From the daily archives:
Los Rah-MO-nays!
by Charlie Geer
Spanish pronunciation of English words can create problems for the English speaker living in Spain. The other day a Spanish friend, Rafa, passed along some new music to me. When I told Rafa I thought the group had a touch of the Ramones to it, he looked baffled, like he’d never heard of the Ramones. This was, well, baffling. Rafa is a rock-and-roll enthusiast, and a drummer to boot: surely he knows about the Ramones.
I tried again. “The Ramones.”
Nothing.
A Poem by Gary Beck
Pass us no beginnings,
for tired of toys
and idle mischief,
we stirred no longer.
And when the first fruits
turned to ashes
in our imploring hands,
and we exhausted tears,
we were left impoverished,
defeated planters.
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Gary Beck’s poetry has appeared in dozens of literary magazines. His chapbook, ‘The Conquest of Somalia’, will be published by Cervena Barva Press. His recent fiction has been published in numerous literary magazines. His plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes, and Sophocles have been produced Off-Broadway.
Our Office This Morning
The blinds were closed when we got to the office today, which is a first. Frankly, we’re a little concerned. And it’s making us paranoid. Meanwhile, questions run through our head: What is the cleaning staff hiding? Is something buried in the pine straw? SomeONE? But enough about us. Let’s talk to the writer of the moment (courtesy of the Man Booker Prize!), Hilary Mantel. She must have an answer. Or maybe not. After all, even Yale is slightly paranoid. Ann Lauterbach’s poetry helps us deal with anxiety, even if you still want to run away from your troubles. Speaking of which, are you looking for a new city to live in? We’ve got just the book to help you pick the most suitable place. Paranoia aside (we’ll spare you our tangent on our current weaning-off-of-coffee adventures), we’re asking questions, and so is Padgett Powell — in the mighty return of “In Case You Missed It,” Brian Barr interrogates the man, the myth, the legend — Mr. Powell himself. Finally, and after a deep breath, we’ve realized the blinds in our office are closed because they need dusting. Where’s the story there? –Andrew Geer
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