Pre-Game Analysis

Posted originally at 7:25 PM:


In 10 years, this is only my second reading at St. Mark's, which has hosted some of the most amazing readings, going all the way back to the 1950s.

My last time here was November 15, 2000, they were celebrating and reading all of Ted Berrigan's Sonnets.

Remember, folks, I go to readings with a dual purpose. First and foremost, of course, is the reading experience.

But I will be honest and admit to a second agenda. I am an avid collector of poetry books, especially anthologies, and I love getting such items signed. The more, the better. The cynic would chide me, alluding to the fact that, the more signatures, the greater the commercial value of the collectible book. However, I have an affinity for my books, and recognize that, when a writer signs a page, the value, in theory, increases. But I rarely sell my books. It's a passion that accumulates. If I were in this for the money, I'd only go to modern fiction readings, and I'd go often.

But I stray. Because of the dual nature of my interest, I tend to aim for the occasional multi-personality reading. They're significantly more interesting, and the opportunity to get autographs is multiplied by the number of readers.

The centerpiece of my collection is the complete run, in hardcover, of The Best American Poetry series (BAP). Tonight, only 2 of the poets reading are anthologized in the series. Wait, let me clarify: 2 are those that I have not had sign my books. Several have been in the BAP series, but they have already signed various volumes.

So, though I will undoubtedly rant later about what I got signed and what I missed, the event itself, the poetry of Vallejo, is immensely interesting to me.

Jump ahead to "At the Toll of 7:30..."