Well, friends, it all comes down to this (week). I have exactly 72(!)
hours before I have to turn in a copy of my thesis to my thesis  
advisor and readers. And since every creative ounce of my soul has  
been sucked out and dropped into my book, I have decided that the  
best thing to do for you--in lieu of an actual blog entry--is a poem.  
Poetry--as many of you know--is the long way to say I love you or I'm  
sorry or actually, I kind of made out with your cousin but it didn't  
really count because we were on a cruise ship. So here is a poem I've  
crafted for all of you entitled "A Modest Plea," which will probably  
be set for publication in the Paris Review sometime in early 2010.  
I'll return to twice a week ramblings next week.

A Modest Plea
By Kevin Alexander
Dedicated to: My Thesis.

Why, when I write
You, do you not sound better?
Are you Mad at
Me? Is it because
I called you Thinly Veiled
Pseudo-Clever
And At Some Points
Rambling?
Or Superficial, Lame and
Filled With
Grammatical Issues?
I apologize.
I didn't mean those things
I was just trying
  to be
self-deprecating
in front of that chick.
This Week
If you don't mind
it would be cool if
You got, like,
Good?
But Seriously
No Pressure

Even if I can't comment on them, your comments are keeping me half-
way sane.
1988 endures.

Got to have,
Faith

George Michael