Today I received my copy of Dwarf Stars, an anthology of science fiction, fantasy and horror verse put together by Deborah P Kolodji to support the case for a new Rhysling category honoring the short-short poem. What a lovely gift! I was delighted to find it includes four poems that originally appeared in Astropoetica:

• “The Bright Arc Before Darkness,” by Christine Emmert
• “Ares Valles, 1997,” by Tim Jones
• “The Hidden Message,” by Michael Lohr
• “Thalassaa,” by Lee Clark Zumpe.

Debbie makes an elegant argument, and the poems themselves are powerful statements. I agree that it is often difficult is to judge a short poem against a longer one. Along that same line, though, I might say that it is difficult to compare any two excellent poems and judge one better than the other. They are so very different, in ways that go beyond a quasi-arbitrary line count. This is one of the reasons I have been perhaps unreasonably reluctant to nominate works for a Rhysling. I have certainly thought many poems in Astropoetica could stand amongst the nominees, but I am one of those neurotic, guilty types that equate choosing any single work akin to saying one has a favorite child.

Still, try to get your hands on a copy of Dwarf Stars, if you can. There’s good stuff there. If you’re not already a member of the SFPA, you could always try to win a copy in Debbie’s word puzzle poem contest.

The seventh annual Megaconference opens tomorrow. Speakers from all over the world will be sharing their latest real-world uses of H.323 videoconferencing. This year’s theme: “Increasing Empathy Through Video Conferencing.”

If you’re in Tallahassee, you can participate at FSU’s Digital Media Center in the basement of Strozier Library. Otherwise, I suggest you find a local participating point or visit the Megaconference site for a live stream.

I would urge you to look at the schedule in advance so you don’t miss anything. At 8:00am Associate Professor David McKinnon will be demonstrating the use of the Charles Sturt University Remote Telescope from Bathurst, Australia. You can be sure that I’ll be in the global audience for that one.

The Fall Issue of Astropoetica is now up, featuring:

• Star Wanderers, by Bruce Boston
• The Quantum Casino, by Karen A. Romanko and Robert A. Desharnais
• nova, by Greg Beatty
• Starsick, by Steve Klepetar
• stellar by no starlight, by Vance Roberts
• Mousing Mars, by Ann K. Schwader
• celestial highway, by Scott Virtes
• Mysterious Erupting Star (V838 Mon) [October], by Mary Cresswell
• Gravitate, by Philip Reyth
• Thermodynamics of Cooking Stone, by Cheryl Snell
• Why I am a Green Bank Fan, by Greg Beatty
• Perseids in August, by Arlene Ang
• Star Shark, by Ann K. Schwader
• Moon Union, by Pat Tompkins
• She lists, by Luke Frangione
• Solar Systemic Grammar, by Greg Beatty
• Camera c, by Linda Neuer
• The “Little Neutral One,” by John E. Gray
• a section of a pas de deux, by David Krump
• Covenant, by Greg Beatty
• The Unfinished Map of the Sky, by G. O. Clark
• What Happens to a Kuiper Body, by Greg Beatty
• Light-in-Chief of the Night, by Alexandru Conu
• Zenon’s Visions, by Adrian Sima
• Tonight, My Dead Friends, I Remember You, by N. M. Courtright
• The Drinking Gourd, by Jennifer Schimmrich
• In the World Where Time Moves Backward, by Steve Klepetar
• Is It Me, Or Is That You?, by T. E. GilChrist
• The Old Comet’s Last Road, by Dan Mitrut
• Seasonal Haiku, by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
• International Astropoetical Dialogues (6),
  by Alastair McBeath and Andrei Dorian Gheorghe

Happy Birthday, Morgan!

While we wait for the chorus of dancing Hoffs to take the stage, let me wish you and Yomoco a brilliant year full of inspired, sophisticated and standards-compliant design.

By the power of Orange, it shall be so.

I have just sent out the last of e-proofs for Astropoetica’ fall issue. If you’ve had poetry accepted here and have not heard from me today, it means your work is scheduled to appear in a later issue.

Barring catastrophe, the next issue should go live some time next week.

It has recently come to my attention that Google searches place an inordinate emphasis on my recent blog post entitled “Do You Speak Bocce?” — so much so that some might come here expecting a full linguistic treatise on the matter.

Alas, not so. I do not speak Bocce. Not Splocce, not Blocce, not Crocce.

However, the baby librarian in me insists on helping you in your quest to learn of all things Bocce. To that end, I offer links to the following:

Star Wars: the Musical has a marvelous musical number entitled “Do You Speak Bocce?,” which is simply not to be missed. Be sure to listen to the rest of musical, as One Season More, Docking Bay ‘94, and Let’s Blow This Thing are likewise destined for inclusion in the Star Wars canon.

Star Park: the Musical has a Flash animation of “Do You Speak Bocce.” I prefer their work on “Lets Blow This Thing,” but who says you have to choose?

According to Wookieepedia, you can read all about Bocce in Ben Burtt’s Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide: Beeps, Bleats, Boskas, and Other Common Intergalactic Verbiage (ISBN: 0345440749).

The Bocce/English dictionary on Star Wars Dot Com includes a number of choice Bocce words and phrases. From these samplings I might suspect that the Swedish Chef has been speaking Bocce all along. Zat x’ratch keezo bopaz ha sheep.

Finally, a Bocce reference can be found in the The Top 10 Things We Want To Hear Samuel L. Jackson’s Character Jedi Master Mace Wendu Say in the Star Wars Prequels:

“What” ain’t no planet I ever heard of! Do they speak Bocce on What?

Oh, how I wish my library would perform this one:

The Elements of Style Opera

Trawling Isotope’s sample archives, I found Jennifer Vanderhoof’s “Upon Changing a Tire in a Meteor Shower,” which reminds me to tell you that the Taurids are still in full swing. Don’t expect apocalyptic downpours, but apparently some of the more spectacular fireballs have been prompting UFO reports across Europe. According to meteor expert David Asher, we may be in a swarm year, so keep your eyes peeled.

No promises, though. If you go out and still miss all the fun, I offer instead Asher’s “The Meteor Predictor’s Limerick” from Astropoetica’s Winter 2005 issue.

This morning I thought I would pass along a press release from the competition, because 1) anything that’s good news for astropoetry is good news to me, and 2) I hope interested poets will also consider sending their work to Astropoetica when we reopen to submissions next year.

September 21, 2005 Press Release:
http://scienceandreligion.arizona.edu/poetry.html

The Astrobiology and the Sacred project announces a national poetry competition sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, the Metanexus Institute, and The University of Arizona.

Themes:

• How did life come to be on Earth?
• What is the future of life on Earth?
• Is there life elsewhere in the universe?
• How strange might life be beyond Earth?
• What would it mean if we were truly alone?
• Do art or ethics have a universal meaning?
• Would the discovery of aliens affect our self-image?
• Can we communicate with an alien intelligence?
• In what way is life in the universe sacred?

Awards:

FIRST PRIZE: $1,000 plus an invitation, including travel and lodging to read at The University of Arizona in the Astrobiology and the Sacred Lecture Series, and publication in Isotope: A Journal of Literary Nature and Science Writing.

SECOND PRIZE: $500

THIRD PRIZE: $250

Guidelines:

• Deadline: December 2, 2005
• One or more unpublished poems not to exceed 3 pages each on the theme of life in the universe
• Poems which have been previously published are not eligible
• Manuscripts must be typed. Author’s name, address, email address, and phone number should be printed on cover page only and not on the poems.
• No email or fax submissions.
• Winner will be notified in February 2006.
• Manuscripts will not be returned.
• To receive acknowledgment that your entry has been received, please send a stamped self-addressed postcard with your entry.
• Award notification will be sent by email.
• Student entries are encouraged.

Please send 3 copies of submission to:

The University of Arizona, Steward Observatory
Attn: Astrobiology and the Sacred Poetry Competition
933 N. Cherry Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85721

According to the latest NASA press release, astronomers have found evidence that Pluto has not one but three moons.

The burning question is, course, what will this mean for Deborah P. Kolodji’s lovely poem “Pluto Waltzes” found in Astropoetica’s solar system issue? I can’t have two new moons bungling up the dance.

Still… three moons. Sounds like overkill for a Kuiper Belt object. Think Pluto is insecure about all the insinuations that he is not a bona fide planet? Even after the IAU’s official statement on the issue?

Go figure.