there is a New York Times article out there with my name and story in it. And Yes, it is weird.
I just got back from a fun night of music, poetry and patio over at the Carleton Artist Lofts/ Mid City Fest and have to say…while I performed, listening to a really great Reggae set up might have taken the cake. Kwame can sure put on a show. (Cory double did it and took on two sets, Lulu’s and Rass Kwame).

It has been a long week filled with gigs with Lulu’s Playground at Fineline Music Cafe, the Kitty Cat Club and Acadia. We are all very sad to be saying goodbye to the terrific and talented Greg Woodsbie as he leaves us shortly for Beantown. I can say I wish him the best. The work we did tonight was very, very cool. That may have been an understatement. If you can meld together an original poem and a Dave Douglass arrangement (Summit Music) perfectly then frankly, I have to say, you’ve done your job. And Cory, Greg and I did some work tonight!

My Black Dog Cafe gig with the Fantastic Merlins went incredibly well also. I had a really great time and Rahjta Ren/keys, Nathan Hanson/sax and Brian Roessler/upright bass are incredibly knowing and intuitive musicians. It was an phenomenal pleasure to work with them. We created some beautiful moments. I look forward to sharing ideas with them in the future and for continual collaboration. We went in there without them seeing my poems and our product was polished gold! It was of true value.

I’ve not been blogging lately. This is no surprise to many a regular reader (4 strong now?). The Playwright Center Fellowship has definitely messed up whatever semblance of a routine I might have . I have reading coming out my ears. I have to say though, I am excited as hell to see how things all pan out in a few years! Yes, I have the forethought to think it may take that long for something interesting to come of all that.I’m

I have other, non-released information… you’ll just have to wait  and see.

8/8/10 I had the pleasure of listening to “What it is” the new funk band out of the twin cities, which is comprised of a nearly 12 piece ensemble of some of the best musicians I know. I’m very happy about it. There was a great truth that resonated through their funk. It was at once knowing and uncaring. Lovely, really.

I had a moment with my dear friend andy p. out on the patio long after the music had ended where we talked about you. About how you have interrupted and continue to interrupt my every thought. I think about you every day even though I know how unacceptable this is. I’ve ended serious relationships because of you. Quit simple relationships because of you. I know what it is to lose the person and have refused to be put in that place again, because of you. It sucks. There is no feigning interest with me. I am or I am not. To be or, fucking, not to be. I;m told it will get easier, that I should continue to put you into my work. I will. I have. I do.

I am not writing this now, thinking you will read this but… the other day I popped into an unused e-mail box and found a draft, long sent, to you that had started a whole slew of emails re: If you were a regular at my cafe…

This was the basis of our fantasy relationship and our very real relationship that we continued for months…now years. 3/22/04 was not yesterday and had no reason to be in my drafts box. I can only hope… rather, I only hope that you are thinking of action. rather than just thinking about thinking. I, according to Andy, need to be expressive about these things… so that they leave me. I hope they will, but after the Canio’s bookshelf, my early poetry and my poetry as of late, I can only say that they are going nowhere fast… I’ve been thinking about tattooing it. It would read, after the Miles Davis Autobiography, Miles: “I don’t own you, you don:t own me.”. It us true even if it feels false.

It is true.

This is all I can do right now.

Best, dear reader…

Best,

LB