Poetry Is Nearer to Vital Truth than History

POETRY
We Build to Last

Author and poet Bill Holm was in Iceland during the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. He heard about the sad affair on Icelandic state radio. His response? A poem. When Holm returned to the Twin Cities just a few weeks ago, Scott Beyers — audio engineer, producer, and publisher of EssayAudio.com — upon hearing his poem, asked him to record it immediately before driving back to his home in Minneota. Holm cheerfully agreed– jet lag and all — and now you can read and hear his poem online. (Read it quickly; the link will be active until September 11, 2007.)

BOOKS
Now in Bookstores Near You

An entrepreneur who sells his memories for three thousand dollars per decade, a verisimilitude inspector for a Civil War-themed amusement park, ghosts who relive their deaths every night when their son comes home from work: This is the stuff of a typical George Saunders story. What, then, happens when Saunders turns his pen to nonfiction? Consisting of essays on literature, travel, and politics, Saunders’s narratives in The Braindead Megaphone continue his explorations into the absurdities of modern life — only now his writing stems from observation. Here, his humor assumes a doleful tone, as does his subject matter. But it is undeniably real and equally intense and as disturbing as anything Saunders has conjured from his imagination. –by Max Ross

Denis Johnson’s new novel — his first in nine years — continues the author’s studies of sympathy and redemption as integral parts of human physiology. Still, as in most of Johnson’s work, a feeling of desolation pervades. Set in the ’60s, each segment of Tree of Smoke: A Novel follows a year in the lives of the narrative’s several characters, all of whom are either fighting in the Vietnam War or dealing with its effects. Sympathy often comes with feeling sorry for a murderer, and redemption is found in a dive bar with air conditioning. Their various plights and salvations coalesce into a single American experience that Publishers Weekly calls “a closure [on the Vietnam War] that’s as good as we’ll ever get.” –by Max Ross

MUSIC
It Sings because It Has a Song; It Writes because It Has the Words

We call them musicians, but they’re writers, too. (Clearly, I’m not referring to Britney Spears here.) Join host Chris Thompson this evening for the Secret Songwriters Ball, featuring Rich Preiner, Andrew Lynch, Steve Smith, Frank Boyle.

9 p.m., Lee’s Liquor Lounge, 101 N. Glenwood, Minneapolis; 612-338-9491; free.

In the Face of Catastrophe

It seems lately, we have been surrounded with so much tragedy. Perhaps this is not unusual. Perhaps the world is somewhat bleak. But the beauty that has arisen in the wake of all this tragedy is not to be dismissed, overlooked, or forgotten. Just as Bill Holm wrote a poem in response to the collapse of the bridge, many other artists have come together to voice concerns and demands, to raise money, to honor victims and rescue workers, and to help assuage the fear and pain caused by recent catastrophic events. Along this vein, Grammy Award-winning composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard has chosen to express an entire range of emotions evoked by the Katrina tragedy in his latest album, A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), released August 14th. Known for his African-fusion style, Blanchard has been among the top jazz trumpet players for more than two decades.

7 & 9:30 p.m., Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; $40 & $30.

Wilco Stops Scratching

Back in mid-August, Wilco had to cancel its Bayfront Festival concert due to a “rather nasty case of the Chicken Pox” contracted by guitarist Nels Cline. Now, after a three week delay, the show is finally scheduled to go on. All tickets for the original date will be honored, and refunds are available to those who have tickets but are unable to attend tonight’s show. But the best part is that there are actually still tickets available. Perhaps a brief trip to Duluth is in order. Wilco’s melodies and lyricism are certainly well worth your while; and if that’s not enough to warrant the drive, our very own Low has now been added to the bill.

7:30 p.m., Bayfront Festival Park, 700 W. Railroad St., Duluth; 612-605-7957; $35.65.