Thursday, January 12, 2006

It's a good thing?

Just got an email from one of the editors at Poetry about The Poetry Foundation's new initiative: a "Poem of the Day" feature on, wait for it, The Martha Stewart Satellite Radio Network. They'd like to use my poem "Lullaby," which appeared a year or so ago in Poetry, as one of the featured poems. The weird/unusual thing is that it'll be recorded by a professional actor for broadcast. Well, aside from the whole Martha Stewart angle.

I'm going to sign off on it, of course, especially as it pays a tidy little honorarium, but I'm not quite getting my head around it.

Martha Stewart?

Professional actor? Which means, I know, a voice actor/working actor, but I'd like to imagine, say, Christopher Walken.

Or Jean-Claude Van Damme.

21 comments:

Eduardo C. Corral said...

What a hoot! Okay, did I just say that? Martha would not approve! But anyways, what good news! And a nice check! Yeah!

Alison Stine said...

Hey, if it gets people to read/hear about/think about poetry...I'd take my top off on the Oprah show.

Unknown said...

Totally cool, Paul.

David HG said...

Kudos.

Next: Howard Stern starts poem a day initiative, with porn stars to read.

Amanda Auchter said...

That is so weird. Jake Gyllenhaal as Paul Guest? William Shatner? Wow. "And now the Good Thing Poem of the Day by Paul Guest read by Ron Howard." Lovely. (But really, goody for you).

Paul said...

I could die happy if Shatner did it. But I doubt it'll be anyone like that. I figure it's voice actors.

Anne Haines said...

Okay, I think it's awesome. Unless, of course, Martha Stewart herself is the reader. Iin that case, it would be kind of creepy.

RL said...

That's the first worthy thing they're putting their money towards that I've heard about so far. I hope you get a really cool actor to read your poem. My vote is for Vin Diesel!

shanna said...

hey, that's fantastic! congratulations!

Unknown said...

Fabulous and wonderful!

I think it's a wonderful opportunity (not to mention the insta-fame-on-a-limited-basis) and I personally would kill a baby seal with a baseball bat to have Christopher Walken read a poem of mine- but then, I'm a little sick.

it'll probably be someone like Mira Sorvino in her Mighty Aphrodite voice- heh!

Peter said...

Oh Paul, this is a hoot! And totally awesome.

Paul said...

I'm feeling so ... domestic!

Radish King said...

Pee-Wee Herman!
or Sister Wendy.

Unknown said...

For true entertainment, maybe Chris Rock would be a good Paul Guest poem-reader. :)
Or Clint Eastwood for fierce poetry power. heh.

But, seriously, wouldn't you just swoon over Morgan Freeman's voice or Anthony Hopkins spilling out P-Giddy Guest poems? *sigh*

I just hope Joan Rivers doesn't land your rhyme. What a tragedy that would be. ;)

This is a wonderful idea, and I'm glad you're being immediately involved.

Anonymous said...

Screw two cents.

I've got a nickel.

Kurt Russell as Snake Pliskin as Paul Guest.
Or Yoda.
Or
Keanu Reeves as Neo as Keanu Reeves as Paul Guest.

Save that thought for a rainy day. A lot like today.

Steven D. Schroeder said...

Al Pacino in full "HOOHAH" mode.

Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.

Oh man, Patrick Stewart in any voice.

Paul said...

Doc Holliday, yes.

Pamela Johnson Parker said...

Paul, I think you should write a poem just in William Shatner's voice, which is kind of a weird Morse code with dramatic caesura effect. You know he'd record that!

dat
dah
dat dah dat
dat dah dat dat

Spock,
I
must have you
do this for me.

Or,
"The defense
rests.
Denny
Crane."

Congratulations! BTW, I just finished my MFA residency and met your teacher, Allison Josephs. Awesome reading voice...

Suzanne said...

It's a damn good thing. Whoohoo!

A. J. Patrick Liszkiewicz said...

Alright, Mr. Fancy Poetry Pants. Where's my book? ; )


P.S.--My word-verification is "gotbonj". So all I need is an "ovi", and I'll be set.

Alexis said...

I admit a fondness for Martha Stewart. When I was a young wannabe Canadian common law wife (long story...) I used to watch her all the time for inspiration. I loved one of her recipes for Italian Sausage with Broccoli Rabe. Anyway, that was an aside. Congratulations, Paul. That's pretty exciting. I really hope that you get Jean Claude. ;)