I tried to fit this into a Facebook status update

but it wouldn't fit.

I'm trying to fill in cultural gaps with internet videos and library books: Ayn Rand interviewed by Mark Wallace, and again by Phil Donahue who brought me to his show on "Moshing" featuring the very articulate Marilyn Manson. I wonder where Marilyn Manson will take me when I pick up where I left off. This is a fun game.

I found Victor Hernandez Cruz via poets.org while looking for poetry by Latino Americans. He led me to PEN sound in search of readings by Latino Americans, then to the library and an anthology of poetry that he edited called "Paper Dance", then on to "Reversible Monuments" an anthology of contemporary Mexican poetry edited by Monica de la Torre and Michael Wiegers. This made me want to read Dolores Dorantes, but the library doesn't know about her yet, so I'm planning a trip to SPD next week. I want to build a collection of poetry that my current students and potential students might relate to. I've been learning that James Schuyler and the poetry of my friends is not universally interesting or relatable, not without a certain amount of context anyway, that is hard to cover in the length of a class. This is making me a better reader and discovering new poetry is helping me like poetry again and think that I might like to write it again. Victor Hernandez Cruz will also lead me to Puerto Rico, to New York, to the Nuyoricans and to Boogaloo music, when I pick up where I left off.