THE BOOK TOUR by Dennis Sullivan

The Book Tour (for Frank O’Hara)
by Dennis Sullivan

when i wrote a book
with my friend larry
a socialist anarchist thing,
publishers said nice
but no can do,
can you work a little state
and oppression in?

but we said no can do
and they said there, over there
there’s the door, get out.

not ones to cave
we headed next door and knocked,
told the publisher we had a book
on people’s everyday life struggle
to make it in the world
as cooperative beings

but the chief guy there said
cooperation’s out, passé—
though it never was in—

and life went on like this
for more than you can imagine
until we thought, hey
love compassion understanding
do not sell

which still holds true
love compassion understanding
do not sell
that’s why people keep buying
those halloween masks.

oh yes there was one publisher
who said he’d buy the book
if we included masks to wear
halloween or otherwise
he thought there’d be a market
he said he’d pay us

to wear masks for the book tour
the love compassion understanding
failure book tour,
the brought down by masks worn
masks paid to be worn book tour,
promising us in no time
we’d no longer know
when we wore the mask
and when we took it off.
he said it’d be like driving into town
and seeing a big painted sign saying
Welcome to America!


It's all about Dennis today. He is looking for recruits to attend the poetry day at the Lark Tavern on April 21. Several of us have expressed an interest... me, Tom, Timmy...if you want details, visit the link to Albany Poets. Dennis has also graciously succumbed to my pleadings to post THE BOOK TOUR on the blog and I am doing so. Poet O'Sullivan is one of the supporters of the appearance at VPL of Batt Burns, an Irish musician and storyteller who will be here on March 28. The performance is free and open to the public. If you have any interest, please come. Traveler O'Sullivan has also arranged a display of pictures and cards from his Irish experience in the library display case for the month of March.

I saw an announcement that Jamey Stevenson, who visited us about a month ago, is appearing at the Social Justice Center. It included a poem that I liked, so I emailed him and received a reply telling me that he had enjoyed the meeting he attended (with us old farts) and found us to be "supportive and challenging". Maybe we will see him again.

Mimi and Joyce and I are in the Peace Walk downtown on Sunday. We will be carrying signs with the name of a war casualty. My soldier is Lori Ann Piestewa, who was the first woman killed in the war in the skirmish which involved Jessica Lynch. Lori Ann was a 23-year-old Hopi mother of two very young children. The organizers are aiming for 3000+ walkers to represent all of the war dead. There is still time for you to join us.
Lily Alys