"Start at the beginning..."

Today at The 5-2, I introduce an occasional interview feature. My first guest is provocative prose poet Rauan Klassnik.

C. Everett Koop Dies at 96

I'm saddened to learn former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop died yesterday in New Hampshire. A pioneering pediatric surgeon, Dr. Koop mentored my mother when she trained at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the 1960s and remains an example to her. I never had the honor of meeting him, but I admire his standing up to political pressure and using the nominal office of surgeon general to truly educate the public.

At The 5-2: "The Girl in the American Apparel Ad" by JD Debris

Performance poet JD Debris offers a bit of lust to close Valentine's month.

This Wednesday, February 27, I introduce an occasional interview feature by questioning 5-2 alum Rauan Klassnik, whose second book of prose poems, The Moon's Jaw, has just been published by Black Ocean.

Many spots are still open for 30 Days of The 5-2, our blog tour for April, National Poetry Month. Past 5-2 contributors are welcome to join other poetry fans to discuss their poems in more detail. You don't need a blog of your own. I'd be happy to host you at The 5-2.

At The 5-2: "The Death of the Nut Harvester" by Anne Graue

This week, New York-based poet and teacher Anne Graue draws attention to the deaths of two Amazon activists.

I'm seeking two more poems about fooling or being fooled. The deadline is February 28 for publication in April.

Many spots are still open for 30 Days of The 5-2, our blog tour for April, National Poetry Month. Past 5-2 contributors are welcome to join other poetry fans to discuss their poems in more detail. You don't need a blog of your own. I'd be happy to host you at The 5-2.

Doug Draime is coming to The 5-2 with "Highway 66" on March 25. Doug asked me to mention his print collection of selected poems, More Than the Alley, from Interior Noise Press.

THE BIG BANG THEORY: "The Tangible Affection Proof"

Leonard's Valentine's dinner with Penny is sidetracked by Howard and Bernadette tagging along after a mishap with Howard's present. Also, Penny is distracted by one of her exes, who gets engaged a few tables over. Meanwhile, Sheldon enlists Alex to help find a Valentine's present for Amy.

"The Tangible Affection Proof" balanced storylines well. Sheldon's present to Amy, making her his emergency contact person, was meaningful and nicely turned on its head by how many "emergencies" Sheldon has.

Leonard and Penny's storyline delivered, too, Penny's ordeal bringing up her fear of commitment. I'm not sure Leonard's solution relieved any of the pressure, but that's a good thing, dramatically speaking.

Finally, after a rallying speech at a Lonely People's Party at the comic book store, Raj asked a girl out, and she accepted. According to next week's log line, though, the date doesn't go well.

Lenten Momentum

I don't enjoy Fat Tuesday, much the way I don't party on New Year's Eve. It doesn't strike me as the best lead-in to a time of buckling down. I like Christmas, and if there were such a thing as Fat Saturday, I'd probably like it, too.

What am I giving up for Lent? Nothing I haven't quietly abstained from since January 1. You may call that cheating. I call it preparation.

WE MIGHT HAVE News

My ebook of twenty-four poems on love and chance, WE MIGHT HAVE, has hit #2 on the Kindle Store's bestseller list of Paid Asian American Poetry ebooks. Pick up a copy for Kindle or Nook and commiserate Valentine's Day with me.

At The 5-2: "Sylvia Plath: Gaslight Light Left On" by Christine Aletti

Today is the 50th anniversary of Sylvia Plath's suicide. The 5-2 remembers her with a new poem by Christine Aletti.

I'm seeking poems about fooling or being fooled. The deadline is February 28 for publication in April.

Many spots are still open for 30 Days of The 5-2, our blog tour for April, National Poetry Month. Past 5-2 contributors are welcome to join other poetry fans to discuss their poems in more detail. You don't need a blog of your own. I'd be happy to host you at The 5-2.

International Please Don't Pirate My Books Day

Today, in other words, is the brainchild of novelist, screenwriter, and game designer Chuck Wendig. I'm participating because, like Chuck, I believe creative and clerical work has value. The books I publish will never be free, but ebooks do cost less to make than print books, and ereader vendors control how long ebooks are stored. I set my prices accordingly.

Perhaps pirates don't genuinely value what they take. If they did, they would pay for it. But everyone values something and would cry foul if that something were taken without compensation.

An artist's creation expresses his individuality on levels even he doesn't see. In that sense, it's more valuable than any price one could set. Please consider paying a fair price.

LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S.A. Corey

A few hundred years into the future, Jim Holden, executive officer of the ice hauler Canterbury, is part of a small team sent to the derelict ship Scopuli shortly before Canterbury is inexplicably destroyed by stealth fighters. Holden and the team try to survive long enough to find answers as the incident pushes Earth, Mars, and the Belt toward war.

Meanwhile, Miller, a detective with Star Helix security force on the dwarf planet Ceres, is assigned to retrieve Julie Mao, who rebelled against her wealthy parents and was last known to be aboard Scopuli.

My friend Matt Tedesco recommended LEVIATHAN WAKES to me last summer. It's the first book in The Expanse series, and when I learned the pseudonymous co-authors were inspired in part by Joss Whedon's Firefly, I was poised to plunk down coin, only Matt gave me the book for Christmas.

It's everything he promised, an absorbing vision of the future that, like Firefly, feels lived in. The characters may come from far off times and places, but I can relate to them. As a crime fiction fan, I especially related to Miller, but the story works because the characters are individuals. To hear from each of them is to get a sense how humanity might indeed react to technological advances and alien encounters.

Sign me up for the series.

Chris Kyle R.I.P.

Former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle was reportedly killed point blank Saturday at a Texas gun range by a former Marine suffering from PTSD.

People can be killed anytime in myriad ways. Serving in the military means forging ahead despite this possibility. I'm not going to debate gun control here. Instead, I want to focus on how our Special Operations forces have received—and in some cases sought—more and more media exposure, going against a long tradition of secrecy.

I understand that secrecy breeds mistrust, and perhaps it's better in many cases for the public to know more, but I can't help thinking if fewer people knew who Kyle was and what he did, he might not have been targeted.

At The 5-2: "Affair" by Anina Robb

The 5-2 begins February with "Affair" by Virginia poet Anina Robb, read by Detroit poet and teacher Donora Hillard.

I'm seeking poems about fooling or being fooled. The deadline is February 28 for publication in April.

Many spots are still open for 30 Days of The 5-2, our blog tour for April, National Poetry Month.

And I was inspired by Michael A. Arnzen's Fridge of the Damned to redesign the $11 t-shirt in the 5-2 fan shop.

If you'd like to receive 5-2 news by email, subscribe here. You can also follow The 5-2 on Twitter @poemsoncrime.

Back at BEAT to a PULP

Last Sunday I congratulated editor David Cranmer on five years of BEAT to a PULP. In his thank-you note he asked me for some crime poetry. I revised and submitted three poems, published today. Thanks as always, David.

My Most Popular Tweet of the Day (and Ever)

Only two more days until we see which team wins the Superb Owl.

— Gerald So (@g_so) February 1, 2013

THE BIG BANG THEORY: "The Cooper/Kripke Inversion"

As its cast has grown, some episodes of The Big Bang Theory haven't balanced the characters' screen time. Last night's episode was well balanced and showed Sheldon had come far in six seasons.

The university decided Sheldon and Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie) should work together on a proposal for a fusion reactor. Sheldon balked at the idea of working with one of his enemies, but also admitted to the gang that Kripke's research was better. For his part, Kripke saw potential in Sheldon's ideas but assumed he wasn't at the top of his game because his relationship with Amy was further along than it was. Rather than admit inferiority in front of Kripke, Sheldon simply went along with the assumption.

Meanwhile, Raj and Howard ordered custom-made action figures of themselves, but Leonard had the good sense to pass. When the figures weren't as either of them hoped, Raj and Howard decided to improve them with a 3-D printer. Howard's free spending gave Bernadette an angle into the episode.

Finally, Penny asked about the state of Sheldon and Amy's relationship. Sheldon conceded he was "quite fond of Amy" and the relationship could get physical someday, leaving Penny agape with excitement.