Jenny Boully

Poetry from the Rooftops

2008-06-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'll be giving a reading tomorrow with Gregory Pardlo and G.C. Waldrep as part of the Academy of American Poets Poetry from the Rooftops series. The reading starts at 6:30 and will be held at the Arsenal Building at Central Park, located at 64th and 5th. Here are the details. This might be my last reading in NYC for a while as I'm moving to Chicago shortly.

Thank you for Beale

2008-05-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank the folks at Hollins for making my stay a wonderful one. I especially wanted to thank Erin and Carrie and James and Erin's boyfriend for Beale Garden. Beale Garden used to be such a wild, overgrown thing.

Readings at Hollins University

2008-03-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

I'll be giving a reading at my alma mater Hollins University on March 6 at 8:15 p.m. in the Green Drawing Room.

AWP Events

2008-01-31T08:02:00.000-08:00

I know this is a bit late, but I'll be signing books at the Sarabande table from 2:00 - 3:00 today, Thursday, January 31.

On Saturday, February 2, I'll be giving an off-site reading for Essay Press at 3:00 at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn. The bookstore is located at 456 Bergen Street. (You can take the 2, 3 trains to Bergen if you're in the city.) I'll be reading with Kristin Prevallet and Carla Harryman.

A New Review of the Book of Beginnings and Endings

2007-12-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

Today's edition of the Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review mentions the Book of Beginnings and Endings in their "Discoveries" section. You can access the review by Susan Salter Reynolds here.

Two New Reviews

2007-11-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I received my author's copies of The Book of Beginnings and Endings. When I was in Iowa for the NonficitonNOW Conference, I signed a copy of it, and it was the first time that I had seen the book. The signed copy for was Ander Monson. In my hotel room, I read this review of the book (along with my chapbook Moveable Types) written by Nicole Walker in the latest Diagram.

A new review site, Corduroy Books, just put out this review, written by Weston Cutter.

My Verse in Verse

2007-09-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure why I never mentioned this to anyone, but one of my dearest poems (in verse), was published in Verse in their Fall/Winter 2006 issue. Details are here. There was a time when I would look the line so straight in the eye, so completely, and then I stopped looking. I did that with people too, at a time, I think. I stopped looking at people in the eye; I didn't want to be seen. I'm not quite sure when I stopped doing that either. (Perhaps my omission of this publication indicates that I am not, however I wish to be, quite removed from this habit of not looking?) My line breaks are still precious to me, but I can't profess to understand them any longer. There was an intensity, an undertone that used to move me to keep on or no, and then, I just didn't want to stop anymore for anyone and I began to write in long long lines and then pages and pages of prose.

My poem, in verse in Verse, "Loy Krathong," is quite dear to me. It is about Thailand; it is about the myths and folklore of my country people, in the remote villages of the country; it is about love. And it's only in print; it isn't on-line.

Undefinable & Other Sarabande Treats

2007-08-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Sarah Gorham, editor of Sarabande Books, has an article in Publishers Weekly that centers on writing that isn't so easily classified as one genre or another. "Undefinable" showcases my forthcoming Book of Beginnings and Endings.

I'm happy to report that my author's information is now up at Sarabande. (This must mean that the book is close to coming out!) You can now read my author's interview as well as access my Sarabande in Education Reader's Guide.

Moveable Types

2007-07-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

My first chapbook, Moveable Types, is now available from Noemi Press. The publisher of Noemi Press, Carmen Gimenez Smith, did a fantastic job of shaping my otherwise shapeless group of writings. From the group, she chose five pieces that fit together beautifully and thematically. The cover art, which is hand-printed, was done by Angel D'Amico. What this photograph doesn't show is that the cover has some specks of silver in it that is lovely. If you're not interested in my chapbook, please check out Noemi Press's catalogue, which is quite impressive.

Coldfront Magazine Interview & Year in Print Awards

2007-07-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

Coldfront Magazine nominated my book, [one love affair]* for their Year in Print Awards in five categories. My book won two of these awards: Best First Lines and Best Book-Length Poem.

The magazine also featured an interview I did with John Deming.

Poet's Corner

2007-07-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that I haven't updated this blog in some time. I have a lot of updates, which I will try to get to over the course of this month.

The first thing I'd like to share with you is my page at the Poet's Corner. Anny Ballardini was nice enough to ask me to contribute to the Poet's Corner. I decided to send in a representative sampling of my work, including my first poem published in a national literary journal. I also decided to include two of my favorite poems that were published in print magazines and were therefore unavailable. They are "Postcard" and "Today, No One Has Come to Proprose."

The Body: An Essay (the new edition by Essay Press)

2007-05-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that the new edition of my first book, The Body: An Essay, will be out soon, very soon. You may purchase it from Essay Press or pre-order from Amazon.

Woolly Boully

2007-03-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

In addition to writing, I'm a bit of a closet sock knitter. To help defray some of the costs that accrue from being a writer, I've combined my two loves, writing and sock yarn, and started Woolly Boully. Many of my sock yarn colorways were inspired by lines from my poetry or prose. Even if you don't knit, I hope you'll stop by the shop to see what I've been up to.

The Art of Fiction: An Essay

2007-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

The editors of Aiden Starr: The Journal launched their first issue a few months ago. Here is the link to my piece The Art of Fiction: An Essay. Beware: there is video involved.

Tarpaulin Sky Authors & Friends Reading

2007-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

I'll be giving a reading on Saturday, February 17 at 2:00 at the Four-Faced Liar in New York, NY.

Details can be found here.

Reprinting The Body

2007-01-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

A certain "Stalina" left a nice comment for me on my blog, and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to write her back, although I did try to find her email address on-line to no avail. She wanted to know how she might find extra copies of The Body: An Essay.

I should have posted about this a while ago.

The Body is being reprinted by the wonderful folks at Essay Press and will be out soon. This edition will feature a new cover, new blurbs, and will be totally reset. What I adore about this version is that it will be truer to what I originally intended.

As the publication date nears, I'll be sure to post updates. In the meantime, Stalina, if you should have any questions or perhaps want to know where the one existing copy of the first edition of The Body: An Essay is being sold, my email address is pinkhouseshoe at yahoo dot com.

Effing Magazine

2006-12-18T08:52:00.001-08:00

Effing Magazine, number five, contains a piece I wrote long ago called "Fragments." It's always been one of my favorites, and I'm very excited about seeing it in a paper-based journal, as the piece seems to demand a paper-printed form. The piece is visual, incorporating line art to suggest real fragments of text. You can order it from the Effing Press website. This issue was edited by Allyssa Wolf.

Two upcoming readings

2006-10-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, October 22, at 7:00, I'll be reading at the Zinc Bar, as part of the Zinc Talk/Reading Series curated by Jim Behrle. I'll be reading with poet Travis Nichols.

On Tuesday, October 24, at 6:30, I'll be reading at the New School with poet Noelle Kocot. The reading will take place at the 66 W. 12th Street building in room 510.

Both readings are in New York City, and will most likely be the last of my readings until AWP.

Reading at the Stain Bar

2006-09-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

On Friday, September 29 at 7:00, I'll be reading at the Stain Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, as part of the MiPo Reading Series. I'll be reading to two other writers, Aaron Belz and Brian Howe.

Tarpaulin Sky Press will continue to update my readings and events; so if you can't make it on Friday, then perhaps you can make it to some of my other readings this fall.

Foursquare

2006-08-21T03:50:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen these little squares, then you really are missing out on one of the most creative ideas for a literary journal/art book. What I like about Foursquare is how little and precious and bright and happy it is. The first one had lovely little cherries on it. This one, the second one, the one I am in, has--joy of joys--popsicles on it. The literary/art work is inside, printed beautifully on a square piece of paper folded twice so as to make four squares. If you want these squares in your life, you have to subscribe and, unfortunately, it looks as if subscriptions are sold out until June 2007. Jessica Smith, who edits Foursquare, also has a book out, Organic Furniture Cellar, which she sent me last week.

Forecast Essay

2006-08-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

A little essay that I wrote a while ago can be read in the latest issue of How2. It's called "Forecast Essay," and I forget exactly what the assignment was, but I wrote it for Wayne Koestenbaum's Lyric Essay class a few semesters back. I think the assignment was: write about writing.

Kafka's Garden and three verse poems

2006-07-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Several of my pieces sprouted up on-line while I was away. One piece, "Kafka's Garden," can be found in the newly launched on-line journal Siren. (This piece was originally printed in the journal Unsaid). I was pleased to find poems by Dan Nester in the same issue, as it is nice to find oneself in the company of a friend.

Speaking of Dan Nester, his on-line journal Unpleasant Event Schedule just posted three of my verse poems--"Cooking Show Sonnet," "One Poem Like All Others," and "Poems of Outdated Sentiments"--alongside a photo taken by Christopher Connelly. These are among the last verse poems I have written, with the exception of a cycle that will be published in an upcoming issue of Verse.

On Vacation

2006-06-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'll be out of the country, and without an internet connection, from June 27 to July 26. During this time, I won't be able to post to my blog or answer any emails. I do promise to have pictures of Thailand when I return. I'm packing my favorite notebook and a 250 page manuscript that I haven't been able to get to since last semester. I'm not sure I know how to revise and finish something so big. Thankfully, Thailand has lots of ghosts, and I'm sure that once there, I'll find that the writing (hopefully) is writing itself.

Write-a-Thon Lunchtime Conversation

2006-05-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

Aaron Zimmerman of the New York Writers Coalition has kindly asked me to take part in his first NYWC Write-a-Thon. I'll be participating in the Lunchtime Conversation on writing, which begins at 12:30 at the Bowery Poetry Club. For more information on how to sign up for the Write-a-Thon, please visit their website.

Boston Review Poetry Sampler

2006-05-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

A few issues of the May/June Boston Review showed up in the mail yesterday, so I'm assuming they are available for purchase at bookstores and newsstands and what not. I'm on page 44 as the "sampler poet" for this issue, and I have an introduction by Mary Jo Bang. There are also poems by Hugh Steinberg, a poet whose work I've enjoyed reading.

The sample consists of some excerpts from the just released [one love affair]* and the forthcoming Book of Beginnings and Endings. There is also a random little piece of prose.