I have been periodically resolving that clerkmanifesto is a grand plan. And though for many of its formative years it hewed to a strict written format, it almost immediately wandered into every subject my mind is capable of touching on. Then, at some point, it irreversibly ventured into images, and at this point, it wanders the universe at will: video, VR, time travel, and so on. And just look where it is now. Floating in space.  Just like you. As you might know, my current obsession is with setting poems to music. Though I probably have something close to twenty songs painst ..read more

  It was an absolute pleasure to work with Walt Whitman! He is a beautiful writer, a very positive person, and a charming collaborator. I don't know what he thought of working with me because he is dead. In what is just one of several downsides to being dead, the dead belong to us. Which I suppose makes me sort of a grave robber, but the good kind! The kind doing important anthropological research into the evolution of people. Or their stagnation. Or whatever. Today, finally, I have a poem set to music, with serviceable, appropriate imagery I shot down by the river. Down by th ..read more

In a bit of bombshell news, in a week full of bombshell news, it has come to my attention that one of the most universally beloved of all my co-workers is taking another job at the County. This long-time library co-worker, who is an absolute delight to work with, has found a job in the county that pays her more fairly and even lets her work sometimes at home! So, uh, good for her. I guess. Whatever. I can take it. I've been here before. It's a trail of broken tears around here. The bad people go and become hilarious anecdotes, the good people go and leave their misty little scars, and he ..read more

Momentarily we will return to our all poetry format, wherein I post YouTube videos here I have made of famous poetry set to music, and then crudely crafted into music videos. These are magnificently popular among my poetry-starved readers.  I mean, they would be if I had any poetry-starved readers.  Oddly the whole world is kind of topped-up on poetry right now, but can't get enough pool-cleaning videos. No judgment. But this brings me to the point of today's missive: You have to know your audience! For instance, ten minutes ago at the front desk of my library, a patron came up ..read more

Out at the front desk of my library, where I have worked for nearly 30 years, I face the blank slate of an hour at the library once again. Will anyone visit? Might they check out some exciting bits of literature? Will someone require a new library card? Will there be a wacky question? Will any wild animals walk in? Will the police be called? Will a small child with pictures of strawberries on her coat drop by to stare at me? Will two teens awkwardly greet each other and hug sideways. Will someone in a peach cardigan and a bright green bag check out two books in a hurry at the self-checkout ..read more

  For many years the main sport we followed here at clerkmanifesto was soccer. And though I tried to keep my soccer commentary on a back channel, one inclined to the research (it's never happened before, but it's always possible) could surely pull out and read through many dozens of soccer themed posts from my history of essays.  And it has been irresistible to write about it a little: Soccer is a rich, complicated, beautiful game, flowing in wild narratives, and full of amazing insights into life itself. Unfortunately, and I say this with real reluctance, soccer is also stupid ..read more

  Today in poetry corner we are featuring a nineteenth century Irish poem about wee men, by William Allingham, called "The Faeries". It's about little faerie men! But it's kind of a classic dark fairy tale, so those of you troubled by such creepy themes of children in peril and people tormented for digging up thorn bushes may want to steer clear today.  Though I was not specifically familiar with this poem, its influence courses through some of my favorite more contemporary fantasy. It can be found lurking fiercely in the best work of Terry Pratchett, and is referenced in "Charli ..read more

  Following, as I do, the workings of our increasingly broken legal system, and, of course, the absurd slow-walking of the endless array of Trump trials, I had, this very morning, an epiphany: Justice, for the regular person of no means, or of modest means, or even of adequate means, in this country, is as simple as moving from point A to point B. Steps may be missed, the process may be hurried, but the key thing is always that going from A to B. Justice for the rich and powerful and their interests in this country uses the very same system, with one essential difference- it ever g ..read more

  Running a famous Internet blog like clerkmanifesto is a source of tremendous interest for people. Nearly everyone I meet is full of questions about me and about clerkmanifesto. Just the other day an old friend was in town visiting my darling wife and I, and, though I didn't mention my blog because I knew that's all we'd be talking about for hours, my friend couldn't resist asking: "What have you been up to lately?" "Oh, I'm up to this and that." I said, more or less. Then she talked about her friend who was gored by a buffalo. Fair enough. But I know that lots of you out there ..read more

  Just beyond our entrance security gates, we have a large, canvas bin for people to put their library donations in. I like to wander over from the desk during a slow moment and see what the cat dragged in. Sometimes there is some fun stuff in there and sometimes it's just junk. Tonight it's just junk. It is full nearly to the top with old cookbooks. None are old enough to be interesting, none are new enough to be worth looking at, and none are unique or well-made enough to defy their listless, generic, washed-out time period.  I almost cried out "What a bunch of junk!" But there ..read more