Just had a baby, my first, 7 months ago. Which explains in part my long absence from Twitter. Here's Michael.

Just read the new issue of Poetry magazine and actually understood a couple of the poems. That's just...weird.

If Gravity Was Set in IKEA, It Would Look Like This slate.com/blogs/browbeat… via Slate

I read all five of the Nat'l Book Award final choices. All good, none great. James Salter's new novel, All That Is, tops 'em all.

Mary Szybist's Incarnadine: lovely. Great choice for National Book Award.

Got up this morning, made coffee, opened presents with my new son, Michael, then read my favorite Christmas poem, Thomas Hardy's, "The Oxen"

A line from my forthcoming book of poems, Imperial: "Ere dawn he strode o'er the verdant meads o'er dewy lawns." OK, maybe cut "dewy"?

Under the heading of "Deep Thoughts": shouldn't Lance Armstrong really be named Lance Legstrong? Why has no one addressed this?

Dorianne Laux says my new book of poems, Imperial, "scans the past for clues of how best to navigate the future." Sounds about right!

My infant son watches me have an amazing poetry day. m.youtube.com/watch?v=bFwspj…

"Never explain. Your reader is as smart as you are." -Basil Bunting

I didn't know you had to throw out fake trees after Christmas.

Here's Garrison Keillor reading from my new book of poems, Imperial: writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date…

This seems like an appropriate poem for this frozen day: writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date…

I'm reading from my new book, Imperial, Tuesday, Feb 4, at Cleveland's Market Garden Brewery. 7pm. Here's a sample: writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date…

3rd quarter. Call me crazy but I still think my Browns can pull this one out.

Given the weather all over the country, this seems appropriate: writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date…

Poet Elton Glaser on my new book, Imperial: "Bilgere has the perfect pacing and wicked aplomb of a comic raconteur."

Here's Guy Noir himself today on The Writer's Almanac: writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date…

Our hearts go out to the people of Norway today after that murderous and insane shooting.