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Kill List
Poetry. A rigorous accounting of the financial statuses of over 200 living poets.
- GenresPoetry
68 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 16, 2025
review of
Josef Kaplan's Kill List
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - February 15, 2025
Marc Nasdor told me about this bk. We both thought it was funny. However, Marc isn't listed in it. There shd be a line that reads: 'Marc Nasdor is a rich poet.' I downloaded a pdf of it & printed it. I've since sold hard-copies of it for cheaper than its in-print price online. I'm waiting for you, Kaplan, now that I'm nouveau riche at yr expense, I'm waiting for you. Give it what you've got. The original is published by "Cars Are Real" in "Baltimore". They're located at "405 W. Franklin St., 3rd Floor". Likely story. "This book is for Steve Zultanski, from whom I stole the form." A little more likely story. Remember, poetry is a smart bomb. The "Kill List" seems to target the rich & the comfortable. Note that Villon isn't on it. Is that b/c Villon is already dead? Or b/c he was poor?
"Vito Acconci is a rich poet." - p 1
Vito Acconci deserves it.
"Bruce Andrews is a rich poet." - p 2
Bruce Andrews deserves it.
"David Beaudouin is a rich poet." - p 4
Now what do I mean when I say they "deserve it"? Do I mean that they deserve their wealth or do I mean that they deserve to be "kill"ed? I have the highest respect for Vito Acconci's work, if he's gotten rich from it then that's a nice surprise. I like Bruce's writing, what little of it I've read, but I doubt that he's gotten rich from it, more likely he got well-to-do from being a professor, I don't really know. If he actually has money, I don't begrudge it to him.. maybe I wd if I knew more about the circumstances of its accumulation. I knew David in BalTimOre. He always struck me as a somewhat conventional poet but I had nothing against that, he seemed like a nice guy. Since Kaplan's "Kill List" seems tongue-in-cheek in relation to any implied intent, my interpretation of his poet choices is of a similar nature.
"Lauren Bender is comfortable." - p 5
Really? Are yr chairs ok?
"Steve Benson is comfortable." - p 6
"Charles Bernstein is a rich poet." - p 6
I publish tapes by both these guys & I haven't gotten rich off them yet. Wassup?!
"Abigail Child is comfortable." - p 10
She also sends me emails every once in a while, promoting things like her movie about Emma Goldman. Hi Abigail, hope you really are comfortable.
"Clark Coolidge is a rich poet." - p 12
I guess that shdn't surprise me (if it's true) but it does.
"Karen Mac Cormack is a rich poet." - p 12
I only met you once, you seemed smart.
"Buck Downs is comfortable." - p 15
He also sends out poem post-cards w/ some frequency. How many people reading this get them?
"Linda Franklin is comfortable." - p 20
& we know each other thru some social media or another - not to mentioned meeting at Doug's house in 2020. Waddya think, Linda? Shd comfortable &/or rich poets be killed? &, if so, by whom? Uncomfortable &/or poor poets? Wd Poetic Justice be meted out? By poisoned pen letters, perhaps?
"Michael Gottlieb is a rich poet." - p 23
Anyone who's read his Memoir and Essay wd probably be surprised by that. Maybe it's not true.
"Mitch Highfill is comfortable." - p 26
Good for him. I've met Mitch, he's interviewed in my movie called DEPOT (wherein resides the UNDEAD of Franz Kamin).
"Brenda Iijima is a rich poet." - p 28
I've read one of her bks, thanks to Alan Davies sending it to me. Alan isn't one of the poets listed in this bk. He lives in some sort of subsidized housing. I reckon one cd say that he's poor.. but not necessarily 'uncomfortable'.
"Josef Kaplan is comfortable." - p 29
Ha ha! I'm glad to see the author includes himself in his "Kill List". What'll happen if he kills himself before any of the others die?
"Kimberly Lyons is comfortable." - p 36
Same goes for her that went for Mitch Highfill. Hi Kim!
"Chris Mason is comfortable." - p 37
He's also one of my favorite poets. We go wwwaaaaayyyyyyy back. Stay comfortable, Chris.. but no tttooooooo comfortable.
"Steve McCaffery is a rich poet." - p 37
Tell me it ain't so! McCaffery's another favorite poet. One of the best readings I ever attended was McCaffery at SUNY Buffalo. He gave a dramatic sound poetry reading from the New York City phone bk that was EXCELLENT. As the author of Alice Through the Working Class & many other class struggle related bks I'd hope that, like me, he barely manages to exist on the fringe of a hostile society.
"Nick Piombino is comfortable." - p 44
& he also praised my reviews of Alan Davies' bks so he can't be too comfortable.
"Vanessa Place is a rich poet." - p 44
I reckon she is, given that she's also a lawyer.
George Quasha isn't in here. Is he less-than-comfortable? I wonder if Kaplan actually used a specific economic index?
"James Sherry is a rich poet." - p 48
I reckon he is, given that he works in banking. Then again, he's also the guy who let me stay in his nice warehouse in NYC a couple of times. That was generous & kind of him. In fact, I haven't a single bad thing to say about James, I hope you're doing well.
"Patti Smith is a rich poet." - p 49
Ok, I don't have anything against Patti Smith. She's always been lauded as proto-punk. I find her music bland - then again, I find most punk a bit bland. I've never heard anything by Smith that I'd call punk. Is she really rich? If so, what's the source of her wealth?
"Darren Wershler-Henry is comfortable." - p 56
We were on the same reading bill in NYC. I had rehearsed & timed my presentation to make sure I didn't go on for too long. Apparently it was the norm for readings to start late & to end on-time. The result? My part of the program was twice as long as Darren's. He was nice about it. Sorry about that.
"Rupert Wondolowski is comfortable." - p 57
Rupert & I cofounded Normal's, a used bkstore in BalTimOre. I've never know Rupert to have much money. I did hear that he bought a house, that can be done very cheaply, cheaper than rent. Is he "comfortable"? I don't think he makes much from the bkstore, I certainly never did.
All in all, an interesting & funny & borderline-informative bk. It's probably more fun to read as an in-joke if you know the people listed, as I do w/ many of them.
Josef Kaplan's Kill List
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - February 15, 2025
Marc Nasdor told me about this bk. We both thought it was funny. However, Marc isn't listed in it. There shd be a line that reads: 'Marc Nasdor is a rich poet.' I downloaded a pdf of it & printed it. I've since sold hard-copies of it for cheaper than its in-print price online. I'm waiting for you, Kaplan, now that I'm nouveau riche at yr expense, I'm waiting for you. Give it what you've got. The original is published by "Cars Are Real" in "Baltimore". They're located at "405 W. Franklin St., 3rd Floor". Likely story. "This book is for Steve Zultanski, from whom I stole the form." A little more likely story. Remember, poetry is a smart bomb. The "Kill List" seems to target the rich & the comfortable. Note that Villon isn't on it. Is that b/c Villon is already dead? Or b/c he was poor?
"Vito Acconci is a rich poet." - p 1
Vito Acconci deserves it.
"Bruce Andrews is a rich poet." - p 2
Bruce Andrews deserves it.
"David Beaudouin is a rich poet." - p 4
Now what do I mean when I say they "deserve it"? Do I mean that they deserve their wealth or do I mean that they deserve to be "kill"ed? I have the highest respect for Vito Acconci's work, if he's gotten rich from it then that's a nice surprise. I like Bruce's writing, what little of it I've read, but I doubt that he's gotten rich from it, more likely he got well-to-do from being a professor, I don't really know. If he actually has money, I don't begrudge it to him.. maybe I wd if I knew more about the circumstances of its accumulation. I knew David in BalTimOre. He always struck me as a somewhat conventional poet but I had nothing against that, he seemed like a nice guy. Since Kaplan's "Kill List" seems tongue-in-cheek in relation to any implied intent, my interpretation of his poet choices is of a similar nature.
"Lauren Bender is comfortable." - p 5
Really? Are yr chairs ok?
"Steve Benson is comfortable." - p 6
"Charles Bernstein is a rich poet." - p 6
I publish tapes by both these guys & I haven't gotten rich off them yet. Wassup?!
"Abigail Child is comfortable." - p 10
She also sends me emails every once in a while, promoting things like her movie about Emma Goldman. Hi Abigail, hope you really are comfortable.
"Clark Coolidge is a rich poet." - p 12
I guess that shdn't surprise me (if it's true) but it does.
"Karen Mac Cormack is a rich poet." - p 12
I only met you once, you seemed smart.
"Buck Downs is comfortable." - p 15
He also sends out poem post-cards w/ some frequency. How many people reading this get them?
"Linda Franklin is comfortable." - p 20
& we know each other thru some social media or another - not to mentioned meeting at Doug's house in 2020. Waddya think, Linda? Shd comfortable &/or rich poets be killed? &, if so, by whom? Uncomfortable &/or poor poets? Wd Poetic Justice be meted out? By poisoned pen letters, perhaps?
"Michael Gottlieb is a rich poet." - p 23
Anyone who's read his Memoir and Essay wd probably be surprised by that. Maybe it's not true.
"Mitch Highfill is comfortable." - p 26
Good for him. I've met Mitch, he's interviewed in my movie called DEPOT (wherein resides the UNDEAD of Franz Kamin).
"Brenda Iijima is a rich poet." - p 28
I've read one of her bks, thanks to Alan Davies sending it to me. Alan isn't one of the poets listed in this bk. He lives in some sort of subsidized housing. I reckon one cd say that he's poor.. but not necessarily 'uncomfortable'.
"Josef Kaplan is comfortable." - p 29
Ha ha! I'm glad to see the author includes himself in his "Kill List". What'll happen if he kills himself before any of the others die?
"Kimberly Lyons is comfortable." - p 36
Same goes for her that went for Mitch Highfill. Hi Kim!
"Chris Mason is comfortable." - p 37
He's also one of my favorite poets. We go wwwaaaaayyyyyyy back. Stay comfortable, Chris.. but no tttooooooo comfortable.
"Steve McCaffery is a rich poet." - p 37
Tell me it ain't so! McCaffery's another favorite poet. One of the best readings I ever attended was McCaffery at SUNY Buffalo. He gave a dramatic sound poetry reading from the New York City phone bk that was EXCELLENT. As the author of Alice Through the Working Class & many other class struggle related bks I'd hope that, like me, he barely manages to exist on the fringe of a hostile society.
"Nick Piombino is comfortable." - p 44
& he also praised my reviews of Alan Davies' bks so he can't be too comfortable.
"Vanessa Place is a rich poet." - p 44
I reckon she is, given that she's also a lawyer.
George Quasha isn't in here. Is he less-than-comfortable? I wonder if Kaplan actually used a specific economic index?
"James Sherry is a rich poet." - p 48
I reckon he is, given that he works in banking. Then again, he's also the guy who let me stay in his nice warehouse in NYC a couple of times. That was generous & kind of him. In fact, I haven't a single bad thing to say about James, I hope you're doing well.
"Patti Smith is a rich poet." - p 49
Ok, I don't have anything against Patti Smith. She's always been lauded as proto-punk. I find her music bland - then again, I find most punk a bit bland. I've never heard anything by Smith that I'd call punk. Is she really rich? If so, what's the source of her wealth?
"Darren Wershler-Henry is comfortable." - p 56
We were on the same reading bill in NYC. I had rehearsed & timed my presentation to make sure I didn't go on for too long. Apparently it was the norm for readings to start late & to end on-time. The result? My part of the program was twice as long as Darren's. He was nice about it. Sorry about that.
"Rupert Wondolowski is comfortable." - p 57
Rupert & I cofounded Normal's, a used bkstore in BalTimOre. I've never know Rupert to have much money. I did hear that he bought a house, that can be done very cheaply, cheaper than rent. Is he "comfortable"? I don't think he makes much from the bkstore, I certainly never did.
All in all, an interesting & funny & borderline-informative bk. It's probably more fun to read as an in-joke if you know the people listed, as I do w/ many of them.
January 4, 2020
Also see Real Kill List and this article.
April 9, 2025
3.5 stars for ambient gossip sheen—a book that only poetry people would like, and not because it’s poetry, but because it’s conceptual art in the same vein as Warhol. I did enjoy reading much of it, and it provokes lively conversation.
December 3, 2023
Funny.
Read
June 22, 2014Utter shit.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews