Selected poems by Mike Lala.  Available mid December

Mike Lala's irresistible and sensuous poems of dancers, pilots, jazz, and lovers are as seductive as an evasive cat who, while moving oiled and effortlessly across the top of a couch, stares you down. There is both intellectual and spiritual control in this poet's invasive voice, his language equally bold and delicate, his timing impeccable. These poems will inhabit you long after you've put the book aside.

   Diane Wakoski

Michael Lala’s, Under the Westward Night, is a remarkable collection, at times stopping, time, with Basho strokes, at others, gesturing allusively, calling worlds back, through a montage of interior geographies, sunflower rooms, traveling regions of dark roads, under the influence, of planets, the dance of bodies and missed touch, accented always with a musician’s ear for sound and space, an artist’s eye for shadow and form and a poet’s willingness to sing and dance in the sweet becoming of loss, in the risk of giving ourselves away, to impulse, attraction, knowing the
music we hear, the bodies we hold, the longing we feel, will leave us, somehow, somehow, somehow, different, reshaped, transformed. This is a beautiful collection, read it and be reminded of what it is poetry does with us as we go about living as or among poets.

Gordon Henry

Fireside Follies

(Curated by Mike Lala & Eric Nelson)

Brooklyn Fire Proof
119 Ingraham Street (@ Porter)
Brooklyn, NY
L train to Morgan

Takes place every 3rd Saturday of each month. For more information see below.

http://firesidefollies.wordpress.com/

Artist included in this event:

Elizabeth Devlin

Brandon Lake

Katelan Foisy

Andy Smith

Matt Gross

Click here to check out more pics.

WHERE: Brooklyn Fire Proof, 119 Ingraham Street, Brooklyn, NY

WHEN: Saturday December 18th, 7pm-10pm

Join curators Eric Nelson and Mike Lala for a special holiday edition of Bushwick's new, monthly reading series, the Fireside Follies, at Brooklyn Fire Proof's main stage and art space (don't worry--there's a full bar). THIS EVENT IS FREE!

Readers for this event include Matt Gross (travel writer, former NY Times Frugal Traveler), Andy Smith (Welcome to the Land of Cannibalistic Horses), Katelan Foisy (Blood and Pudding), Jonny Diamond (The L Magazine), and Brandon Lake. SPECIAL GUEST: Elizabeth Devlin, debuting her new 7-inch “Ladybug”. Special surprises!!

Fireside Follies will be held on the third Saturday of every month at Brooklyn Fire Proof, and will combine local, independent and underground literary talent with well-published authors and artists.
http://firesidefollies.wordpress.com/
http://apsmith.net/
http://www.katelanfoisy.com/
http://www.allarerelative.com/
http://paralluxerror.com/

October 7:

Release Party for Eric's Zine "Wait, Where Are You Going?" featuring interviews with Henry Rollins & Joe Biel of Microcosm.

@ Brooklyn Fire Proof, 7pm

119 Ingraham St. (at Porter Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11237

www.brooklynfireproof.com

October 15:

Eric will be reading at the Richmond Zinefest's Pre-Party Potluck

@ The Wingnut, 7pm

Richmond, Virginia. Check out there website to find out more information:

www.thewingnutrva.wordpress.com

October 24:

Eric will be teaching a workshop @ the DIY Fest in Baltimore, Maryland. Entitled Zines: The Art of DIY Publishing.

@ St Johns Church, 12pm-6pm

2640 St. Paul Street

Baltimore, MD 21218

www.diyfest.org

November 19:

Earshot Reading Series

@ Rose Live Music, 7:30pm

345 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY

www.earshotnyc.com

Excerpt:

I begin this way to avoid misunderstandings. This is an article about how a writer-for-money produces manuscripts which sell.

I turn out 100,000 to 120,000 words a month for the "pulps"—magazines (so called because they are printed on "wood pulp" paper). These words—the pulp writer always talks of words—because he's paid on a wordage basis—are written as well as I am able to write them. I try constantly to improve the quality, the forcefulness and the keenness of character interpretation in my stories. I spend twice as much time on rewriting as on writing.

To me, these things and pride in my work are art enough . . .

Katelan V. Foisy

John S. Hall

Eric Nelson

Mike Lala

Lenox Parker