Occupy Everything
by the Editor
First of all, before we do anything else, EAP has to welcome Marissa Bell Toffoli as our new poetry editor. We met Marissa through her blog WORDS WITH WRITERS, where she interviews…well, writers. Marissa struck us as completely EAP from the start, which of course makes us have to think over how we define the virtues EAP values the most. So…like this: Expressive. Independent. Autonomous. Joyful. Courteous.
And fun.
Not to mention the fact that Marissa understands the poet's mind, being one herself. So, for a sympathetic hearing and a cheering support, as long as your poetic content defines your poetic form (our unalterable position about all EAP stuff), check out what she has to say ….
Speaking of your poetic content defining your poetic form, EAP's own David Budbill wants to know aren't we sick of having to be The First, The Greatest, The Best ? This September EAP will celebrate the Occupy Movement's one year anniversary by releasing David's new book PARK SONGS: A Poem/Play, illustrated with R. C. Irwin's great absurdist photographs. The best way we can describe PARK SONGS is as an everyday epic. "Stick up for the little guy, Bud," David's father once said to him. In PARK SONGS, the 'little guy' does a pretty good job of sticking up for himself. Which is what the Occupy Movement is all about, come to think of it.
In the meantime, EAPers are Occupying Everything. Mostly themselves first, which we support utterly, since change, like charity, begins at home. But then, after we've occupied ourselves, we'll move out to support others in occupying decent, human scale lives—the kind we want for ourselves and our loved ones.
Mira Allen gives herself a look in Occupy the Mirror , and Harvey Lillywhite comes up with an action plan after demanding Occupy, Yourself! Julie Prince says to start with Occupying Your Own Room . Alena Deerwater suggests we Occupy Sex Ed . And brand new EAPer Jason Stock writes to us Occupying Memory: '3' .
John Merryman is back, still trying to figure out why we don't think of money as a public utility (and why don't we?), in Occupying Money .
Diane Mierzwik is right in the middle of Occupying Hope . What we like about Diane's contributions to EAP is that, even writing about the most difficult questions. she doesn't lets herself or the reader off. She doesn't step outside the issues and come up with a pat solution or a reason to walk away. She's always right in there, grappling. In this case, grappling with the boundaries of compassion and repulsion for a group we have, as a culture, and understandably too, a kneejerk reaction of loathing for: sex offenders.
And then,do have a read of a joyful pirate shot across the bow, with Marie Davis and Margaret J. Hults, in KABOOM. We love that Marie and Margaret write together as an equal and creative partnership (and why doesn't that happen more often?), but most of all we love their collective voice. Also, this is the only story we've ever read about this particular kind of pirate firing off this particular kind of shot. But if I were Wal Mart, I'd be afraid. Very afraid.
Welcome back.