WXRT in Chicago (and at www.93xrt.com) is suspending regular programming tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (central time) to play any song you want (if it's under 5 1/2 minutes and within FCC regulations) if you donate $100 or more to the American Red Cross.

Here's the skinny

Hey California--Mark your calendars!

PRODIGAL POETS RETURN TO CALIFORNIA
Victor D. Infante and Lea C. Deschenes, mainstays of the Orange County and Long Beach poetry scenes until their 2001 relocation to New England, will be making multiple readings in California in January.

Lea C. Deschenes’ poetry has appeared internationally. A former member of four National Poetry Slam teams and a coach to two more, she also dusts off her BA in Theater to perform. She is a 2004 winner of the Jacob Knight Award and the Worcester, MA, representative to the Individual World Poetry Slam 2005. Her most recent book is “Banjo Variations.” Her Web site is [link]

Victor D. Infante works as an editor and freelance journalist. Before moving east, he co-ran many of Southern California’s most prominent poetry readings, including “The Near Infamous” Poetry-On-Thursdays at the Java Garden in Huntington Beach, “The Big Damn Poetry Slam” at the Blue Café in Long Beach, and was one of the founding members of the Five Penny Poets/Tebot Bach Poetry Series. He is a 2004 winner of the Jacob Knight Award, and is currently finishing his first novel, “Nihilist Chic.” His most recent poetry collection is “Warhol Days.” His Web site is [link]

DATES:

Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 8 p.m.
“Redondo Poets” at The Coffee Cartel,
1820 Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach;
(310) 316-6554

Wednesday, January 26, 2005, 7 p.m.
“Two Idiots Peddling Poetry” at The Ugly Mug,
261 N. Glassel, Orange;
(714) 997-5610
$2.00 cover

Monday, January 31, 2005, 7 p.m.
With a Local Feature
Poetry Express at Priya Restaurant,
2072 San Pablo Avenue (near University Ave.),
Berkely, CA

Tuesday, February 1, 2005, 9 p.m.
The Cobalt Cafe
22047 Sherman Way, Canoga Park
(818) 348-3789

Marti Noxon gives an interview mostly about Point Pleasant in the New York Times. (http://www.bugmenot.com for password.)

Q. "Point Pleasant" is scheduled to run opposite "CSI" on Thursday nights at 9 Eastern time. Yikes?

A. Yeah. I wish we had the magical, golden time slot of success. But the question is whether you want to be in Siberia, or whether you want to be on one of those nights when people are actually flipping around checking stuff out. I hope it means that they'll let us stay on for a while knowing we're not going to do huge, splashy numbers right away. That's how I tell myself it will be all right.

I finally checked email and found that The Nation is looking for a full-time web editor. Sorry if this is a duplication! If anyone would like me to forward the announcement, just email my profile address.

Free to a good home: one gently used VHS copy of Gone With the Wind. Got the DVD for Christmas. Profile address is good if anyone wants it.

Also free to a good home: DVD set of the A&E Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth. I got the special edition t cough last Christmas, but am just now trying to organize my books and DVDs a little better. Email profile address.

ETA--that didn't take long! It's claimed.

Kristen, Maya, and I are throwing a huge LOST party in LA to celebrate the LOST fandom and the creative team behine the show.

Proceeds will benefit the Children's Defense Fund of California.

More info is available here: Destination: LA

If you have a paid Livejournal account, you can get two weeks' extension on your paid time to make up for the great LJ blackout of 2005: [link]