Monday, October 14, 2024

Oddball Stories with Ian C Smith

Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine this Monday.


Cheater Calls Us Cheaters

Richard Spisak is back at Oddball Magazine with no signs of leaving.


Totally Tubular

A tale of olden times for us old people. Read "She Who Laughs Lasts" by Anne Skove at Oddball Magazine. 


City Haiku

Citgo sign and me,
just two relics together
on an autumn night.

Tall Tale Winds

Another acrostic piece from Mike Mesterton-Gibbons to kick off the week. Welcome to another new week of work at Oddball Magazine. 


Annoying Thought of the Day

The attempted career transition from thirst trap to life coach is one of the stranger things I've seen online. 

It’s Monday

And I’m not ready. 

Happy Birthday, Nonye Brown-West


  


Ha!

I spent four years at Framingham State College. Thirty years later, it's now Framingham State University, and this year might be the first time I've ever seen a sticker for their Rams sports teams.


This Week's Friendly Reminder

Courtesy of the surfboard shop Paradice Rocks. It's a simple message, but this is anything but a simple week.


My Monday Morning Music

Starting off the week with a new medical bill and a new plumbing bill. Seems like a horror week to me. Let's start with this YouTube recommendation of a song the band Eaten by Clowns. 


 


Sunday, October 13, 2024

Tuesday: The First and Last Word Poetry Series

Featuring Kathleen Aguero, Jenny Factor and Richard Hoffman. Hosted by Harris Gardner. Click here to register in order to get the Zoom link.


Tomorrow

Hope you can make the memorial service for LUCCI tomorrow. 



Ready to Go Out

Stone's Throw #6 was released months ago. After too many delays, the hard copies of the issue have been stapled and are ready to go out to contributors who want them. I have some addresses from contributors already, but anyone who hasn't sent me that information yet can do so before the big mailing on Tuesday. Of course, any non-contributor who wants an immediate copy of the issue and won't be seeing me anytime soon can download it here.


Oddball Show the Week That Was (October 12)

 

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Happy Birthday, Michael Patrick McSweeney,

From one Jesus poet to another.


Your Weekly Dose of God

 The cross from the Lilly of the Valley Baptist Church.


Happy Belated Birthday, Wazir X Gray

 

 


Happy Belated Birthday, Jan Rowe


Friday, October 11, 2024

My Friday Evening Music

First heard this cover by Puddles Pity Party about a month back. Now I need to listen to it at least once a week. Enjoy your long weekend if you can.



Stone Soup Croutons, 10-9-24: Last Gasps


Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions selected from Stone Soup Poetry's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here.
 
I also have a book collecting the best of my first year of poems. Click here to purchase it.
Thanks for reading. 

Noah Berlatsky featured at Stone Soup this past Wednesday. Such a diverse impressive body of work on display, including a pretty lengthy pantoum. I felt the best way to honor his visit would be a pantoum of my own. 
 
The pantoums I've written are among the favorite pieces I've written. I haven't written one in almost a decade. I'm grateful to Noah for giving me the inspiration to try again.
 
I might go back and add some lines that didn't make this cut. I almost subtitled this "A Failed Pantoum," but I'll leave it to you to decide.

The poem focuses on what I wish (futilely) to be the last dying breath of the sad establishment as I interact with them regularly.

Thanks for reading.

 
Last Gasps

The dirge we march to is Independent
while writing angry letters to Jimmy Cater.
How dare free homes steer away ill winds...
Climate change is real and Blue State run!

This Monday

There will be a memorial service for LUCCI this Monday on Indigenous People's Day this Monday, October 14, at 3:00 PM ET. It's taking place at Arts at the Armory on 191 Highland Avenue, #1C. I hope to see many of you there. 


Monday: The Contro-Verse Open Mic at Urban Media Arts in Malden with Timothy Gager

From 7:00 to 8:00 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Hosted by Jeff Taylor and Anna Geoffroy. Click here for more information.
 

Wisdom and Then Some

Bruce Wise is back with Wise Words. Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine this week.

Working on Things

They should be done by days end. 


Thank God

Here's Janet Cormier with Bamboozled No More! for another Friday at Oddball Magazine. 

New Chapbook

So in addition to my full length collection, my chapbook All's Well Isn't You is also being published in early November by JMcD Communications. Can my local and online poetry scenes support two releases from me? Let me know.


Kristen Bock, Virtual Thursdays Dire Literary Series Plus Q and A with Timothy Gager, 10/10/24

Yesterday's Dire today. Hosted by Timothy Gager.




Happy Birthday, Leo Racicot

 

 


Practice Haiku

Friday mornings are
the world's way or lulling you
into their next trap.

My Friday Morning Music

To say Puddles Pity Party  has good range as a vocalist is an understatement.

 

 


T.G.I.F.

Picture of braying Donald Trump, words saying "T.G.I.F. Trump, Get Indicted Forever"
Inspired by DL Polonsky.

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Once Again, Deadline is This Tuesday

Tuesday will be here before you know it. Click here to submit to Patricia Carragon's Sense and Sensibility journal before October 15.


Another Deadline Coming Up

Instant Noodles' October 15 deadline for their holiday issue is next Tuesday. Click here to submit while you still can. 


Submissions Became Open Two Days Ago

Submissions for Joyfully Wondrous from Magique Publishing are open until October 15. Click here for information on how to submit.


Tonight: Kristen Bock at the Virtual Dire Literary Series

Hosted by Timothy Gager. Click here to join the group and get information on how to join the call.

And pick up Kirsten's latest collection from Tupelo Press.


Let the Harvest Begin

 

Ben Berners-Lee is this week's featured poet at The Arts Fuse. 

 

Our Lady

James Van Looy pens another poem column for Mother Earth. Read It's All One Thing now at Oddball Magazine. 


Things to Do

Not able to see Janet Cormier during Jamaica Plain Open Studios, I hope to see her soon to grab some of her smaller paintings. Maybe you'll see photos soon.

For Janet's written work, read her Bamboozled No More! column every Friday at Oddball Magazine.


Happy Birthday, David Ellis

 


Happy Birthday, Rick Lupert

 


Happy Birthday, Sam Cha

 


Noah Berlatsky Features at Stone Soup Poetry, 10-9-24

From this week's online gathering. So glad to catch Noah's quirky and ambitious work. Grab a copy of his book, Not Akhmatova, and subscribe to his newsletter Everything is Horrible. 

 

 


Goodbye Blues, Hello October

Stone Soup is back. Thanks to Noah Berlatsky for kicking off the month with a wonderful feature. Be sure to grab a copy of his new collection, Not Akhmatova. And consider subscribing to his Substack newsletter Everything is Horrible. Stay tuned for more Stone Soup news. 


Wednesday, October 09, 2024

Let the Day End

Let the night be more enjoyable. Noah Berlatsky is tonight's Stone Soup Poetry feature. I've wanted to invite him for a long time. I'm glad he's finally with us tonight.


An Important Follow Up


 The Chad Parenteau's Lost Causes newsletter for October 9 is up now at Substack.

 

Happy Returns Are Here Again

Welcome back not only poet Perry L. Powell but artist Ira Joel Haber with their perfect pieces to try and set the mood for Autumn. Thanks for reading Oddball Magazine this Wednesday. Come back soon.


A Moment of Comics Counting Down to November

If we had our way, the "60 Minutes" interview with Trump would have been something like Spider Jerusalem's interview with "The Beast." From Transmetropolitan #21, part three of "The New Scum" by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson. 


Hey, I'm Part of The Wednesdy Lineup Too!

Happy to have a photo to go with Keith R. Courtad's work today. Wednesday starts off fun this week at Oddball Magazine. 


October Surprises

You can now read the entire issue of October's  North of Oxford. Edited by g emil reutter and Diane Sahms. 


Stone Soup Returns Tonight!

Noah Berlatsky is Stone Soup Poetry's feature tonight. Good to be back. 

Come Sail with Noah Into  Stone Soup’s Choppy Waters - Journalist and poet Noah Berlatsky has his first time feature at Stone Soup Poetry - Wednesday, October 9, 2024 7:00-9:00 P.M. ET - Open mic included! Donations appreciated!  - Visit https://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/ for the Zoom link

A Bonus Moment of Comics

Found this two Mondays ago. I think Liefeld Guy has signed their work. "Surwe" is a legitimate surname. That's all I know so far. I hope I find out more.


Shots Fired

Not necessarily a political message, but I've seen less heat between the Free Gaza/Kill Hamas crowds than I have on this "Puppies For Sale" flyer. 

Flyer: Puppies for Sale - Bichon Frise Puppies Available! 3 Males in Search of Forever Homes! 1,200 Each - Contact (number redacted) - Graffiti on flyer: Stop Breding Dogs - Shelter Dogs Die = Adopt Don't Shop

A Moment of Comics

Some of Richard Corben's later works could make your head tilt. This "adaptation" to Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" includes a Crypt Keeper-esque narrator called Mag the Hag, who narrates over the poem's original narrator! From Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven and the Red Death from Dark Horse Comics.


American Haiku: Brave Lies

When I started my Sarcastic Haiku series, I wrote my first American Haiku. An American Haiku doesn't care about tradition, formality or history. it takes as long as it wants to make its point because America. You can read others I've written since by clicking here and scrolling down. 
 

American Haiku: Brave Lies
 
Why is Kamala
too afraid to imagine
going to places--like me! (they're bombing and eating the cats!)

Happy Birthday, David A Wilson

 

 


This Ad

This Uber ad came up recently: "FREE Bacon King Meal FTW."

Does Uber know what FTW means? 

To be fair, whenever I'm eating a fast food meal like that, "FTW" usually sums up my mood.


Your Wednesday Morning Poetry

This week, courtesy of All Poetry, we have Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." Another Poe poem? But why? Come back later this morning around nine o'clock.


Tuesday, October 08, 2024

That's Coming Soon

I know it says "We Sell Graco Sprayers," but every time I walk buy it, I think it says "We Sell Thoughts and Prayers."


Back in Town

Poet Susan Isla Tepper and artist Digby Beaumont pair up to give us your Tuesday goodness over at Oddball Magazine. 


This Week's Most Distinguished Network Name

It's amazing what people will name their online networks. I'm always trying to hijack Wi-Fi when I'm commuting, so I often come across a number of interesting names. Every Tuesday, I post the most impressive and/or cringe-inducing names.

Network Name: Bizarro
Once in a while, some random network sums up your week.

Happy Birthday, Ashley Wonder

 


It's Official

Tuesday mornings suck again.