down. Puffed chests, arrogant struts and suits of armor. That’s all I can find. --- Human non-being doesn’t lurk in the shadows, waiting to slit your throat or empty your bank account; it slaps you in the face at every turn. It calls you “bro” and checks out your ass. It tells you your mortgage payment is passed due and laughs too goddamn loud at its own regrettable puns. Watching, waiting for you to join them when you are finally convinced that a five year plan is more important than a moment’s outcry. Ready to say “I told you so” when you stop playing for keeps. --- But we’re better than that. We are ready to leap right into the deep end and try not to drown. We will find ourselves gasping for air, and some of us might not ever make it back to the surface, but there are ways to make sure that frenzied swim to elevated being will be better than staying anchored to the shore and waiting for death to find us safe and sound. --- First of all, try weeping on for size- life is hard! It’s supposed to be. We can handle it. So go, hurt worse than you ever thought possible. You’ve earned it. Let your soul breathe for once. It sure seems like it could use the air. --- Remember that a life truly worth living requires you to dive in head first, crack your skull open a few times and wear your wounds like a badge. A constant reminder that the suffering you are currently experiencing is a direct result of being as alive as you possibly could be. Let that splitting headache play those glorious memories on repeat. Let that throbbing between your ears be the drumbeat that marches you directly into the battlefield of beauty, ready to earn some gashes far deeper than the ones you’ve currently got. --- Your heart won’t really start to live until you rip that son ‘bitch open. So, tear, smash, sob, sound your ever so human yawp. Anything it takes to let the living really begin. --- There’s still a lot to be done, but if it’s true that only a god can save us, then we better find that divinity fast. I hope you’re up to the task. Here’s a quick tip before you start searching: Stop looking at the sky and start looking at the people you surround yourself with. And don’t use your eyes- that’s a fool’s errand. Use your ears, your throat, your spirit. That’s your spelunking kit. --- We can find that which can save us, but only if you want to. So, if none of y’all are interested, we can just stop the music right now and board up the doors to our respective fortresses. But you better put your armor on first, because I can see your soul from here.

News, News, News

The first exciting bit of news for the day is that my book, No Chaser, is available at Micawber's Books in St. Paul. The store is located right by Cleveland and Como for those of you who have not been there. Be sure to check it out before all copies are gone. I hope that they place it next to Nikki Giovanni's newest book. Her book will be on the new arrivals table too, and Giovanni and Hackett are pretty dang close alphabetically--this would be a wonderful turn of events.

The next is item to attend to is future news: I've just started work on a collection of short stories told from the perspective of a man named Walter Morgan. He's going through his old photo albums and telling his life story in short pieces. I've been spending a lot of time with this fictional gentleman recently and am excited to finish more and more of his stories. A couple of these pieces will be included in the upcoming S&P anthology, so look for them there.

And finally, be sure you show up to Groundswell Coffee on April 16th for the next Skull and Poems reading. I'll be there with music from the Porter Twins, and readings from Caitlin Ray and Eric Whalen. I'll reading some new stuff and some of my favorite old pieces. I felt like my last reading was a C+, so I really want to go out there and give a phenomenal reading this time around. Of course, the last reading we gave was a great success due to fantastic performances from Caitlin, Eric and Jordan, but this time, I need to make sure I bring my best stuff to the table too. Can't let them carry all the readings while I'm dragging ass and falling flat. I'm excited for next Friday's reading--this time, it's personal.

News, Notes and a New Piece

The first installment in our monthly reading series at Groundswell is on the 20th, so I've been throwing together some new stuff for the occasion. I've got four new pieces so far and hope to hammer out a couple more in the next week or so. All of us have a lot of work ahead of us to get ready for the full group anthology, so I'm hoping to get my stuff fairly closed to settled well before the deadline so I can get to editing for my fellow Skull and Poemsers. Anyway, here's a taste of what's to come--it's called Paralysis:

Sitting, still and serious
fixed on the space between her fingers
as they lay restless on her thigh
Hoping she doesn't catch me
but even if she were to look over
and see my eyes locked
on the outline of each digit
I couldn't turn from her
Pressing my gaze into those gaps
is as close as I will ever come
to the feeling of our hands clasped
together, the world at our fingertips.
I can't look away
I can't

Belated, but Not Really Apologetic

To everyone who came out to Groundswell last Saturday, thank you for making the the release reading for No Chaser an absolutely phenomenal success. This little electronic thank you card probably should have been written immediately after the reading, and it's not as though I'm aggressively busy, but I just didn't get around to it until now. I've been doing the writer thing and lazing about, not working, pretending that there's something romantic and artistic about an empty bank account and a barren calendar of events. So, again, thank you so much for showing up last week. If anyone actually checks this and was hanging on to a quickly fading hope that such gratitude would be given, I apologize, though I also assume that no such person exists.

If you didn't make it on the 13th (perhaps the greatest day of the year, given the combo of longing and hope that occurs immediately before Valentines Day, plus, book readings), you can still pick up a copy of No Chaser here. I suggest you do so.

No Chaser Available Now!

Order your copy of Josh Hackett's flash memoir collection, No Chaser, today! Available here or, better still, tonight (2/13) at Groundswell Coffee.

Open Window Nights

A piece originally published in the "American Music" anthology, soon to be featured in my new collection "No Chaser."

Open Window Nights

Tonight is the first open window night of the spring. Fond memories of breezes like this are finally brought back into my reality as the cold meanders into my room from the black beyond my window. The screen can only keep out mosquitoes, not the chill making its way up my spine. From my half-empty bed, I can hear the cars growl softly from the soul of a city as tired as I am, but to me, they may as well be ocean waves. On nights like these, I’m urban camping. The alley behind my rundown apartment complex is the well worn path I took to arrive on this beach. I pitch my studio-tent and force myself to the right side of my queen sized thermo-rest, in hopes that wherever your urban campsite may be, you find yourself curled up on the left. I keep my head cocked slightly toward my open window to listen, because despite those crashing waves, I just might be able to hear you whisper my name. Love knows no distance and sound carries just fine on its heavenly wings. Well, I’m still listening, still waiting, still whispering your name, just in case you keep your windows open, too.

No Chaser Reading

The release reading for my collection of poetry and memoir "No Chaser" is scheduled for 7:00pm at Nina's Coffee Cafe on Selby and Western in St. Paul. This party will feature some fine, fine poetry from Jesse Zager, Eric Whalen and of course, Josh Hackett. Don't miss out on what is sure to be a spectacular evening of poetry, followed by equally spectacular drinking at one of the neighborhood's many quality watering holes.