Dream of a Review of Astrometry Orgonon

This morning I dreamed I was in the process of writing/speaking a review of my friend Mark Lamoureux’s new book Astrometry Orgonon (BlazeVOX Books, 2008). It was a review for this blog but it was also a speech I was giving on the bus heading from Allston into Cambridge. The bus was moving through Lower Allston, where Mark used to live, and stopped near the Allston branch of the Boston Public Library, where I understood that I was to give my speech/review to those assembled on the bus. I spoke of Allston’s great indie rock tradition, stretching back into the late 60s, and the Velvet Underground were mentioned as well, as they played often in Boston, which is where Jonathan Richman befriended them. I’m not sure, but I imagine they must have played at clubs in Allston.

My words on the bus have disappeared by now, though I do recall it was late afternoon, the sun was coming through the windows lighting up all the passengers and I was standing in the aisle. At one point Mark may have been on the bus but he either got off or was merely a presence invoked by my words about his new book. It was an extemporaneous review and I don’t think I had a copy of the book with me. I spoke of it as a product of Allston, belonging to a long tradition of Allston poetics (?). I’ve read the book in an earlier manuscript form but have yet to buy a copy of this new edition. Excerpts from Astrometry Organon (the different spelling marks the older version) can be read at Dusie:


“Lonely stutterer with a serial
text of numbered screams,
luminous Braille of the city &
the corners of the city
where are written the names
of strangers in alien colors.
Books of debris & lost alcoves.”