Site of the week: Reading a poem, or listening to one, gives your world view a different frame for hours to come – even days, perhaps. Hearing a poet read his or her own work is the best possible choice, equivalent to sitting at the elbow of a painter working on a canvas. You can download all kinds of podcasts of poets reading their work at poetrymagazine.org; the site also has resources for further exploration of poetry.
Watch this Web video: Apropos of nothing, except perhaps the recent release of “The U.S. vs. John Lennon” on DVD, we thought it was worth a look back at a one-off band Lennon put together for the Rolling Stones’ 1968 “Rock and Roll Circus” TV special. First we get some goofy banter between Lennon and host Mick Jagger, and then a roaring take on the Beatles’ “Yer Blues” with Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and others. Truly an amazing piece of musical history, at youtube.com/watch?v=LAjdRHzH4M8.
-Michael Booth
