Gianni Simone’s new Kairen, issues 10 and 11 are out. Highlights are Bernd Reichert, Theo Breuer, Guido Vermeulen and Carla Bertola’s mail art ABC’s on visual and text poetries, Michael Basinski, Geoffrey Huth, Keiichi Nakamura, Pete Spence. I don’t think David Baptist Chirot’s rubbing piece turned out well in this xerox format–though of course his work is always of interest as are his prose-poems on the act of creating his art. Oh yes, and Reed Altemus’ vispo tree in a high wind provides an interesting combination of sentimentality and collage. Misato Yarita’s essay “On Concrete and Visual Poetry” trans. by Kyoko Kanda is a good introduction to Japanese vispo. Laura Ryder’s poems include some great nude pix that serve as a good introduction to her anatomy.

My opinion about most of the usual suspects of American vispo is that they are, on the whole, woefully underinformed (read American-centric) concerning the richness of vispo in Europe, Asia and other countries. I believe that this problem has something to do with the American weather map that one sees on the evening news–nothing but the USA floating in the middle of the void. Hopefully Gianni’s effort will help remedy that situation.

Kairan
Gianni Simone
3-3-23 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama-shi
226-0027 Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Looking for submissions. Also, please make sure you contribute something to cover postage.

Gianni also produces an interesting zine about foreigners living in Japan.