by Mark Bibbins, Editor

Studio

For safety’s sake, the iron escape
folds up from the ground. Bad limb
that won’t go down, I’m asking
for it, party clothes the all
of what I own. Even this cat I can’t
claim, wandered-in thing clawing the low
tulle in the closet, the dress
my every memory, the cat a flame
in an ashcan, batting the fringe
of the window hanging: this is trauma.

Either that, or this is romance.
He lived in an enormous house for artists,
sufficiently dark and malformed
to suggest the interior space of the body,
small peace and the snaps of fever
and light: ALMOST HEAVEN, he said.
I hope to be let in when I almost
die. When you live in a ghost town,
every hole’s an eye

Inquest

Just in from a gin-blue downpour, pound
on the door like a cop knock, not
with the knuckles but the side
of the fist: ONE MINUTE, PLEASE.
Pain has tracked me like an angry ex,
flashing the international sign for yes
across the shore, across this ocean
of bruise on the turnip globe.
Picture of health and cagey, the vegetable
lady in the store wouldn’t say how long
she fasts. It’s hell, and ever turning

to rivalry, sun-up to -down, five
days, ten days, thirty now and the draw
of difficult men, you feel it clearing?
MR. ONE-MINUTE PLEASE, I never
would call him, what said that? I blame
the weather. Speakers of snow
have 27 words for Inuit and 1 for
YOU CAN’T FIRE ME I QUIT

Natalie Shapero’s poems have appeared in FENCE, The New Republic, and Poetry. Her book, No Object, was published by Saturnalia.

There are so many poems here in the archives that you could very well overdose on poetry. You may contact the editor at poems@theawl.com.

“By zapping the brain during mathematical lessons, scientists have improved students’ numerical skills by a third. Not only did the participants become quicker when calculating figures in their head, they also learned their arithmetic up to five times faster.”

14. Obviously 5 Believers

13. Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine

12. Temporary Like Achilles

11. Pledging My Time

10. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

9. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

8. Just Like A Woman

7. Absolutely Sweet Marie

6. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)

5. 4th Time Around

4. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again

3. Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands

2. I Want You

1. Visions Of Johanna

“For some reason when you go to a restaurant and they have a kale salad on the menu, you automatically accept that it’s a cool spot.”

What are the most difficult emotions to fake? The answers may surprise you. Unless you said “surprise.” Because that’s one of them.

This is amazing. I wish it was sponsored by the Kochs though.

by TG Gibbon

• Bob
• Audrey
• Douglas
• Sophie
• Hodge
• Rick
• Otto
• Benny
• Elmer
• Pepper
• Rasputin
• Princess Poppy Purrington
• Fritz
• Chumley
• Cuddles
• Duke
• Nutmeg
• Fluff
• Whiskey
• Owsley Bear
• Little Red
• Bobo
• Spike
• Wilf
• Boris
• Pookie
• Bunty
• Shadow
• Biff
• Hamish
• Mimi MacMac
• Agatha
• Cyrus
• Denzil
• Gyp
• Pogue
• Boeta
• Nevis
• Muffin
• Pepsi
• Mash
• Twinkle
• Bengo
• Wiggins
• Tuffy
• Cato
• Fatty
• Munch the Magnificent
• Suki
• Illy
• Bruiser
• Oliver
• Master Maximus Meowington
• Snafu
• Mouse
• Mighty Big Red
• Buzz
• Zacharias
• Floquinho
• Ashoka
• Cleo Snow
• Dan
• Pepita
• Chicken
• Gandamack
• King Fudge
• Orpheus
• Ziggy Pop
• Charlie Pickle
• Cosmos
• Odo
• Saar
• Naki
• Bigwig
• Wilco
• Kafka
• Dorkin
• Cushion
• Lola
• Ada
• Sir Floyd of Shoreditch
• Chaplin
• Roxy
• Findus
• Nibbler
• Dooshka
• Punasaur
• Darwin
• Alan Shearer
• Vashti
• Schroedinger
• Purcell
• Cohen
• Fidel

Sources: Guardian readers’ “cat in a box” photos; Guardian readers’ “best friends” photos.

TG Gibbon is on Twitter and used to have a pair of peafowl called Gertrude and Captain Amazing.

“For those of you who missed Bulworth when it came out in 1998…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt8Q-3m8QH4

Writer/performer Victoria Davey Spelling turns 40 today. All my copies of her work are at the library in the summer house, so instead of giving you some of the more poignant excerpts from Uncharted TerriTori (“Having it all isn’t always easy — especially when you’re a perfectionist — but with the help of her unconventional family and friends, an underwear-clad spiritual cleansing or two, and faith in herself, she’s learning to find her happy ending. Because when you’re Tori Spelling, every day brings uncharted terriTORI”) we will instead have to pay tribute by watching this collection of some of the choice dramatic moments from her pivotal role as Donna Martin on “Beverly Hills 90210.” I would offer some trigger warnings but if I got started we would be here all day. [Related]