Check out Mz. Chrzanka’s blog at halochrzanka. By the way, chrzan is Polish for horseradish; and I can confirm Mz. Chrzanka’s horsiness as well as her radishness.

There was a huge stink bug (Stinkimus maximus) crawling up my front window. But it was not quite as huge as the spider spinning its nasty web out the backdoor.

Stephen introduced me to the genius of Soviet Kitsch. From the cover, you won’t be able to tell what kind of music she writes, but you’ve got to hear Regina Spektor’s voice and piano playing. I recommend “Carbon Monoxide” and “Chemo Limo,” because if you have to choose….

Speaking of specters, here’s a poem I wrote a few years ago:

The Leaving of the Ghost

3:52 in the morning

the black cat crossed himself

and crossed my stomach thrice

I woke up in your head

holding myself

with fat-free fingers

a word of love

on my low-cal lips

I became thinner and thinner

a white shadow instead of night

in my eyes

seeing dreams in my own dreams

magic left

with my will

I hear footsteps on the stoop

the clock—

four short bells

levitation, no longer my game

I pull the covers tight

breathe

my back back on the bed

finally a dog howls