[Alex Pepple]

Dear Erastophereans,

The Community Issue of Able Muse is now online at the usual place (& featuring several Eratosphereans) at

http://www.ablemuse.com

with:          

          FEATURED POET: Len Krisak
          FEATURED ARTIST: Diane Fenster
          PHOTOGRAPHY: Jochen Brenneke
          INTERVIEW: Rhina P. Espaillat

          The Eratosphere Poet Contest winners - judged by Timothy Steele
          The Tipsy Muse Poetry Contest winners - judged by A. E. Stallings

          POETRY: Barry Ballard, Kim Bridgford, Sandra Fowler, Jim Hayes, Julie Kane, Sharon Kourous, J. Patrick Lewis, April Lindner, Peter Marris, Wade Newman, Rebecca Raphael, Jennifer Reeser, John M. Ridland, M. A. Schaffner, Terence Sheridan, A. E. Stallings, Susan Vaughan, Richard Wakefield, Christopher Wagner, and Gail White.

          FICTION: Judith Beck, Ted Berryman, Kim Bridgford, Andrew Wilson

So, stop by & post your feedback & reaction at here or the Comment & Respond forum.

Cheers,
...Alex

[wendy v]

Alex, the graphics and pages look marvelous, it's a wonderfully rich issue all around. Enjoyed the Krisak interview and poems. I'm especially grateful to have been introduced to the poems of Gail White. Congratulations to all Eratospherians, and a special nod to Ted Berryman !

wendy

[This message has been edited by wendy v (edited June 30, 2001).]

[Terese Coe]

Alex

I just listened to Len Krisak reading "After Millay," and the poem is a fine choice for its evocative traditional sound, something which befits Millay's poems. My favorite aspect of the issue is that we can hear these vocals. I'm going to get to them all eventually. Right now I'll just comment to Len that I think you should have read it a bit more slowly, perhaps with a slight touch of the ethereal; but you know, that might just be my preference for this style of poem.

Alex, you've already seen another comment of mine about my enjoyment of the issue on the Gaz, but I'll stop in again soon with more feedback. Thanks for letting Len remind me of Millay's legacy.

Terese

[Terese Coe]

Len's "Amateur Avant-Garde Dance Recital": This was fun, Len! How many of these I've sat through with similar thoughts, and never thought to put them in a poem...

But even worse were certain 70s anti-dance dance recitals: those terminally boring death-like dances where no one moved at all. I mean, it becomes a question of how close is avant-garde to death? I guess that's as "avant" as you can get. The instant before death might be the most avant any of us ever experiences, hmm?

All of which is to say, you said it! And I liked this vocal better than that on the "After Millay": there was more of a range here. I'd suggest, as a longtime aficionado of drama and comedy and one who contributed to dance and theatre from numerous angles, somewhat more playfulness of inflection through the middle, next time you read it. (I know, it's easy enough to say these things, but another entirely to achieve that playfulness of tone oneself!). I like the lightness of the poem itself very much.

Diane Fenster's art was sort of chilling for me: not my colors, not my type of graphics; the 8-point red type had some good lines but they were difficult to read. Too small, too red.

Jim Hayes' voice reading "This Wrinkle" surprised me with its coolness, but surprises are a thing of wonderment and I always enjoy them. I could imagine that voice being very effective in his light verse especially! Great touch to see the pictures too, Alex! Sort of like Old Home Week.

Terese

[This message has been edited by Terese Coe (edited August 04, 2001).]

[Alex Pepple]

Hi Terese,

Thanks for this detailed review. The feedback is really helpful! I knew about dance & theatre, but I didn't know you were a fine/graphic artist as well. Wonderful!

Cheers,
...Alex

[Solan]

I looked through it yesterday, and it looks great. There are some positioning and possibly script problems on the Apple Mac, though. But I got to hear Jim read. If I ever need anyone to read out a poem, I now know who to ask.


------------------

Svein Olav

.. another life

[Terese Coe]

Alex

Perhaps I wasn't specific enough about the artwork. (And I'm no visual artist at all.) I just meant they weren't the kind of visuals that I most appreciate. It may be the art shown needs to be seen much larger, though I don't know what that would do either. They seem too busy, and that alone wouldn't normally bother me: it depends upon the character of the busy-ness.

But I know 8-pt. type when I see it~! Or is it 6-pt? In either case, difficult to read onscreen.

Terese




[This message has been edited by Terese Coe (edited August 07, 2001).]

[Len Krisak]

Dear Guys,

Sorry! Especially to Terese, who went out
of her way to comment on the new Muse, but
I for some reason have managed to miss this
board altogether. Premature attention
deficit, I guess.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.
I DO love Millay, and would have liked to
read "her" poem a little more slowly,
but I use RealAudio and it seems to allow me about
60 to 90 seconds to get the job done!

Cheers to all,
Len