Yes, teaching. Final exams are here now so I will have a little more time for writing for a few weeks at least. Thank you for hoping so. I am trying to finish a book on Moses this summer. My poetry muse is in a coma somewhere; it has been so long since she has spoken.
I hope you are doing well, and that California survives the economy. New York is almost but not quite as difficult. It is an election year and again I have both great hopes and fears for this one.
Carroll Boswell recently posted the following on his or her blog Doing the Impossible Again

Hey, Carroll! Thanks so much!

I agree in that hearing, or even seeing, poetry read or performed brings new light to the words.

I’ll give the DVD pursuit some consideration – I hadn’t considered that at all. I like your idea of surrounding the poems with commentary. I will give this some thought.

I am happy for you receiving new employment! The selfish part of me hopes it doesn’t curtail your writing! Are you teaching?

All the best to you.

^ Thanks.

An interesting conversation is brewing about if everyone was a poet. But, poets have a special gift. One we freely give. A poet can’t simply be churned out in a creative writing class. That’s what we see here!

This is so cool! There is so much more that is accessible when you hear a poem read aloud. It makes me wonder if you should consider putting out a DVD of yourself reading your whole book. Perhaps poets in general should do that. This is the video age after all and making DVD’s is pretty easy to do, I hear. You could read your poems and give any introduction or comments you felt were appropriate. Do consider this. It may be just another of my inadequate ideas, but I for one would be interested…
And I must say it is good to have you back on the blog again. My own ability to write poems, whatever that ability was, is hibernating. Also, I am employed again after more than a year of unemployment so my time for writing is severely curtailed. Still, I am always interested in anything you post, whether I comment or not.
God’s peace be on you and your household.
Carroll Boswell recently posted the following on his or her blog Doing the Impossible Again

Updated with many films thanks to Sev! More to come.

Sev, thank you! What a list you have provided. Poetry & Movies is a growing catalog, and your contributions are duly noted and will be added. You have included some work I forgot about and work I didn’t know about. I look forward to finding those titles I was unaware of. Thank you, again! As you think of more, please don’t hesitate to add them! I am going to add Louder Than a Bomb, as well – a documentary following the journey of high school students as they prepare for a poetry slam.

Here is a link with the full text of the speech:

http://occupywallst.org/article/hate-men-will-pass-and-dictators-die-inspiring-wor/

You haven’t included several films about poets. The Libertine is a film about John Wilmot, a 17th century poet. He was basically Charles II’s Shakespeare. It stars Johnny Depp as John Wilmot, and includes a beautiful reading of St. James’s Park. Also, Tom & Viv is about T.S. Eliot and his first wife Vivienne Haigh-Wood. It was nominated, but did not win, two oscars. One for Best Actress- Miranda Richardson as Vivienne Haigh-Wood and Best supporting actress for Rosemary Harris as Rose Haigh-Wood. It stars William Dafoe as T.S. Eliot. Charles Bukowski has had several films made about him. Crazy love and Barfly are fictional. The former is about 3 days in his life, one in his youth, one his graduation, and the third in his middle age. Barfly follows Bukowski while he was an alcoholic in LA, it stars Mickey Rourke as Charles Bukowski. It’s a very eye-opening look into a troubled artist’s life. 3 documentaries were also made about Bukowski, The Charles Bukowski Tapes, Bukowski and Bukowski: Born Into This. The first film is about a poetry reading by Bukowski in San Francisco. The second is a collection of interviews of Bukowski’s and the final one documents his life through the interviews of others, including Tom waits. I was very surprised not to see Critically acclaimed film The Basketball Diaries about poet Jim Carroll. It stars Leonardo Dicaprio as Jim Carroll. It is mostly about his drug life early on in his teenage years. It’s also an eye-opening look at the way an artist abuses his mind and body. Allen Ginsburg, like Bukowski also has several films based on his life. The Life and Time of Allen Ginsburg is a very good Documentary about his life, and it follows the Bukowski: Born into this formula, having many people who knew Ginsburg discuss him in interviews. It includes interviews with Hunter Thompson, Johnny Depp, Patti Smith, Norman mailer and Timothy Lear. You have the other Ginsberg films I know of. Wholly Communion is a documentary about a poetry event and includes a reading by Allen Ginsberg and other beats. The event was called the Internation Incarnation. Poetry in motion is another documentary, this one focuses on North American poetry it included several generes, Black mountain poets and Beat Poets, and several things in between. It also features Allen Ginsburg, as well as William Burroughs, Jim Carroll and Charles Bukowski. SlamNation is a fascinating film about a poetry slam competition. It features several poets, and was a very interesting examination of the pop culture phenomenon. You may also be interested in Pandaemonium about William wordsworth and The Edge of Love is about Dylan Thomas. I apologize for the length of this post, I just felt you’d want this information.

Kevin, that’s great. You offer key points when you mention the experience of “listening.” I’m most interested in conversation about poetry that insistently emphasizes that principle, because poetry is, to me, the hope of listening.

I’m interested in further discussion with you about your ideas pertaining to writing and divinity.

Also, are you working on any new books?

Again, it’s a blessing to hear from you!