Male

57

See my homepage: davidfcooper dot com

My co-author Beth Rosenberg and I are writing I Am My Beloved's, a collection of interviews and photographs of Jewish-American couples that explores the intersection of each couple's identities as a couple and as Jews and will reflect the diversity of the Jewish-American community. My translation of Israeli poet Rachel Eshed's book Little Promises is published in a bilingual edition by Mayapple Press. In its Hebrew original, this collection of intense erotic poetry won the 1992 AKUM prize in Israel. My translation of one of the poems in Little Promises was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Novelist Tsipi Keller says , "It is hard to speak of Rachel Eshed's poetry without mentioning 'fire' : her poems virtually burn on the page, and David Cooper's renditions not only do justice to the the original but magnify its richness." Download pdf files of my two poetry collections, Glued To The Sky and JFK: Lines of Fire (PulpBits, 2003) on my website.

NAME: David

SEX: Male

LIVING ARRANGEMENT: married 27 years, no kids, one cat

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OUIJA BOARDS: It worked for James Merrill

YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW: comedy: Curb Your Enthusiasm, drama: Six Feet Under.

WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD: I use a laptop.

FAVORITE BOARD GAME: I don't play board games

FAVORITE SMELLS: vaginal fluid, fried onions & garlic, freshly baked bread, honeysuckle blossoms, gasoline.

WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD: having to answer to a boss from hell; having to perform tasks for which I have no aptitude and which highlight my shortcomings at the expense of my talents.

BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD: being on vacation with my wife

FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK(S): "Let's Get Lost" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley"

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OR THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE IN THE MORNING: Weekdays: What time is it? Can I sleep another hour? Weekends: Is my wife still in bed? Will she be receptive to my advances?

DO YOU GET MOTION SICKNESS: yes!

ROLLER COASTERS-SCARY OR EXCITING: scary

PEN OR PENCIL: laptop

HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE: four

FUTURE SON'S NAME: not applicable

FUTURE DAUGHTER'S NAME: not applicable

FAVORITE FOOD: dried dates and figs

FAVORITE COUSINE: South Asian (Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan)

DO YOU GET ALONG WITH YOUR PARENTS: dad, usually; mom, depends...

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA: Rice Dream or Tofutti: vanilla; candy: white chocolate.

FAVORITE ICE CREAM: see above

FAVORITE DESSERT: fresh fruit.

CROUTONS OR BACON BITS: Low sodium croutons (I'm a kosher vegetarian and on a low sodium diet) .

DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE: No, it hurts my back.

DO YOU SLEEP WITH STUFFED ANIMALS: No

STORMS - COOL OR SCARY: amazing

WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR: Citroen GSA Pallas (nickname: Athena)

IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE: Buddy Bolden, just to hear him play.

FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK: single malt scotch (I was never much of a drinker and now abstain for medical reasons).

WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE POEM: Basil Bunting's "Chomei At Toyama"

DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI: yes

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED, WHAT WOULD IT BE: I don't have or want a job (poetry is a calling, not a job; I wish I had a secretary/agent to handle the clerical/business aspects)

IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD IT BE: Not

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE: yes, still am

WHAT IS ON YOUR WALLS IN YOUR ROOM: My wife's paintings

IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL: I don't do things in half measures

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK: Paul Auster's "The Invention of Solitude" (especially the first half)

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): "A Thousand Clowns," "Memories of Underdevelopment," "American Splendor," and Henry Jaglom's "Deja Vu"

FAVORITE PAINTER: Richard Diebenkorn

FAVORITE COMPOSER: Charles Mingus

ARE YOU A LEFTY, RIGHTY OR AMBIDEXTROUS: hands: righty, eyes: lefty

DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS: yes

IF YOU COULD BE ONE GARDENING TOOL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE: A spade

WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED: drawers filled with clothing

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER: pi

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR: a public transportation system that will render cars obsolete

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH: Basketball (when Knicks/Liberty don't collapse in final minutes)

SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON(S) WHO SENT THIS TO YOU: My sister is loyal, conscientious, funny, & has a strong moral compass.

PERSON YOU SENT THIS TO WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND: My wife; she's too busy.

I haven't done any salaried work for fifteen years (besides writing and translating poetry I manage our investments and until recently was the president of our co-op). Although I'm a shy, quiet, and at times withdrawn introvert, I make friends easily and bond to others quickly. I ran into a classmate from high school who remembered me as a class wit and there's a fair amount of humor in my poems, most of which tend to be narrative & dramatic rather than lyrical.

<P>In recent years I've been afflicted with lymphedema in my left leg. In May 2000 I injured the right leg and now have the condition in that leg too, though not as bad as the left. Walking is good for my condition but for sedentary activities I must recline & keep my feet elevated higher than my heart. This precludes my attending the theater, concerts, or live sporting events. Lymphedema occurs when the lymphatic system is unable to adequately drain lymph fluid from an effected limb. The lymphatic system functions parallel to the blood circulatory system--blood brings nutrients to the parts of the body and the lymph removes waste. Whereas the blood moves in a complete circuit the lymph system entails numerous culs de sac. Thus when drainage is inadequate the effected limb swells--in my case the legs, particularly my ankles. Whatever the precipitating trauma, scientists now believe that the underlying cause is a genetic defect because of which the body is unable to repair and regenerate lymph vessels. The MD who first diagnosed the condition told me to wear a knee high compression stocking in the daytime, to keep my feet elevated whenever possible, and that there was nothing further to be done. In autumn 1999 I learned that there are indeed treatments available and in December 1999 underwent three weeks of intensive therapy; I've had follow up therapy during the summers of 2000, 2001 and 2002. Since my first treatment I have been continuing a time consuming maintenance regimen which includes keeping to a low fat, very low sodium diet, sleeping in a soft cast with velcro straps that I can tighten to the correct degree of compression, wearing thigh high compression stockings in the daytime, showering in the evening before putting on the cast, performing a form of gentle self-massage to open the lymph vessels, prescribed breathing and floor exercises wearing the cast before going to bed at night, and repeating the exercises in the morning (to extend the life of the cast I now do the exercises in my compression stockings). I usually eat breakfast before exercising--it's well into the morning before I can actually start my day. Performing the evening part of the regimen precludes going out at night and has curtailed our social life somewhat. Swimming, walking, and cycling are very good for this condition and in April 2000 I purchased an off-peak membership at the local YMCA (I had to swipe in before 3 pm) so I could swim and work out there, which killed much of the middle of the day; I gave up my membership in 2009 and now exercise at home. All of this has resulted in a noticeable reduction in the swelling, but leaves me less free time. I'm supposed to avoid standing or sitting still and to keep my feet elevated higher than my heart except when walking or otherwise engaging my calf muscles; I've tried using a laptop while laying flat on my back with my feet elevated on pillows, but that led to neck problems, so I have to do sedentary work sitting upright. Travel is very difficult. Flying is contraindicated because changes in cabin pressure can adversely affect my condition. I can drive, but cannot drive long distances for consecutive days without seeing a noticeable increase in my edema. Train travel is more manageable. At one time I subscribed to a lymphedema listserve which sent me 30-50 emails per day from others with the same condition as well as therapists; the information was very useful & I tried to share what knowledge I have acquired with others, but it was too very time consuming. I still have a rather mild, barely noticeable form of lymphedema and my goal is to arrest the condition in its present state and keep it from becoming severely debilitating and indeed dangerous. The body's inability to efficiently remove toxins also weakens the immune system. In addition to grotesque swelling, people who have advanced stages of lymphedema are prone to repeated infections which are very slow to heal--some must even take antibiotics every day for the rest of their lives. The worst cases develop into elephantiasis. The good news is that scientists have identified the culprit gene and have produced a genetically engineered remedy that cures lymphedema in mice and rabbits.

For someone who doesn't hold a paying job time has become a very precious commodity. In addition to caring for my body I must still perform my duties as president of our co-op apartment building, keep an eye on our investments, research poetry markets & send my manuscripts to editors (not to mention actually writing!), shoot slides of Shosh's paintings and send digital copies to on-line galleries and contests. For me poetry is the product of idleness; in order to write I must have large blocks of time with nothing else to distract me or demand my attention, and as a consequence I have not written in a long time. Moreover, poetry writing is a solitary activity. My therapeutic regimen is also solitary and frankly fills my quota of solitude. My current writing has shifted to journalism; I compiling a collection of interviews of Jewish-American couples who discuss their marriages, their Jewish identity, and how the two interact and overlap. I also cover the NY Jewish culture beat for examiner dot come. I am very active in social media links to which can be found on my Google profile where my user name is bklnpoet.