This season of True Blood is crazy!

I really need to write in this thing more often. Did you see the post a few weeks back justifying why I never update my blog with some elitist old media bullshit? I even cited Kierkegaard's book about why newspapers get the thumbs down, which is even worse than booing blogs. Anyway I forgot to announce something last week that turned out to be my favorite reading I've done. I read a new short work as an opener to the debut show of my good friends Lex Loser and the mosh-pit activating punk rock power duo Sexy Crimes, who I just found this awesome video of on the Internet:

S E X Y C R I M E S "the Bedford Lives" from ben pier on Vimeo.

I was really amazed that people at a punk gig paid attention to the dork up front reading stories about his feelings. I expected it to sound like NPR playing over the bar room sound effects from the later Blood for Blood records. Instead everyone actually listened. Nerds! Thanks to Lex Loser for joining me in a very special musical collaboration that nobody will soon recall.

Oh the LAB 6 was awesome too, I forgot to mention that.

And Popsickle the next day @ Gowanus Ballroom was a total blast. It was much better than last year, though equally exfoliating. I met some cool people and continued my missionary work in poetry world, distributing agitprop demonstrating unnecessary line breaks to be a tool of the devil, albeit one much more effective in producing plump little volumes.

OK the past is gone!!! August is here and its going to be another big month for DPP. I will be reading something old and something new, most of which is borrowed, and all of which is pretty blue, next week at Rabbit Tales, an awesome monthly series curated by the wonderful Kate Hill Cantrill. Last month's installment was a wonderful medley of different genres of awesome weirdos. I'll be joined by the musical stylings of Crooks and Perverts, a folk outfit as rad as the name implies, plus some other readers and a performance. I'll post a flier for this as an edit when it's done.

Then the following Thursday (8/18) will be the maiden voyage of the Death Panel Reading Series, a monthly odyssey through all kinds of epic bullshit with yours truly tied firmly to the helm. This will be on the third Thursday of each month at 383 Carroll St (bar is called 383) until the owner realizes that trivia night will draw more people. Hit me up if you want to be involved in this in one way or another, I'm thinking readers, performers, and maybe bands. Definitely nonacademic. Flier on the way.

Oh, and my Lady Gaga dance got one "dislike" on Youtube. It's a start, but it chastens me to think of how many dislikes separate me from the real Lady Gaga. Sigh, you gotta start somewhere!

Oh yeah, and check out Jimmy Flynn and Austin playing in New Lows!!