The Last Post (Here)

It's a new year, and I'm abandoning this blog for good. Although I am not abandoning blogging, I will just be using my own website blog. All your links can update with http://www.jonathanball.com/?cat=3. Do it now!

Chinese Democracy

The day came and went. Chinese Democracy exists. The best review of the album is by Chuck Klosterman, writing for The Onion:

I've maintained a decent living by making easy jokes about Axl Rose for the past 10 years, but what's the final truth? The final truth is this: He makes the best songs. They sound the way I want songs to sound. A few of them seem idiotic at the beginning, but I love the way they end.

The Best Thing Ever

The jury is in agreement, and this is the best thing ever:



And so is this:



And this:

My Fifteen Seconds of Fame

I am in the news (kind-of), the Okanagan College News anyway. I have copied the full article for your reading displeasure:

Kevin McPherson signs book deals

English professor Kevin McPherson signed two book deals and will see his first book published in December 2009. Inside Okanagan College asked Kevin to provide details of both books.

“The first will be called, The Words of the Book, and it’s experimental poetry based on the King James Version of the Holy Bible. I co-created it with a real jerk of a poet in Calgary named Jonathan Ball, and it’s been accepted for publication by a press in Toronto called BookThug. Expect to see it December 2009.

“The second book, titled rhapsodomancy, collects various visual poems from my creative MA thesis. It is set for a Spring 2010 release with Coach House Books, also in Toronto.”

Here's looking at you, kid.

This is a blog update just for Peter Norman, my only fan/reader of this blog. I am sorry to be away for so long. I am slowly shifting my blog over to my website, www.jonathanball.com, but it's still in need of a redesign and under general construction as you'll see.

However, the site has a few blog posts:
- on a Coldplay video
- on a grant I applied for, to complete a graphic novel

So hopefully that makes up, slightly, for my lack of updates here.

In general I have been busy... working on the thesis, of course, got word that the poetry book I co-wrote with kevin mcpherson eckhoff, The Words of The Book, which comprises 1% of the King James Bible with added poetic commentary, is due out December 2009. I've got three other book-length poetry manuscripts DONE and waiting to be published, all sitting at various presses. Two more machine-related poetry books (a "Machine Trilogy" of sorts, The Words of The Book is the second installment) and then one book of playscripts that would be impossible to perform (kind of Calvino-esque prose poems). Now I'm mostly trying to get the fiction off the ground. And teach my horror course.

Oh, and Peter, you will be happy to know that I ordered the Joyce Carol Oates book you recommended, but it hasn't come in yet. Other readers who are not Peter: you might prefer to check out the always-funnyish Haiku Horoscopes.

Wow.

It is stunning that only today are the Conservatives slated to unveil their election platform... one week away from election day, AFTER the debate, AFTER the early polls have opened and closed... people have already gone in and voted to support this government, despite its complete lack of any platform. Absolutely ridiculous. ESPECIALLY considering that this is the current government in power that we are talking about. Such irresponsibility seems like it should be illegal.

Stephen King on novels in the 21st century

novels are still the best entertainment option. Even a hardcover is cheaper than two tickets to the local multiplex, especially once you throw in gas, parking, and babysitting. Also, a book lasts longer and there are no ads. Need more? No tiresome ratings system to keep you out if you're under 17, the special effects are always primo (because you make 'em up yourself), and although I read nearly 80 books this year, I never ran across the Olsen twins a single time.

The Waking Eyes --- "All Empires Fall"

Winnipeg's "The Waking Eyes" are putting out their new album, peep the video on Youtube by searching "All Empires Fall" . . . it's a nice video, but I prefer the one below, a live shoot directed by your friend and mine, Spoony B (Aleksander Rzeszowski).