July 1st, 2011 / 9:20 am
Author News
Blake Butler
Author News
Call Heather Christle at (413) 570-3077
On the occasion of the release of her second book of poems, The Trees The Trees, which just came out from Octopus, and is indeed mazelike, Heather Christle has secured a phone number that you can call her at, through which she will read to you a poem. This begins today and will continue through July 14th.
The number is (413) 570-3077
Calls answered during Eastern Standard Times:
M: 10am-6pm
T: 10am-1pm
W: 10am-6pm
Th: 10am-1pm
F: 10am-6pm
S: 12pm-6pm
Su: 12pm-6pm
Get the book while you’re at it; it’s unprecedented, and gorgeous.
Tags: Heather Christle, The Trees The Trees
You know, just yesterday I was talking to one of my poet friends about Mike Jones.
281 330 8004
if you don’t have the book at least call and get a sample. this is important.
Just searched my ipod for the song. Not there. Bummed out.
It works. I felt a little creepy calling it, like I got the number off a restroom wall. She read “My Enemy,” and I’m sold. A great idea.
it was WEIRD
but i liked it
I got an out-of-breath version of “Half-Hedgehog Half-Man.” I loved it.
she read me the poem on page 33 and it was feathers in my chest
Heather read me a poem about a tarmac. It was beautiful. I was trying to keep my baby up from her afternoon nap, but she fell asleep before I called. She is going to be so damn pissed when she wakes up because Heather Christle is her favorite poet. All I have to say is you should have kept your eyes open Baby Iris.
ha! just called and expected a recording and was kind of like, holy shit i’m talking to a person. she read a poem. it was amazing. bought to go buy the book.
dialed the number
got really freaked out
got the voicemail
felt relieved
yeah, when I dialed I was like “can’t believe it’s dialing, someone smart is going to be on this phone in 10 seconds” then it was awkward and I didn’t know what to say and said something stupid and then asked her to read my favorite poem from the book (“That Air of Ruthlessness in Spring”) and didn’t exactly know what to say when it was over and kind of talked over her when she said she hoped I had a good day and felt bad. but it was worth it. keep thinking how something as stupidly simple as using a phone for what it’s meant to be used for can be so awesome and heartwarming. definitely felt heartwarmed.
I am not scary I swear. Thank you all for calling. Doing it again today, starting at noon. Say hi?
Note I just wrote to KM immediately after speaking with Heather:
“I just did this, she read The Plan. I feel sort of mixed up and moved and wonderful. I’m on the phone so little these days, it felt more personal than a reading or an email or even a casual, on the street encounter. I had to fight my nerves when the phone began to ring, felt like I was in middle school a little bit, but I think everyone should do this.”
PS – She’s not scary, but I was anxious about the whole thing for sure. I told my grandmother to give it a try, but I wasn’t convinced by her, “Perhaps I shall.”
I heard the tarmac poem again for the second time. I liked it better than the first. It was beautiful the first time, but it was even more beautiful the second. Baby Iris went to the swimmng pool today with her mother. I told her before she left, “Do you want to hear the tarmac poem or do you want to go to the swimming pool? I don’t want to hear any complaining when you go swimming and miss out on the tarmac poem.”
She will throw such a monster freaking fit when she hears that the tarmac poem has been read in this house today. All I have to say is this: I warned you Baby Iris. That’s what happens when you decide to go swimming with your mother.
tinyurl.com/3umps6f
Look for a review of the book on The Fanzine later this summer. Or sooner, depending on my schedules and the editor’s schedules, etc.
Oh and there will also be an interview with Heather along with the review!
tinyurl.com/3umps6f
I asked her to read me the last poem in the book. It was cool. I am so glad I did it. It was weird and intense in a way I didn’t expect that ended up being great.
I did this basically exclusively for the experience of discovering whether or not I would feel anxious when I called, and I did. It’s pretty awesome though. Although I felt oddly intrusive, but Heather was nothing but kind and courteous. I think I really like this as a promotional thing. It’s really intense in an awesome way.
[…] call to connect with fans. To promote her latest book of poetry, The Trees The Trees, Christle will read you a poem when you dial her […]
[…] literature blog HTML Giant, which called the collection “unprecedented, and gorgeous”, readers described their […]
You guys are getting quoted in the UK! http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jul/05/poet-buzz-reading-phone
on the one hand, sweet! on the other hand, oh my god now I really feel silly.
[…] literature blog HTML Giant, which called the collection “unprecedented, and gorgeous”, readers described their […]
She is so sweet, like and angel who beat-up all the other angels.
Amazing.
[…] Learn more about Christie’s project here and here. […]