Moondoggy's Pad

TWEET TWEET TWEET reviewed by Orange Alert

2012-01-27T17:33:00.002+01:00

"This collection is small in size, but enormous in scope."
- Jason Behrends

Tweet Tweet Tweet is reviewed in Chicago's What to Wear During An Orange Alert.

You can read the full review HERE.

Thank you, Jason Behrends.

G

EARSHOT! Featuring Santos and Rohrer

2012-01-13T03:40:00.001+01:00

Hey, People of New York,

Please come to this reading on January 19th for the EARSHOT! reading series. I will be the featured reader along with Matt L. Rohrer.

Please come out to say hello. I will be launching my new chapbook, Tweet Tweet Tweet (Corrupt Press, 2011), and reading selections from The Emperor's Sofa (DC Books, 2010).

Check out the EARSHOT! Facebook event page HERE.

Hope to see you there.

G

***

EARSHOT!

Thursday, January 19th at 7:30 PM
@ Lolita Bar
Admission: $5 + FREE DRINK!

Featuring:
GREG SANTOS
MATT L. ROHRER
Robert Balun (City College)
Alanna Wray (Hunter College)
Ansley Moon (New School)

Join us on Thursday, January 19th at 7:30pm, at Lolita Bar on the Lower East Side, for excellent readings by featured readers, GREG SANTOS and MATT L. ROHRER. They'll be joined by three talented MFA students, Robert Balun (City College ), Alanna Wray (Hunter College), and Ansley Moon (New School)

The cost of an evening full of riches is just five bucks, which gets you a FREE drink!
LOLITA BAR is located at 266 Broome Street in NYC, between Allen and Orchard.Visit their website for directions: lolitarbar.net

EARSHOT is a bi-monthly reading series, dedicated to featuring new and emergingliterary talent in the NYC area. Visit earshotnyc.com for more information oremail at earshotnyc@gmail.com.

Ben Mirov on Poets.org!

2012-01-13T03:24:00.002+01:00

My buddy and fellow pax americana editor, Ben Mirov, has a poem featured on Poets.org.

BEN MIROV!

Please check it out HERE.

G

A Coal Miner on Mars

2012-01-10T05:56:00.003+01:00

I have a new six sentence story called "A Coal Miner on Mars" on the 6S Social Network, brought to you by the fine folks at Six Sentences.

Please check it out HERE.

Live long and prosper.

G

Montreal Poetry Prize

2012-01-07T18:26:00.000+01:00

I'm thrilled that a couple of my friends were finalists for the inaugural 2011 Montreal International Poetry Prize.

My dear friend Joshua Levy had two of his poems "Venezuela Evening" and "Kibbutz Hazorea" make the longlist. The Longlist Anthology has been made available to download for free as an e-book by Vehicule Press. You can read Josh's poems along with the other finalists HERE.

During my recent stay in Paris, I met the sweet and talented Paula Bohince (who also graciously provided the blurb for my new chapbook, Tweet Tweet Tweet (Corrupt Press, 2011). I'm very happy that Paula's poem "The White Bicycle" made the shortlist. Please click HERE to hear an MP3 of Paula's poem.

Congrats you two!

G

How To Be Alone

2012-01-06T02:57:00.000+01:00

Nice vid poem. Felt odd yet happy that I discovered it thanks to the Whole Foods Facebook page.

Thank you, Whole Foods, for helping me find poetry in the unlikeliest of places.

A Face to Meet the Faces webpage now online

2012-01-06T02:56:00.000+01:00

Kewl. The webpage for the persona poem anthology (A Face to Meet the Faces, University of Akron Press, 2012) featuring my poem "Hulk Smash!" is now up.

Please check it out HERE.

Thanks.

G

A Face to Meet the Faces: Cover Art Revealed!

2011-12-23T17:56:00.002+01:00

My poem "Hulk Smash!" is gonna be included in A Face to Meet the Faces: An Anthology of Contemporary Persona Poetry (University of Akron Press, 2012).

They've revealed the anthology's cover art. The book is due out in February. Hulk mega-like!

Thank you Stacey Lynn Brown and Oliver de la Paz.

G

Beach Sloth Review Tweet Tweet Tweet

2011-12-14T22:24:00.001+01:00

The coolest mammal in town, Beach Sloth, has written a super nice review of my chapbook, Tweet Tweet Tweet.

Please check out the review HERE.

Thank you, Mr. Sloth. Stay slothy, forevs.

G

"Siem Reap, Cambodia" Revisited

2011-12-11T16:53:00.001+01:00

Tammy Ho Lai-Ming, co-editor of the Hong Kong based, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, has written a lovely analysis of my poem "Siem Reap, Cambodia" which appeared in Cha #10.

Although the poem was published in 2010, I wrote it almost 6-7 years ago and it's nice to revisit it through a fresh lens.

Please check out A Cup of Fine Tea: Greg Santos's "Siem Reap, Cambodia."

Read the poem HERE.

Thank you, Tammy.

G

Tweet Tweet Tweet Book Trailer

2011-12-08T17:42:00.001+01:00

Tweet Tweet Tweet by Greg Santos

2011-12-07T06:59:00.001+01:00

My poetry chapbook, Tweet Tweet Tweet, published by the Paris-based Corrupt Press is available now.

Orders can be made through Corrupt Press HERE. Or order directly from me via PayPal.

If you're interested in reviewing my chapbook, please send me an e-mail at gspoet@gmail.com.

Thank you, Dylan Harris, for believing in this chappy of mine.

G

It's Coming...

2011-12-06T05:35:00.001+01:00

SAND Journal #4

2011-12-02T17:19:00.001+01:00

I received my contributors' copy of SAND Journal #4 from Berlin and I'm pretty thrilled to have a poem included in the gorgeous mag.

I was lucky to have been invited to read from my book The Emperor's Sofa at an event hosted by SAND in Berlin earlier this summer. Please check out my roundup of the event HERE.

Today they are doing their big launch in Berlin. I will be there, hovering around in spirit.

For more info, please check out their website HERE.

Thank you, Julian Smith-Newman and the rest of the SAND crew.

G

Paul Violi Memorial Reading: Friday, December 2, 6:30pm, The New School

2011-12-02T04:30:00.001+01:00

At The New School in Manhattan this Friday, 6:30pm, there will be a memorial reading to celebrate the life and poetry of the incomparable and very much missed, Paul Violi.

A Tribute to Paul Violi

Friday, December 2, 2011@ 6:30pm

Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor

For more info about the event please go HERE and HERE.

I also wrote a small tribute to Paul for the Remembering Paul Violi website. Please check it out HERE.

Thank you.

Beach Sloth and This Zine Will Change Your LIfe

2011-12-01T15:55:00.001+01:00

Beach Sloth has written a nice post about the great Chicago-based zine, This Zine Will Change Your Life. In it he also mentions my poem "Hooray" that was published back in September.

Thank you for the shout out, Mr. Sloth. Your slothiness knows no bounds.

G

Her Royal Majesty Named In Top Ten

2011-12-01T03:57:00.001+01:00

The Paris-based journal, Her Royal Majesty, has been listed as one of the top ten magazine websites for style and design, alongside heavyweights like The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Elle Canada, and Harper's Bazaar.

Please check out the listing HERE.

A big congratulations to Harriet Lye and her design team!

Win a Free Copy of The Emperor's Sofa from Goodreads

2011-11-23T17:14:00.000+01:00

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Emperor's Sofa

by Greg Santos

Giveaway ends November 25, 2011.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Thursday Roundup of Publication Stuff

2011-11-18T01:19:00.001+01:00

image from Black Tongue Review #2

Her Royal Majesty #11

Greetings Moondoggyites!

Some of my work has been featured in a couple of sweet print publications recently:

1) Black Tongue Review #2 pairs original heart-stoppingly beautiful works of visual art inspired by the words of some pretty amazing writers. I'm honoured to be included alongside poets like Mary Ruefle, Bob Hicok, Matt Hart, Nate Pritts, and many more. Thank you, Smarie Clay.

Please check out Black Tongue Review HERE.

2) The print issue of the Paris-based journal, Her Royal Majesty #11, features a very special insert of one of my poems printed on translucent calque paper. They also did an amusing caricature of me for their poster of contributors. An artistic collaboration featuring Renaissance man extraordinaire, James Franco, also makes an appearance in the issue. It's a gorgeous mag and I'm really, really happy to be a part of it. Thank you, Harriet Alida Lye.

Please check out Her Royal Majesty HERE.

I also have some more publications forthcoming on the horizon:

3) The "sky" themed winter issue of Plain Wrap based out of Oakland, California!

4) The fourth issue of SAND, Berlin's English literary journal, is being launched on December 2nd!

5) Lastly, my poem "Hulk Smash!" has been selected to appear in A Face to Meet the Faces: An Anthology of Contemporary Persona Poetry (Akron Press, 2012)!

Stay tuned for more info on these and other forthcoming publications, folks!

Thanks so much for reading.

Her Royal Majesty #11

2011-10-26T17:50:00.001+02:00

The launch for Paris-based magazine, Her Royal Majesty #11, is coming November 1st. For more info about the launch, which is sure to be the partay to end all partays, please click HERE and HERE.

I have a new special edition poem included in HRM #11, which will only be featured in the print version of the mag. The print issue will also be featuring an insert that folds out into a poster with art by Dan Estabrook on one side and drawn portraits of all the contributors, including your truly! Can't wait to see it for myself.

This issue is gonna be a doozy, featuring art by the likes of Rosy Lamb, illustrations from Finnegan's Wake by Stephen Crowe, and a special collaboration by James Franco (yes, that James Franco) and Alison Higgins. Wow!

OK, so what are you waiting for? Pre-order your copy of the magazine HERE.

Thank you, Harriet Alida Lye.

G

October 24

2011-10-24T21:22:00.001+02:00

It's hard to believe that it's been 14 years since my father passed away today. Being a father myself now, I can't help but think of him all the time. I miss you, Dad.

On this day, I often like to find a poem to help commemorate my father, but it's not always easy. Today my good friend Josh helped me make the decision a little easier when he sent me a lovely poem that I have never read before and would like to share it:

My Father by Yehuda Amichai

The memory of my father is wrapped up in
white paper, like sandwiches taken for a day at work.

Just as a magician takes towers and rabbits
out of his hat, he drew love from his small body,

and the rivers of his hands
overflowed with good deeds.

Thanks, Josh, for this gem. Thank you all for reading.

Posted in memory of Humberto Santos
April 4, 1944 - October 24, 1997

G

Her Royal Majesty

2011-10-19T01:57:00.000+02:00

HTMLGIANT has done a nice interview with Harriet Lye, fellow Canuck and editor of the Paris-based journal, Her Royal Majesty. I had a chance to meet Harriet in Paris and she runs a gorgeous magazine.

Please check out the interview HERE.

I have a poem being published in the forthcoming 11th issue of Her Royal Majesty (being released November 1st) and I'm pretty thrilled to be included in it. I'm also not going to lie, it's kinda rad my poem is gonna rub elbows with work by James Franco. Very rad.

G

2011-10-03T00:03:00.002+02:00

Dear People of Connecticut,

I will be the featured reader at the Wednesday Night Poetry Series on October 19th.

The Garage, 53 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT

Sign up for reading @7:30pm.
Open mic begins @ 7:45pm
Featured reading begins @ 8:45pm

For more information, please click HERE.

G

100 Thousand Poets for Change - New York

2011-09-24T05:08:00.000+02:00

100 Thousand Poets for Change is happening tomorrow (September 24, 2011) across the USA and around the world.

Watch out, NYC, I'm gonna check this event out and wish Steve Dalachinsky a happy 65th birthday.

Hope to see you there.

G

Greg Santos on Greg Santos

2011-09-23T02:02:00.001+02:00

I was asked to write about my 2009 Pangur Ban Party e-book, Thinking Things Through, for We Who Are About To Die's self-review series.

It was fun revisiting those poems, and I hope you enjoy them, too.

Please check out my self-review HERE.

Thanks.

G

Poem in This Zine Will Change Your Life

2011-09-18T17:27:00.001+02:00

I have a new poem called "Hooray" in This Zine Will Change Your Life. They've published one of my Hulk poems before and I'm thrilled to be published by them once again.

Please check out my new poem HERE.

As always, they've included a cool photo to accompany the writing, as well as some music. I'm digging the choice to use "Calamity Song" by The Decemberists. I'm a fan of the band but hadn't heard their new album, The King is Dead. I'm thinking I should really take a gander.

Their "corporate blog" also recently riffed on The Emperor's Sofa HERE.

Mega thanks goes out to Ben Tanzer, again.

Hooray, indeed.

G

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA reviewed by Ben Tanzer

2011-09-17T18:01:00.000+02:00

"With Santos, we get an ongoing commentary about how this may be what poems are supposed to look like, love, mysteries and real life, but with a dose of humor, a dash of pop culture, and a wink, riffing on love, but using the Hulk to communicate it, because he can, and because you will dig it." - Ben Tanzer

Chicago-based writer and overall cool guy, Ben Tanzer, dishes out some blog love for The Emperor's Sofa.

Please check it out HERE.

Thank you, Mr. Tanzer.

G

Moondoggy Recommends: 48 Love Poems by Steve Roggenbuck

2011-09-17T02:57:00.002+02:00

Just the other day my mom commented that I hadn't really written on my blog in a while. Naughty Moondoggy!

So, I thought I'd bring back "Moondoggy Recommends", where I write about stuff I'm digging.

For this installment, I'm looking at Steve Roggenbuck's 48 Love Poems.

There's that old adage that we should see the poetry in the everyday but Steve celebrates the poetry of everyday in the truest sense of the word. He believes in poetry so much so that he sees it in places where many people wouldn't think of looking, like in Facebook and Twitter statuses and in instant messaging.

Steve is a shining light in the world of contemporary poetry. I've had the pleasure of meeting Steve IRL (that means In Real Life, for the uninitiated ) and his positiveness is truly infectious.

48 Love Poems appears to be a companion work to DOWNLOAD HELVETICA FOR FREE, which is made up of 100 excerpts from his MSN history from chats with his girlfriend set in helvetica bold font.

The poetry that makes up 48 Love Poems are simple, raw, and deceptively moving. Scan through them quickly and you might just mistake them for mundane moments with little or no poetry behind them. However, play close attention and there are touching sentiments of tenderness and love between a young couple. This is youthful love in the 21st century.

Throughout 48 Love Poems one can find spelling mistakes and grammar imperfections, but therein lies the charm. Love goes beyond spell check. Love is messy and imperfect with interspersed moments of mind-numbing ordinariness. But Steve juxtaposes the moments he's picked and frames them in a way that says, hey guys, this stuff is art. Steve's type of poetry isn't for everyone, but it should be. Just as poetry should be for everybody.

Steve is one of the many young practitioner to look out for that is pushing the limits and boundaries of what poetry can be. He is a shot of adrenaline that the world of poetry needs right now.

Read 48 Love Poems by Steve Roggenbuck HERE. And his more traditional minimalist poetry collection, i am like october when i am dead HERE.

View Steve Roggenbuck's website HERE.

Also, please check out some of Steve's other web-based poetry projects INTERNET POETRY and Poetry by Emily Dickinson.

Thank you, Steve, for helping make life more poetical and thank you, Mama Moondoggy, for the swift kick in the butt to get this going again.

G

9/11

2011-09-11T16:21:00.002+02:00

This Doonesbury comic sums up how I feel better than any slapdash poem I could write today.

Please check it out HERE.

Thinking of all the victims of September 11, 2001 and of their loved ones.

pax americana #15

2011-09-09T15:57:00.003+02:00

It's been a long time coming but we're baaaaaack... pax americana #15 is live!

With poetry by Gregory Sherl, Sasha Fletcher, Ray DeJesus, Matthew Yeager, Emily Kendal Frey, Steven Karl, Nicole Steinberg, Noah Cicero, Leah Iannone, Kevin Simmonds.

Please check us out HERE.

Hugs all around,

2011 ReLit Shortlists Announced

2011-08-29T22:06:00.003+02:00

The 2011 ReLit Awards shortlists have been announced. Please check them out HERE.

While The Emperor's Sofa did make the ReLit longlist for poetry, it did not make the shortlist.

I'm still very honoured that my first book was nominated for the ReLit Awards.

Thanks for the support y'all!

Congrats to the fine author's who have made the 2011 shortlists and good luck.

More #poetrybyemilydickinson

2011-08-29T02:28:00.006+02:00

Please check out a remix I did featuring America's sweetheart Taylor Swift HERE and an original poem featuring poetry's sweetheart, Emily Dickinson, HERE.

Thank you, Steve Roggenbuck.

Greg Santos Reads Poems for harold and kumar 2 USTREAM

2011-08-26T16:02:00.002+02:00

Missed my pre-recorded reading from last night's "harold and kumar 2" live streaming party?

Do not fret, dearies, here it is for your viewing pleasure.

Thank you, Johnny Vulpine, once again for inviting me to read.

For a thoroughly thorough write-up of the event by Beach Sloth , please click HERE.

Hugs,

harold and kumar 2 USTREAM reading hosted by Johnny Vulpine

2011-08-26T02:58:00.004+02:00

I have made a pre-recorded video for the "harold and kumar 2" USTREAM hosted by Johnny Vulpine.

It's happening tonight, August 25 @ 9:00pm.

Please watch the event live online HERE.

I'll eventually post the video online in case you miss the live reading, too.

For more info please check out the Facebook event page HERE.

♥♥♥

IRL Poetry Tour Photos and Poetry by Emily Dickinson

2011-08-24T04:35:00.005+02:00

1) If you haven't seen them, HERE are some photos from the IRL Poetry Tour kickoff that happened on August 6th that featured myself, Steve Roggenbuck, Poncho Peligroso, Mike Bushnell, Guillaume Morrissette, and a whole slew of awesome poets. Thanks to the peeps at We Who Are About To Die for the coverage. If you click through them you can see my plaiderrific self (I think Poncho and I shop at the same plaid store...) as well as a nice shot of The Emperor's Sofa.

2) Speaking of Roggenbuck, Steve-o has launched his Poetry by Emily Dickinson website. Please check it out HERE.

I submitted some tweets a few months back and they've been remixed into a collaborative poem titled "Tonight We Dine On Salad". Please check it out HERE.

Interested in participating? Here's some more info:

Today is the launch of the website Poetry by Emily Dickinson, a collaborative project to steal Google traffic from a dead writer & redirect it to living writers collaborating online. You can participate in 3 ways:

1. Tweet lines of poetry including the tag “#poetrybyemilydickinson.”

2. Remix/combine people’s tweets into longer texts and submit them to poetrybyemilydickinson.com/submit

3. Link the phrase “poetry by emily dickinson” to this website, poetrybyemilydickinson.com, so it gradually rises in search results.

You can also follow Poetry by Emily Dickinson on Twitter. Thank you very much. Get in my <3.

(Source: livemylief)

OK. Thanks for reading.

Poem in Poets/Artists

2011-08-22T15:22:00.003+02:00

My poem "We Laughed Like Drains" is in the latest issue of Poets/Artists.

Please follow the link HERE to order the print version of the mag, download to your iPad, or as a PDF.

Or check it out online HERE.

Thank you, Didi Menendez.

TWEET TWEET TWEET by Greg Santos: Coming Fall 2011

2011-08-08T18:25:00.009+02:00

Ok, lots of cool stuff going on right now. Here's a recap:

1) Beach Sloth wrote a nice review of THE EMPEROR'S SOFA HERE.

2) I was lucky enough to meet said mysterious Beach Sloth in person at the epic kickoff to Steve Roggenbuck and Poncho Peligroso's east coast tour, also met and read with fellow Montrealer Guillaume Morrissette, Spencer Madsen, Mike Bushnell, Johnny Vulpine, and Ras Mashramani, among other super writers. I feel all warm and fuzzy, and a little exhausted after that reading.

3) My book also made the longlist for the ReLit Awards. Cross your fingers and toes for me.

4) Phew. But wait, there's more! I have some special poetry news: Corrupt Press (Paris, France) is gonna publish my chapbook TWEET TWEET TWEET mid-fall 2011. I'm pretty psyched. The majority of the poems in my forthcoming chapbook were written while I was living in Paris the past year. Corrupt Press has published the likes of France-based superstars, Rufo Quintavalle, Jennifer K. Dick, and more. Yay. Will provide updates when I can.

All right, I'm gonna celebrate with a bubbly glass of ginger ale.

Thanks for reading, you beautiful people, you.

The Emperor's Sofa Longlisted for the 2011 ReLit Awards

2011-08-04T17:04:00.005+02:00

The Emperor's Sofa has made the longlist for the 2011 ReLit Awards. Congrats to all my fellow writers who were nominated.

For more background on the awards please click HERE.

To check out the complete 2011 ReLit Awards longlist please go HERE.

Thanks y'all. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA reviewed by Beach Sloth

2011-08-04T00:46:00.005+02:00

"Greg Santos has written a book which speaks volumes about our current isolation and how to overcome it. It's fantastic."

-Beach Sloth

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA has been reviewed by New York's infamous Beach Sloth.

Please check out the complete review HERE.

Big thanks for the very thoughtful review, Beach Sloth. May you always be slothy.

Greg Santos Reading With Steve Roggenbuck & Poncho Peligroso

2011-08-02T16:09:00.006+02:00

People of Brooklyn, I will be joining the epic lineup of Poncho Peligroso and Steve Roggenbuck's New York kick-off of their IRL poetry tour on August 6th:

Ryan Schuyler Shephard's roof (and streaming on Ustream)

345 Eldert Street

Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, August 6, 2011 @ 8:00pm-11:00pm

Please come out and say hello.

For more info please check out the Facebook event page HERE.

The reading will also be streamed online live for those of you who can't make it in person HERE.

Yay! But stay tuned, I have more stuff to announce over the next couple of days...

Paris Roundup

2011-08-01T18:09:00.019+02:00

My sojourn to Paris has come to an end and I'm typing this among my boxes of books and half-empty suitcases in my New Haven apartment.

It was a wild nine months:

1) I did some translation work for a French law-firm's website, taught English classes to my daughter's pediatrician, and regularly tutored French teenagers.

2) I joined the editorial staff (as a poetry editor) for the awesome Paris-based journal, Upstairs at Duroc.

3) There were so many wonderful poets and writers that I was lucky enough to meet and spend time with, including Paula Bohince, Barbara Beck, Rufo Quintavalle, Lisa Pasold, Jennifer K. Dick, Nina Karacosta, Steve Dalachinsky, Dylan Harris, John Stiles, and Todd Swift.

4) The Emperor's Sofa World Tour took me to Montreal, Paris, Berlin, and London. Thanks to everyone who made those readings possible, including my publisher DC Books, Dylan Harris, Barbara Beck, the editors at SAND Journal, and my dear friend Joshua Levy.

What's next for me now that I'm back in North America? Unpacking and getting over my jet lag, first of all. But I have some cool announcements to make that I'll share over the next couple of days.

So, stay tuned for my first announcement TOMORROW AUGUST 2!!!

Au revoir, Paris. Bonjour, New Haven!

Thanks for reading.

Found Poem #3

2011-07-22T22:49:00.005+02:00

(Photo credit: spookymic)

I Wish I Were The

petites

hirondelles

mysterieuses

qui font leur

nid dans tes

cheveux.

small

mysterious

swallows

that make their

nests in your

hair.

***

It's been a while since I've posted some Paris found poems but better late than never, right? I never got a picture of this enigmatic fragment, but luckily I found one online. This here is my own translation. I'm proud to say I got a haircut today but sadly no birds call my hair home. Sniff.

Wednesday Roundup of Stuff

2011-07-20T10:12:00.008+02:00

1) Branch Magazine 6: Private Parts is now online. Sexay! It includes a whole slew of amazing Canadian writers and artists. I was particularly excited to check out the interview and work by featured writer, Mary di Michele. I was in the same undergrad class with di Michelle that Gillian mentions in the interview. Please check it out.

2) I finished reading The Simpsons-themed Hi Everybody by Alexander Allison over at Pangur Ban Party. Sooooo good. I'm kinda jealous he wrote this first. I've been trying to come up with some Simpsons writing but he beat me to the punch. Well played, sir.

3) A couple of my poems are gonna be published in Issue 2 of the Black Tongue Review (they were originally called Air Poetry Magazine) based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. They're a rad outfit: visual artists from around the world are asked to interpret poems to create a collaboration of epic proportions. I'm looking forward to seeing what the artist who's paired up with me comes up with. Oh, and 100% of the proceeds for each issue will sponsor a charity or a cause. Yay! OK, so keep your eyes peeled for BTR come September 24th.

4) Internet poetry superstars Steve Roggenbuck and the self-professed 2011 poet laureate Poncho Peligroso are stepping out of their computers and coming to an east coast town near you this upcoming August. I've been following both their work online and they are machines. Self-propelled poetry lovin' machines. Their work is polarizing but I would argue brilliant, and I am excited about the prospect of meeting them, hopefully when they make their way to New York this summer. Both gentlemen are coming out with new books, the bombastically titled i greet myself at the beginning of a great career (Steve Roggenbuck) and 'the romantic' (Poncho Peligroso). Put your stock in Roggenbuck and from head to toe vote Peligroso!

For more info about Peligroso, Roggenbuck, and their upcoming tour, please check out this post by Beach Sloth HERE.

Dank yoo veddy much.

Lisbon

2011-07-19T11:59:00.003+02:00

Saw Vasco da Gama’s

tomb today.

Bought Luis de Camões'

collected lyric poems.

Oh, also saw Camões’ tomb.

Drank Coke from a glass bottle.

Got completely lost

on the streets of Portugal.

Nearly. Recovered some dignity:

found a bus to Belém.

Ate the world’s best

pastéis de nata (custard tarts).

Scribbling down a poem

next to my sleeping wife and daughter.

I didn’t discover a passage to India

but all things considered, a good day is a good day.

Greg Santos

Lisbon, Portugal

July 8, 2011

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA reviewed by John Stiles

2011-07-10T22:34:00.011+02:00

"I appreciate this book, especially the idea of the slightly awkward, at odds with the world, Emperor soul rattling around in his castle, proclaiming his love, his heart for the world, from his iron prison." - John Stiles

John Stiles (pictured above), the Nova Scotia-born poet, novelist, and filmmaker, who now calls London, England home, kindly attended my June 4th reading at Goodenough College in London.

He has written a mighty generous and lovely write up of the reading and of my book The Emperor's Sofa on his website, How Yah Doon?.

He also posted two newer poems of mine.

Please check it all out HERE.

Thank you so much, John.

Jason Camlot Interviewed About Punchy Writers Series by Poetry Quebec

2011-07-05T11:16:00.002+02:00

My phenomenal editor, Jason Camlot, was interviewed about the Punchy Writers Series by Poetry Quebec.

The interview is a great read and it helped me get a better sense of the imprint and press that published my first poetry collection.

Please check it out HERE.

Poem in Finishing Hammers: MMA Poetry

2011-07-03T11:50:00.003+02:00

I am thrilled to have a poem I wrote about the "baddest man on the planet", Brock Lesner, in FINISHING HAMMERS: Mixed Martial Arts Poetry from O Sweet Flowery Roses. Lots of legitimate kick-ass writers in this issue. Seriously. A bunch of them are MMA fighters and poets. I'm a little scared to be in their company.

Finishing Hammers can be found under the 'Issues' tab of the website. Or you can check out the PDF directly HERE.

Thank you, Russell Jaffe.

Reminder: Reading in London Tonight!

2011-06-22T10:16:00.003+02:00

Dear London,

Please come out to this reading tonight @ Goodenough College, Mecklenburgh Square, Bloomsbury (Churchill Room), 8:30pm.

I will be reading with Todd Swift and Grahame Davies.

Hope to see your shiny, happy faces there.

A Poem for Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:52:00.004+02:00

Danse Russe by William Carlos Williams

If I when my wife is sleeping

and the baby and Kathleen

are sleeping

and the sun is a flame-white disc

in silken mists

above shining trees, --

if I in my north room

dance naked, grotesquely

before my mirror

waving my shirt round my head

and singing softly to myself:

"I am lonley, lonely.

I was born to be lonely,

I am best so!"

If I admire my arms, my face,

my shoulders, flanks, buttocks

against the yellow drawn shades,--

Who shall say I am not

the happy genius of my household?

Reading @ Goodenough College, London, June 22

2011-06-15T10:46:00.003+02:00

I will be reading from The Emperor's Sofa on Wednesday, June 22nd at Goodenough College, Mecklenburgh Square, Bloomsbury (Churchill Room), 8:30pm.

The event is being organized by one of my oldest and dearest friends, Joshua Levy.

I am honoured to be reading alongside Todd Swift and Grahame Davies.

For more information please check out the event page on Facebook and Time Out London.

There will also be an open mic portion of the evening. If you're in London, please come out and say hi.

It promises to be a jolly good time!

The Emperor's Sofa Now Available @ St. George's Bookshop Berlin

2011-06-10T19:25:00.005+02:00

Now available at Saint George's English Bookshop in Berlin, Germany: Snazzy new St. G's cotton bags, Jonathan Safran Foer's Tree of Codes, copies of The Emperor's Sofa, and Shane's winning smile.

Thank you, St. G's and Shane Anderson. You're the best.

Poem in allwritethen

2011-06-09T22:42:00.003+02:00

I have another new poem in allwritethen.

Please check it out HERE.

If you like the poem, please click on the 'vote' button at the bottom of the page and/or leave a comment.

Merci.

The Emperor's Sofa in Berlin Roundup

2011-06-08T22:28:00.013+02:00

On June 4th, 2011, me and six other poets/editors affiliated with the Paris-based journal Upstairs at Duroc were invited to read in Berlin by Berlin's English literary journal, SAND. We started off the afternoon with an arts fair held at Etsy Labs.

Ssshhhhh. Don't disturb him. He' s reading my book...

That evening we made our way to our reading at Cafe Bohemie where I got to try a mean plate of spaetzle. Here are some Paris poets' poetry swag sexily draped over a piano. Purrrr...

The crowd being warmed up by Becky Crook, editor of SAND.

Me. Reading from The Emperor's Sofa. The other featured readers were Barbara Beck, Jonathan Wonham, Nina Karacosta, Joe Ross, and Rufo Quintavalle.

A big thank you to the peeps at SAND for their warmth and hospitality, and for everyone who made it out to hear us read. It was wunderbar!

Stay tuned for info about my forthcoming reading in London, England on June 22nd.

Tschuss!

Poem in Everyday Genius

2011-06-06T23:37:00.004+02:00

I have a new poem titled "Presidential Address" up on Everyday Genius.

Everyday Genius is the web journal from the fine minds behind Publishing Genius. It publishes new and exciting work daily between Mondays and Fridays.

Please check it out HERE.

A big thank you to Adam Robinson for including me in his most excellent journal.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

♥♥♥

June 4 Berlin Reading: Change of Venue

2011-06-02T11:38:00.004+02:00

Important note: The SAND Journal reading taking place this upcoming Saturday, June 4th @ 8:00pm - 11:00pm in Berlin has changed venues. Instead of Cafe Roderich, the reading will take place at Cafe Bohemi.

The new address is Cafe Bohemi, Erkelenzdamm 47, 10999 Berlin 030/60407400.

If you're in Berlin this weekend, come out and say hi. You will get high-fived.

Thanks.

Poem in Didi Menendez's Portrait Project

2011-05-30T10:23:00.004+02:00

A poem I wrote inspired by the above image of the poets John Ashbery and David Lehman is now up at Didi Menendez's Portrait Project.

The Portrait Project allows poets as well as visual artists the opportunity to render a portrait study from photographs. The "best" poems and visual entries will be featured in a future issue of PoetsArtists.

Please check out my poem HERE.

Thank you, Didi Menendez.

Astronaut

2011-05-29T22:45:00.003+02:00

after Linda Pastan

Every time I take that giant leap

outside our front door,

I feel like I'll miss our baby's entire lifetime,

and the gravity of it all

leaves a crater in the

craggy panorama of my chest.

It feels as if I'll be gone

until a new planet teeming with life

wobbles into view;

or until Halley's Comet smolders

through the heavens again.

I only launch myself outdoors

for a few scarce hours but I get

dizzy like a black hole

whenever I leave the two of you.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

May 29, 2011

Poem in NWV

2011-05-27T20:36:00.005+02:00

I have a new poem up on NWV.

It is about zombies.

I am number 236. Please check it out HERE.

Thank you, Ana C.

SAND Reading in Berlin, June 4, 2011

2011-05-26T13:26:00.010+02:00

The Emperor's Sofa World Tour continues in... Berlin, Germany!

SAND, Berlin's English literary journal will be hosting me and other poets/editors from Upstairs at Duroc for an evening of poetry on June 4.

I will be reading some new pieces and also from The Emperor's Sofa.

Also, earlier in the afternoon, I will be offering my editorial advice alongside other editors from SAND and Upstairs at Duroc at their Art & Literary Fair.

Please come out and say hi.

Danke,

***

Join SAND Journal as we host poets from Paris' literary magazine, Upstairs at Duroc, (including Barbara Beck, Joe Ross, Greg Santos, Nina Karacosta, Jonathan Regier and Rufo Quintavalle) for a night of literary delight at Kultursalon Roderich

Entry: 5 Euros

Saturday, June 4 · 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Kultursalon Roderich, Berlin

Glogauer Str.19

Berlin, Germany

You are also invited to our Art & Literary Fair held at Etsy Labs on Saturday, June 4th where artists, writers, musicians and performers are invited to showcase their work, meet other artists and sell chapbooks or other artistic wares. Our curated selection of artists is now open for submissions.

Send a pdf presentation of your work to events@sandjournal.com. We will also have a FREE Blue-Pencil session of editing and comments on your creative writing from editors of SAND and Upstairs at Duroc at the Literary Fair.

Location: Etsy Labs, Ritterstr. 12-14, 10969 Berlin
Time: 3-6pm
Entry: Free.

www.facebook.com/sandjournal

Sound Machine

2011-05-23T10:09:00.002+02:00

I lie on our bed,

A buoy atop tranquil waters.

You are downstairs

Preparing the baby's food.

The hum of the microwave,

A distant motorboat.

I flow in and out of sleep,

Waking to the sound of

You in the kitchen;

The clink of a spoon

Navigating a glass,

The syncopation of drawers

Opening and closing.

Our child is asleep

Like driftwood.

Pillows propped around her,

Preventing her tiny frame

From drifting out to sea

On a wayward tide.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

May 23, 2011

Poets Live Reading Now Online

2011-05-16T12:31:00.007+02:00

The recordings of the Poets Live reading (Paris, May 10) with me, Jennifer K. Dick, and George Vance are now up HERE.

Please listen to me read HERE (part 1) and HERE (part 2).

Thank you, Dylan Harris.

The Emperor's Sofa Roundup

2011-05-15T12:18:00.011+02:00

The Emperor's Sofa and DC Books launch, Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, Montreal, April 29.

We made the highlights list at the Montreal Mirror! Please check it out HERE.

My first book signing! (with fellow Punchy Poet, Larissa Andrusyshyn).

Found a copy of my book at Indigo in downtown Montreal.

The crowd at the Poets Live reading series in Paris, May 10, 2011.

Doing that reading thing I do at Poets Live. (With Dylan Harris listening in the background. Photo credit Jennifer K. Dick).

Thank you to everyone who came out to the readings. You sure make a guy feel loved! Stay tuned for info about upcoming readings in Berlin and London.

Cheers!

Reminder: Reading @ Poets Live in Paris tonight!

2011-05-10T13:32:00.002+02:00

Dear Paris,

I am reading from The Emperor's Sofa @ The Poets Live reading series tonight:

Carr's Pub & Restaurant, 1 rue de Mont-Thabor, Paris, 19h 15, Metro Tuileries.

Please come out to this reading.

Merci.

Reading @ Paris Live, May 10, 2011

2011-04-24T17:12:00.004+02:00

I will be be reading from my book on May 10, 2011 at the Poets Live reading series @ Carr's Pub & Restaurant. 1 rue du Mont-Thabor in Paris, 19h 15.

Jennifer K. Dick and George Vance will be the other featured readers, as well.

For more information, please click HERE. It's going to be a awesomelicious!

Thank you, Dylan Harris.

In the meantime, Montrealers watch out! The Emperor's Sofa is being launched at The Blue Metropolis on April 29th. Hope to see your beautiful faces there!

Happy Easter!

The Emperor's Sofa World Tour!

2011-04-19T21:58:00.008+02:00

Hear ye! Hear ye! Announcing The Emperor's Sofa World Tour!

This spring and summer I will be reading from my new book, The Emperor's Sofa:

-DC Books Launch, Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, MONTREAL, Canada (April 29, 2011).

-Poets Live reading series, PARIS, France (May 10, 2011). Details TBA.

-BERLIN, Germany (June 4, 2011). Details TBA.

-LONDON, England (June 22, 2011). Details TBA.

More venue details to come soon...

I'm itching to pack my bags, break out my trusty travel pillow, and to see old friends, and make new ones!!!

Poem in allwritethen

2011-04-13T22:12:00.005+02:00

I have a new poem (which is actually made up of six really, really short poems) in the very cool community-published poetry site, allwritethen.

Please check it out HERE.

If you like the poem, please click on the 'vote' button at the bottom of the page and/or leave a comment.

I would be forever in your debt.

Thanks fer reading.

Announcing THE EMPEROR'S SOFA Book Launch April 29, 2011 @ Blue Metropolis

2011-04-09T11:36:00.008+02:00

"Friday, April 29, 2011 @ 5:00pm: Five DC Books authors launch their new books. Including Robert Armstrong, Of Water and Rock, Larissa Andrusyshyn, Mammoth, Greg Santos, The Emperor's Sofa, Kenneth Radu, Sex in Russia, and Louise Bak, Syzygy."

Mark your calendars, peeps: The Emperor's Sofa is being launched in Montreal on April 29th at The Blue Metropolis Festival.

I will be reading from TES and four other awesome DC Books authors will be reading and launching their books, as well.

Please check out all the info HERE.

Also, stay tuned for the dates when I'll be reading in Europe this spring and summer!

Poem in 100:WORDS

2011-04-06T12:47:00.010+02:00

Irish visual artist Rowena Keaveny has posted a piece I wrote inspired by Rebecca Black's ubiquitous song "Friday" for her 100: Words project.

Please check out my words HERE.

100: Words examines and celebrates loss, love, life, and the passing of time. People are asked to describe the life they have experienced using 100 words or less.

Rowena has received submissions from all around the world, including USA, Canada, Finland, Italy, France, the UK, and Australia. She hopes that the submissions will lead to a publication and a short film to accompany the project.

Please e-mail your descriptions using 100 words or less to:

paintpolitik@live.ie

Thank you, Rowena.

Another Poem in LET PEOPLE POEMS

2011-04-05T20:34:00.003+02:00

I have a new poem riffing off of Charles Bernstein's great poem "Thank You For Saying Thank You" at Let People Poems.

Please read my poem HERE.

Thank you.

Paul Violi 1944-2011

2011-04-04T21:06:00.007+02:00

I was shocked and very saddened to learn about the death of Paul Violi. I did not know he was sick and learned that he passed away on April 2nd, 2011 from pancreatic cancer.

Besides being an engaging and attentive teacher, Paul was an extraordinary poet. He was not afraid of challenging poetic conventions by writing poems that took on non-poetic forms like TV Guide listings, an author's acknowledgment page, or book indexes. He also wrote poems that were some of the most clever and funniest pieces I've ever read.

Paul had a boisterous laugh and a wicked sense of humour. His knowledge of poetry seemed profound and endless. He was prone to quoting Byron and Pope, among other poets, in class and in conversations.

When I attended Columbia, I was lucky enough to take two classes with him as a teacher: his imaginative writing course and a literature course on satire. When I was applying for grad schools, Paul encouraged me to apply to The New School, where he also taught. Studying at The New School turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had, largely thanks to Paul. It was in his writing workshop that I wrote "Travels Around the Empire", the poem that was the catalyst for my master's thesis, which would later become The Emperor's Sofa.

I don't recall if I ever had a chance to properly thank Paul for his help. I don't think it is possible to thank him enough but this is my small attempt.

Thank you, Paul. From the bottom of my heart. You will be sorely missed by all of us.

Please read more words and thoughts about Paul from David Lehman at The Best American Poetry Blog and from Coldfront.

Humberto Santos, 1967

2011-04-04T11:15:00.007+02:00

Happy birthday, Dad!

My father would have been 67 today.

I wrote this poem when I was 23 using the prompt "Write from the perspective of someone you know at the age you are now." Try it. It's a fun exercise.

I also like how my Dad's birthday always lands in the midst of National Poetry Month. It's kinda, um, poetic that way.

Humberto Santos, 1967

After a hard day’s night at Sir George Williams night school,
he puts his commerce textbooks away
and calls his parents to say goodnight:

“Boa noite, mãe,” he says to his mother.
“Boa noite, Humberto,” she replies.

He’s worked hard this week
but it’s Friday and it’s time to play hard.
He reaches under his bed and pulls out a sleek guitar case.
He flicks the clasps open: clip, clap, clithk

He cradles the Goya classical guitar
and plucks the strings with his fingers
and begins playing a bouncy tune

“Olha que coisa mais linda,
mais cheia de graça...”

His head bouncing in the moonlight
as he quietly sings to himself

“Tall and tan and young and lovely,
the girl from Ipanema goes walking…”

Closing his eyes, he’s transported to the beaches
Of Cascais, Portugal.
He’s walking barefoot on the coastline and
smells sardines being grilled and
kettles cooking handmade chips.

“Oh, but I watch her so sadly,
how can I tell her I love her?”

Back in his room, he reaches into the guitar case,
grabs a sheet of lyrics:

“It's been a hard day's night,
and I been working like a dog…”

Tomorrow he’s going to the Great Britain pavilion
to look for Beatles records and to visit the USSR,
maybe even Greece.

Who know? Perhaps, he’ll go to La Ronde
and bump into Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly.
He is after all, in the cosmopolitan city of Montreal.

(for Humberto Santos b. April 4, 1944)

Greg Santos

National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-01T12:36:00.003+02:00

It' s National Poetry Month.

Have you hugged a poet today?

Poem in THE BRANDI WELLS REVIEW

2011-03-27T11:56:00.004+02:00

I have a new short poem in The Brandi Wells Review.

Please check it out HERE.

I am riffing off of a poem by Emma Sovich.

Thank you, Brandi Wells. You are my hero.

Found Poem #2

2011-03-25T09:30:00.008+01:00

A Very Sad Day, Indeed

Je pense au

jour ou les

chevaux ont

appris a

pleurer.

I think of the

day when

horses

learned to

cry.

(Location: Forgot to write it down)

***

I did my own translation of this one. Something very beautiful and sad about this little fragment. I personally think horses learned to cry in the summer of 1985.

New Poem in LET PEOPLE POEMS

2011-03-24T15:17:00.004+01:00

I wrote a poem about westies at Let People Poems. I don't own a westie. But I still think they are rad.

Please check it out HERE.

Thanks.

Found Poem #1

2011-03-23T23:15:00.011+01:00

Regret

I'm so sorry

Claire

my heart

is shattering

like delicate

porcelein in

the hands of

the evil Mao.

(Location: 326 Rue Saint Honoré)

***

While wandering the streets of Paris I've come across street art and wonderful moments of poetry in public spaces. I want to share my findings with you, dearies.

Now, where do I start with this found poem? OK, maybe it's just me, but I don't equate romance with Chairman Mao. Dude, maybe that's why Claire's not that into you anymore...

Stay tuned for more!

Thanks.

A Versailles of the Mind

2011-03-18T21:06:00.002+01:00

It's that time of year again.

Crocuses spring forth

and birds perch on my eyelids.

My history is a little fuzzy.

I think this poem was built

during the time of Louis XIV.

From afar it is all gold and legend,

but up close it's just mortar and dust.

Renovations continue till this very day.
Care to join me on my daily strolls

through a living sculpture?

The fresh air will do wonders for the heart.

My dears, look closer, this poem

contains gardens of exquisite topiaries.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

March 18, 2011

pax americana call for submissions

2011-03-18T09:18:00.002+01:00

pax americana is open for submissions for the month of March... c'mon you know you wanna send us stuff...

submitonline@paxjournal.com

Waiting Means Something's Gonna Happen

2011-03-16T11:00:00.003+01:00

My thoughts are burnt out florescent lights.

I feel like I am an endless waiting room.

I should be more excited to live in this city,

but I can't bring myself to sightsee every day.

I am having a rare quiet moment.

Despite the dull brown boredom,

it is pleasant just to sit and wait.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

March 16, 2011

I'm Not Feeling Very Well Right Now

2011-03-14T15:28:00.003+01:00

Today all I hear outside is sadness.

But last night was just lovely:

we got caught in the rain.

Tonight I'll be in the laundry room.

Why do you want to go there for?

To be eternal.

I love this city.

It's so old and held together by magic.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

March 14, 2011

READ THE EMPEROR'S SOFA FOR FREE!

2011-03-06T23:46:00.007+01:00

Well, kind of.

Haven’t gotten your hands on a copy of my book, THE EMPEROR’S SOFA, yet? For shame! I kid, I kid. I kid because I love. Here’s your chance to read some of the poems included in my debut poetry collection FOR FREE.

What’s the catch, buddy, you ask? No catch. Many of my poems originally appeared online. So, I've decided to compile the original pieces into one handy list for you to peruse at your own leisure.

Here, some of the poems are in slightly different forms from what you find in the final version of THE EMPEROR'S SOFA and they are also in no particular order.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, consider this somewhat of a sneak peek to whet your appetite for the real deal.

Also, if you haven't already, please join THE EMPEROR'S SOFA Facebook Page and Goodreads Page.

Thanx and happy reading!

***

Road Trip and Hulk Smash! (from Nthposition)

All Hotel Rooms Are Alike; To the Land of Wind and Ghosts; Thank You; My Mind is the Only Thing That I Know Exists; My Mecha Squirrel Runs on Batteries, Not Acorns; Employees Must Always Wash Their Hands Thoroughly Before Serving the Customer; and Stop and Shop (from the 2009 Pangur Ban Party e-book Thinking Things Through)

Out of the Blue (from ditch,)

Henri Rousseau’s Le Rêve (YouTube)

A Love Poem for Shelley by Hulk (from This Zine Will Change Your Life)

unhipsterish earnestness (from The Brandi Wells Review)

Autopilot (from The Brandi Wells Review)

Suddenly (from The Brandi Wells Review)

Showbiz (from The Feathertale Review)

Marine Biology (from Six Sentences)

The Place Within (from Six Sentences)

Best Friends Forever (from Six Sentences)

The Emperor’s Insomnia (from Six Sentences)

Stairway and The Train Was a Carnival of Lost Souls (from Gloom Cupboard)

Amnesiac (from My Name is Mud)

Honey, the Appliances Are Singing Again (from Spilt Milk)

Things are finally starting to look up and Man and Dog (from pax americana)

Oh, Canada and I Am His Majesty’s Most Trusted Servant (from O Sweet Flowery Roses)

From the Desk of Mr. Khan (YouTube)

Epidemic Warning Signs (from For Every Year)

The Emperor in a State of Existential Crisis (from A Handful of Stones)

I Am Okay (from Word Riot)

Poems left out of THE EMPEROR'S SOFA

2011-03-03T21:20:00.005+01:00

Here are a few poems that didn't make the cut into the final draft of THE EMPEROR'S SOFA. I liked them but for various reasons decided on not including them in the book (click on them to view larger images). They've been homeless for a while but at least now they can be enjoyed from the comfort of your screens. Enjoy, dear readers!

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA reviewed by Orange Alert

2011-03-02T13:19:00.003+01:00

"This collection is filled with quality commentaries on pop culture and life in general. Santos uses both humor and earnestness to convey the world as he sees it in a way that is almost universal, but still a little off. It is charming and brilliant at the same time."

- Jason Behrends

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA is reviewed in What To Wear During An Orange Alert.

You can read the complete review HERE.

Big thanks to Jason Behrends!

Unhipsterishly yours,

I Have a Problem

2011-03-01T17:13:00.003+01:00

All I care about is everything.

I like to lie down and look up at the stars,

even when there are none.

I am almost nothing but thoughts and water.

I find mirrors unbearably off-putting.

My daughter finds them droll.

Do you feel that, too?

My left hand feels like a cataclysmic storm.

I will never tire of looking at my wife.

Her smile is a constant sonar beep

in the depth of my chest.

I hear rain even when it's sunny out.

Have you ever squinted at the ocean

so the sky and the water blend in until

you don't know where one ends and the other begins?

I'm doing that right now with you.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

March 1, 2011

More EMPEROR'S SOFA Shout-Outs

2011-02-20T23:00:00.006+01:00

More nice folks mention my book:

1) Cha: An Asian Literary Journal gives TES a plug.

2) TES makes the Orange Alert "Watch List".

Thank you Tammy Ho-Lai Ming and Jason Behrends!

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA Shout-Outs

2011-02-18T12:18:00.005+01:00

Thank you to the following peeps for all the love and shout-outs for my book!

Reader Beware

2011-02-16T13:48:00.006+01:00

The speaker in the poem

starts off somewhere ordinary.

Let's say at the kitchen table

drinking Earl Grey tea.

You think you know where they are

but then suddenly you end up alone

on a luminous moonscape.

Where has the speaker gone?

You've made a quantum leap

and don't know how you got there.

To the untrained eye

your outward appearance hasn't changed

but the energy inside you is fundamentally different.

There is magic sprinkled within.

Look around you; all has changed.

The air is thinner and the landscape bumpier.

You experience some kind of emotion

and it is inexplicably sad.

No. Sad is the wrong word.

It is a feeling that goes deeper than that.

It is a feeling that has no name.

But it is deep and real.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

February 16, 2011

Valentine

2011-02-14T12:49:00.002+01:00

Crack open my skull.

Inside there is an ocean of love.

The ocean is vast and profound.

Bobbing atop the waves is a tiny boat.

Below the flickering sail there sits a dark figure.

If I use a telescope I can make out the contours of your face.

Gotcha! Now to send a search and rescue team into my skull...

Greg Santos

Paris, France

February 14, 2011

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA Book Trailer 2

2011-02-09T21:57:00.003+01:00

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA reviewed by the Saint John Telegraph Journal

2011-02-06T12:09:00.006+01:00

Allen Bentley has written a review of THE EMPEROR'S SOFA for the Saint John Telegraph Journal.

I actually found out about it from one of my wife's relatives in New Brunswick since it is their local newspaper. What a nice surprise!

I also think it's the book's first review! I was not expecting such a warm and thoughtful review. Thank you, Allen Bentley.

You can read the review HERE.

I don't have a status update for what I'm feeling

2011-02-02T22:25:00.004+01:00

I wish I could hyperlink you my thoughts and emotions.

It would make this poem more efficient and user friendly.

The act of eating reminds me I am alive.

Flossing daily helps, too.

Eating Pringles satisfies me more than real potatoes.

I make attachments with people who are "real"

but find real people elusive.

I rely on the internet to connect with people.

Does that make me a bad person?

Please don't answer that.

I feel that I am too sensitive a creature,

my feelers do their job excessively well.

In one hemisphere, my brain hurts.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

February 2, 2011

Monday Roundup of Stuff

2011-01-31T11:13:00.004+01:00

1) Did you know... only one copy of The Emperor's Sofa remains at Shakespeare and Company? Not in Paris to pick it up? That's okay. Are you Canadian? Stop by your local Chapters Indigo and ask them if they carry a copy. They might tell you my book title is weird. That's what they told me. They're funny that way. Or make my publisher happy and order yourself a copy directly from DC Books. I hear a little online store called Amazon also carries it. Check them out. They'd appreciate the business.

2) Did you know... today is the last day to submit your work to Upstairs at Duroc? Submit now! You can be published in Paree!

3) Did you know... I was interviewed by rob mclennan? Speaking of mclennan, please check out his new chapbook, red notebooks (The Red Ceilings Press).

I was also interviewed for Black Heart Magazine by Laura Roberts. In the Black Heart interview I talk about pax americana and Barack Obama's ears.

4) Did you know... Ben Mirov was guest-blogging about "things he thinks are rad" over at The Best American Poetry Blog? Radtastic!

Thanks fer reading.

A Slow Moving Island

2011-01-29T15:35:00.005+01:00

I drift alone on a

slow moving island.

People tend to know

what they are doing,

but not me.

A voice awakens me

from my stupor.

You're not the only

lonely soul, bucko.

It is my friend, J

hanging precariously

from a buoy.

The sea air feels sprinkled

with magic and salt.

The sun is doling out

drops of vitamin D.

My beloved emerges

from a sand dune.

Give your daughter a kiss.

My child coos.

You are the right man for the job.

When did she get so wise?

It seems like just yesterday

that she needed me to burp her.

Now look at her,

offering me a job.

I am grateful I brought an updated CV.

I toss my white beard

over my shoulder and adjust my tie.

I should consider myself lucky

to live in such a wonderland.

We all drift on a

slow moving island.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

January 29, 2011

Interviewed by rob mclennan

2011-01-28T22:21:00.003+01:00

I've been interviewed by rob mclennan.

Please check it out here.

mclennan has amassed quite the extensive collection of interviews with poets and writers from Canada, the United States, and beyond. You can find an index of his interviews here.

Thank you, rob.

Upstairs at Duroc Issue 12 Launch

2011-01-28T13:07:00.010+01:00

Upstairs at Duroc issue 12 launch at the cozy Berkley Books of Paris on January 27, 2011.

I heard some stirring poetry, touched base with some of my other fellow editors, nibbled on cheese and olives, and sipped on French cider.

What more can a guy ask for?

G

The Disease is its Remedy

2011-01-25T22:42:00.003+01:00

There is no happiness like mine.

I have been eating poetry.

-Mark Strand

I have crumbs around the corners of my mouth.

I am a man of Herculean appetites.

I eat poetry like potato chips.

I have been told to vary my diet.

You should indulge in more food groups, they say.

Too much of one thing will give you a stomachache.

But I have a unique condition.

I am prescribed to eat poetry for the rest of my days.

Do not cry for me; it is a happy ailment.

I will round up other inkblot hearts who have a taste for salt.

We will pass around books, licking them.

We will whinny and stomp with joy.

This poem has been laced with MSG.

The bag is done.

I can't eat just one.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

January 25, 2011

Interview with Black Heart Magazine

2011-01-17T22:21:00.003+01:00

I've been interviewed by Laura Roberts from Black Heart Magazine, based out of Austin, Texas.

I talk about my role as poetry editor for pax americana and how to make an editor steaming mad.

Please check out the interview here.

Thank you, Laura.

Postcard Life Story Update

2011-01-13T21:10:00.003+01:00

My postcard life story has been updated.

Please check it out here.

Thank you, Michael Kimball. You are truly the king of kings.

The Pains of Parenthood

2011-01-12T02:04:00.002+01:00

It's three in the morning.

Her whimpers echo through our apartment.

I half expect tiny wolves living in our cupboards

to respond with their own melancholy howls.

She balls her fists, a diminutive pugilist.

"All children get colds," my mother tells me over the phone.

It is a badge on the Scouts sash of life, I suppose.

It doesn't make her suffering any easier.

Hugs and a damp face cloth are small comforts.

A pain that pulses deep in my chest -

a pain that drops suddenly into my gut,

an elevator plummeting down an endless shaft -

I can't get the image right! A sensation I've never felt before:

the pain of parenthood.

That feeling of helplessness, of guilt

for not being able to take away my child's hurt,

to click it into oblivion like an icon on a desktop.

I have been permanently marked.

I will exhibit my scars ala Jaws to other veterans of parenthood,

their knowing nods and slaps on the back, perhaps a consolation someday.

Let the scars on my heart be a warning to those not yet parents.

Greg Santos

Paris, France

January 11, 2011

Upstairs at Duroc, Issue 12 Launch

2011-01-10T23:12:00.003+01:00

Upstairs at Duroc is pleased to announce the launch for its issue 12

January 27, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

Berkeley Books of Paris
8 rue Casimir Delavigne
75006 Paris
Metro Odéon

Come hear new work by

Amy Hollowell, Nina Karacosta, Alice Notley, Jonathan Regier and Joe Ross.

Amy Hollowell is the author of Peneloping: Episodes in the Day of She and Giacomettrics, and is a contributor to numerous publications in Europe & the US. A former editor of the Paris-based review Pharos, she is a journalist, translator & Zen Buddhist teacher.

Nina Karacosta’s work has appeared in Pomegranate Seeds: An Anthology of Greek-American Poetry, Best of Stain Anthology, Surreal-zine and The Melancholy Dane. An actor/poet born in Greece, she moved to NYC in 1995 & to Paris in 2009, which she now considers home.

Alice Notley has published over 30 books of poetry, including most recently, Reason and Other Women; Grave of Light, New and Selected Poems 1970-2005; and In the Pines. With her sons, Anselm and Edmund Berrigan, Notley edited The Collected Poems of Ted Berrigan. She is also the author of a book of essays on poets and poetry, Coming After. Notley has received many prizes and awards including the Academy of American Poets’ Lenore Marshall Prize, the Poetry Society of America’s Shelley Award, two NEA Grants & the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Poetry. Often considered an important figure in the New York School, Notley lives and writes in Paris.

Jonathan Regier’s first book of poetry, Three Years from Upstate, was published by Six Gallery Press (Pittsburgh, PA) in 2008. He’s now at work on a second book, as well as doing a PhD in the philosophy of science at Université Paris 7.

Joe Ross is the author of 12 books of poetry. In 1997, he received an NEA Fellowship and moved from Washington, DC to San Diego, where he worked for that city’s Commission for Arts and Culture and, later, as Chief of Policy for elected officials. He was awarded the Gertrude Stein Poetry Award in 2003. In 2004, he and his wife moved to Paris, where their 2 children were born, and where he continues to publish while working as an educator.

Please join our Facebook Page for the latest news, readings and events.

Hope to see you there!

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A Coal Miner on Mars

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How To Be Alone

A Face to Meet the Faces webpage now online

A Face to Meet the Faces: Cover Art Revealed!

Beach Sloth Review Tweet Tweet Tweet

"Siem Reap, Cambodia" Revisited

Tweet Tweet Tweet Book Trailer

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Beach Sloth and This Zine Will Change Your LIfe

Her Royal Majesty Named In Top Ten

Win a Free Copy of The Emperor's Sofa from Goodreads

Goodreads Book GiveawayThe Emperor's Sofaby Greg SantosGiveaway ends November 25, 2011.See the giveaway detailsat Goodreads.

The Emperor's Sofa

by Greg SantosGiveaway ends November 25, 2011.See the giveaway detailsat Goodreads.

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Her Royal Majesty #11

October 24

Her Royal Majesty

100 Thousand Poets for Change - New York

Greg Santos on Greg Santos

Poem in This Zine Will Change Your Life

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA reviewed by Ben Tanzer

Moondoggy Recommends: 48 Love Poems by Steve Roggenbuck

9/11

pax americana #15

2011 ReLit Shortlists Announced

More #poetrybyemilydickinson

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harold and kumar 2 USTREAM reading hosted by Johnny Vulpine

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Poem in Poets/Artists

TWEET TWEET TWEET by Greg Santos: Coming Fall 2011

The Emperor's Sofa Longlisted for the 2011 ReLit Awards

THE EMPEROR'S SOFA reviewed by Beach Sloth

Greg Santos Reading With Steve Roggenbuck & Poncho Peligroso

Paris Roundup

Found Poem #3

Wednesday Roundup of Stuff

Lisbon

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Jason Camlot Interviewed About Punchy Writers Series by Poetry Quebec

Poem in Finishing Hammers: MMA Poetry

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A Poem for Father's Day

Reading @ Goodenough College, London, June 22

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Poem in Didi Menendez's Portrait Project

Astronaut

Poem in NWV

SAND Reading in Berlin, June 4, 2011

Sound Machine

Poets Live Reading Now Online

The Emperor's Sofa Roundup

Reminder: Reading @ Poets Live in Paris tonight!

Reading @ Paris Live, May 10, 2011

The Emperor's Sofa World Tour!

Poem in allwritethen

Announcing THE EMPEROR'S SOFA Book Launch April 29, 2011 @ Blue Metropolis

Poem in 100:WORDS

Another Poem in LET PEOPLE POEMS

Paul Violi 1944-2011

Humberto Santos, 1967

National Poetry Month 2011

Poem in THE BRANDI WELLS REVIEW

Found Poem #2

New Poem in LET PEOPLE POEMS

Found Poem #1

A Versailles of the Mind

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Emperor's Sofa

by Greg Santos

Giveaway ends November 25, 2011.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

by Greg Santos

Giveaway ends November 25, 2011.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.