Happy Birthday, Steve Subrizi

At least I'm not marking your day with a clip of one of your seaweed baby poems. 

Stone Soup Presents: The Baby Chronicles

From Stone Soup's celebration of The Baby Chronicles anthology on November 30, 2009.


First, "Death of Baby Seaweed Robot," A Poem by Michael E. Quigg




And Patrick Shaughnessy with the following:


"Weed Baby"





"Sex Doll Baby Unicorn"





and "Seaweed Poem"

Quick Reminder

The Reading for The Baby Chronicles takes place this Tuesday at GotPoetry Live! this tuesday.

I hope to have one new poem finished for the occasion.

Still time to get the book and fund Haitian relief here.

High Score!

With this Atari 2600 Label Maker page, I was able to do this for Team Baby.



After I posted this on the Facebook page for The Baby Chronicles, I saw more opportunites to put that page to use.

For instance, take this picture of local legend Bill Barnum.



Observe:



Yes, I'll be doing more of this.

Babies, Seaweed, Zombies, Robots: It Continues In Providence, February 23

Last year we saw the publication of The Baby Chronicles, an anthology of persona poems revolving around the story about a baby and his seaweed. After the debut reading at Stone Soup, Michael Quigg, the main man behind the book, announced plans to bring the group--including Michael, Patrick S., myself, local legend Ryk McIntyre and reluctant founder Steve Subrizi--together for more readings. Our first feature for 2010 will be held Tuesday, February 23rd, at the GotPoetry Live! venue, co-hosted by Ryk, in Providence at Blue State Coffee on 300 Thayer Street, starting at 7:30 PM. Other dates will be announced as they come. If you can't wait, you can order a copy of The Baby Crhonicles on Michael's own web site. Click here to order via PayPal.

Poem For The Absent Friend

As part of the reading for The Baby Chronicles, I wanted to do something for James Conant, the unsung man of the hour who provided illustrations for the book. He's still recovering at home after double knee surgery. In his absence, I read the poem below.


Your Children
For James

Bless them with Sunday Wafers
black as the ink that spawned them.
For the baptism, find a receded tide
with plenty of plant for shackling.
If after three days you still dream
Of them, they’re yours
to recreate until someone besides you
is satisfied. Reclaim the bodies,
plaster the protesting corpses.
Hang them in letterboxes
like cribs too close to the window.
Exist them out of existence,
dead enough to stand alone.
Be like any parent with child,
Proud and afraid.

Babies, Seaweed, Zombies, Robots: It Continues!

Thanks to everyone for making the first reading of The Baby Chronicles an amazing success. The story about a baby and his seaweed just refuses to die. Michael Quigg, the main man behind the book, has announced plans to bring the group (Michael, Patrick S., myself, and reluctant founder Steve Subrizi) together for more readings. Tentative dates have been set for 2010 and will be announced here and elsewhere soon. Until then, you can order either a regular or collector's copy of The Baby Crhonicles on Michael's own web site. Click here to order via PayPal.

An Improvement

A couple of days ago, Michael Quigg sent me photos of the revised Baby Chronicles.



I am especially fond of one addition to the book.

A Selfish Moment

I know I have Rachel McKibbens featuring this Monday-and of course you should definitely come to see her.

But I'm pleased to report:

1. Michael E. Quigg reports that The Baby Chronicles is almost done.

2. We're slated to do the reading on November 30th, where we'll be selling the book and donating the proceeds to Partners In Health.

I'm a selfish enough bastard to promote this two weeks early.

It's Coming Together

Michael E. Quigg sent me a proof of The Baby Chronicles.





This week, I also finished another poem for the anthology. Given that a lot of these poems appeared (and still are up) online. I want to give the reader as many surprises as I can when they open this book.

Yes, I'm excited.

"Seaweed Baby Book" To Be Featured at Stone Soup, November 30

Though the title changed a while ago.



Here's the tentative cover, still under construction design-wise, though the illustration is final.

I'll be reading with many others. There will be an official announcement as soon as I can draft it.

Update: I screwed up and put up the the insided title page. The right one is up now.

IT IS ACCOMPLISHED!

I sent it to Michael Quigg, and he agreed. This is the illustration we'll be using.



Onward.

Thank you James.

Hey, There's A Baby In The Weed, Maaan!

I got off the phone with the saintly James Conant today, and we've confirmed that he will be sending me a final draft of the cover for the "Seaweed Baby" anthology later this week, before his upcoming double knee surgery. In passing, he asked if I had gotten his "Weed Baby" illustration, and I hadn't. He swore he had sent it to me!





I wonder what made it slip his mind? I'd hate to theorize anything he'd get a ticket over.

Hmmm...

James sent another draft for the anthology. And, um...



To be frank, I have no idea which poem this illustration is referring to, if any. But what the hell.

James Is Back With More

I was originally going to publish both of James' drawings from last week in one post, but these really deserve room to shine.

Then again, I just might be partial to James' homage to my "Bull-Headed Baby" poem.



Click the labels below for more info on the Seaweed Baby anthology.

I Was Wrong

I think THIS new Seaweed Baby cover draft is my favorite.

Perfect For A Rainy Day

Another one from James in the Seaweed Baby vein. This one might be my new favorite.

Closer And Closer

Apologies to James for just getting this up a week after he sent it to me. It's still the latest one I have, but I know we are getting very near the end.

Seaweed Babies: The Landlubbers

As promised, James came through with some non-drowning Seaweed Babies.









I dunno. For some reason, I find the zombie baby less creepy than the first one.

Babies In Seaweed Forever

Behold, the latest "Seaweed Baby" anthology cover draft.





James has informed me that he will be drawing some babies on land. I will post those and encourage people to vote on whether the baby should be safe on land or drowning. Then we'll tally those votes and Michael Quigg will probably just decide on what he wants regardless of the outcome. But hey, like the last election, you can pretend your vote matters for at least a little while.

In all seriousness, James and I do welcome any thoughts you might have. And if you're new to the whole "Seaweed Baby" anthology thing, click here for the scoop.