1. Lisa Robertson, Yedda Morrison & Sophie Robonson read at a downtown gallery called compactspace. The event was hosted by Les Figues Press and my outfit, the Poetic Research Bureau. We called this the "My Three Sons" reading. -son -son -son. Sophie read to us from Britannia via pre-recorded video; Yedda read from her fantastic new book Girl Scout Nation; and Lisa read from her new book Magenta Soul Whip. Afterwards we stumbled across the street to the recently redesigned Coles, who claim to be the originators of the french dip sandwich. For those of you who don't live in Los Angeles, there are two downtown restaurants that claim to be the originators of the french dip. The other one is Philippe's. I can't settle that dispute, but I can proclaim that, having eaten at both joints recently, Philippe's is much better in the sandwich department. What Cole's has going for it is that the atmosphere is more like a tavern and they have great beers on tap. Philippe's is like an old-school depression-era cafeteria, which has its charm.
2. For the celebration of Russian Futurism's 100th annivesary, Christian Bök & Steve McCaffery read some zaum & sound poems at the getty Center. I love noise, so seeing Christian read is always a treat. I continue to think that Christian's piece for Murray Schafer's experimental opera Princess of the Stars, in which Christian plays the Three Horned Enemy, is one of the best sound pieces I've ever heard.
3. Met up with Scoli Acosta and a few others for a wonderful spicy Korean crab stew at Ondal 2. The stew is cooked tableside by the waitresses; an incredible array of kimchee and panchan are laid out in front of you; and once you're almost done with the stew, the waitress comes by and cuts fresh pieces of pasta into the remaining juices and makes a mouth-watering pasta dish; then, just when you think you can't eat anymore, the waitress comes by again and makes a huge dish of delicious crab fried rice with what's left of the crab juice. At that point you really can't eat anymore.
Scoli and I are working on a children's book together, and it was great to see some of the drawings he's been making for it. The book is kind of an experimental children's book; it's about animals, and all the language uses the same syntax, such as: Oh! This sober mastodon indiscreetly awakened that dramatic hippopotamus. Or: Ugh! That dolorous husky remotely touched some watchful iguanodon. All the language was found and manipulated by yours truly. I think there will eventually be abaout 20 drawings. One of them is below.
