Honors for Ed

Ed Ochester

Ed Ochester's "Voltaire at Cirey, 1736" is included in "The Best American Poetry 2007."

Scribner will publish the collection next month.

Ochester's work is from his latest release, "Unreconstructed: Poems Selected and New," a recently published title from Pittsburgh's Autumn House Press.

The poet is the longtime editor of the Pitt Poetry Series of the University of Pittsburgh Press, which earlier this year released its anthology marking 40 years of publishing poetry, "American Poetry Now." Ochester was the editor.

Ochester retired several years ago as professor of English at Pitt, but continues to be co-editor with Judith Vollmer of 5 am, a poetry quarterly. Its latest edition is on newsstands and can be viewed at 5ampoetry.com.

Contributors include Micki Myers, Alicia Ostriker, Mike Schneider and Michael Estabrook.

The New Yinzer's new edition is also off the press -- or whatever you call digital publishing. The Web address is newyinzer.com.

Of interest in this production is John Schulman's portfolio of high school wrestling photos, poem by Denise Duhamel and comic by Paulette Poullet.

Kerouac, redux

Reaction to the Aug. 19 articles in the Post-Gazette on Jack Kerouac and the 50th anniversary of his novel "On The Road" showed that Kerouac's reputation endures.

Now there's news that a film of the classic Beat manifesto is under consideration by the director of "The Motorcycle Diaries," Brazilian Walter Salles. Francis Ford Coppola is the producer.

Casting remains unannounced.

And, if you're in Kerouac's hometown of Lowell, Mass., Sept. 9, the New England Orchestra will play a program of music "inspired" by the writer. Earlier this year, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell granted him an honorary degree.

Kerouac, who died in 1969 in Florida, was a Columbia University dropout.

Another note from "On the Road":

Quantum Theatre's latest production is an adaptation of the classic French bildungsroman, "Le Grand Meaulnes," staged brilliantly at Hartwood Acres' stables this month.

Kerouac knew the book, or at least he stole it, but it seems he never finished it:

"I had a book with me I stole from a Hollywood stall, 'Le Grand Meaulnes' by Alain-Fournier, but I preferred reading the American landscape as we went along."