Po-Money, Po-Problems, & a Po-Stimulus

thx for all the engaging comments on my last post! but no thx to those who randomly brought up money. as i alluded to in a previous post ("Po-Money Po-Problems: announcing the CSP AWP Consulting Firm") money corrupts.

however, one good idea did emerge: PAY THE COMMENTERS! i agree! it's really the commenters that keep this blog thang going. i would pay all of you if i was in charge, but since i'm not i offer you a poetry stimulus free book giveaway below!

A BRIEF HISTORY:

about a year ago, i became an intern for omnidawn publishing, and i've been their blog editor ever since. the omnidawn team (founders rusty morrison and ken keegan and our team of editors) meets about every other friday in oakland, ca. here's a picture of the team:

wait, oops, that's an old picture (Homer was fired after suggesting that we publish kent johnson's DAY). here's our current team:

(note the pizza) that's us last friday discussing omnidawn's first ever CHAPBOOK CONTEST (check it out here and feel free to submit before the 2/28/10 deadline if you are feeling lucky--we are accepting online submissions!). here's a pic of ken explaining the administrative side of the online submission manager:

(i'm hoping next friday ken will show me how to log in and transfer all the submission fees to my private bank account.) (just kidding ken please dont fire me!)

my favorite thing about maintaining the omnidawn blog is that i get to give away FREE BOOKS! that's right my friends, below you will friend not one, but TWO CONTESTS in which you could potentially win up to 10 omnidawn books OF YOUR CHOICE!

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CONTEST #1: THE PLOT GENIE

one of our new books is Gillian Conoley's THE PLOT GENIE:

This book was inspired by a plot-generating device created in the 1930s--the "Plot Genie"--and used widely by Hollywood writers until the late 1950's. The Plot Genie relied on a numerical game of chance, including a cardboard spinning wheel used to divine character traits and plot points.

Your Task: If you were writing a book called the PLOT GENIE what would the plot of the book be? Give your own internal plot genie a good spin and write your plot in a comment (in 7 sentences or less).

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CONTEST #2: A FAUX-BIO OF RIMBAUD

one of our other new books is Donald Revell's translation of Rimbaud's The Illuminations.

Your Task: If Rimbaud was alive today and living in the U.S., what would his life be like? Which MFA would he attend? Which older poets would he sleep with? Which military contractor would he work for? In 7 sentences or less, write a faux-bio of Rimbaud in a comment.

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You can enter both contests more than once (and you can win more than once). Please enter a separate comment for each contest & entry. I will choose my favorite five for each contest and the authors of each will receive any omnidawn book they desire.

DEADLINE: BOTH CONTESTS WILL END ON TUESDAY 1/12/10 at 11:59 pm. I will announce the 10 winning entries in my new blog post on wednesday. REMEMBER: HAVE FUN!

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to keep you company while you type away, visit here to listen to Conoley read & here to listen to Revell at the Omnidawn release party last year (videos courtesy of poet oscar bermeo).

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