Uncategorized

What an incredible reading!  The room was so friendly and supportive. They have great mics too.  But really I am so grateful to get to be a part of Writers at Work and grateful to Terry Wolverton and all she brings as a writer and teacher. For this reading we all selected a writer that inspired us as writers. I chose Frank O’Hara as my inspiration and read Poem (Lana Turner has Collapsed) and Why I’m Not a Painter.  The reason I selected him was because his Lana Turner poem was the first I ever did a close read on, in my first creative writing class, in my twenties.  And kind of like so many firsts, I have been chasing that feeling ever since.  I read several of my own pieces… mostly love and relationship themes.  My wife and crew were there in the audience and it felt good to be a part of this queer historical event and to be among so many people I admire.

I was in Olympic Valley with some of the best poets alive.  What a feeling to be in the outfield waiting to catch a pop fly from Sharon Olds.  The borrowed glove. The surgical mask dropped. Victoria Chang in centerfield. I was always the kid chosen last for team sports. Here I could just join any team.  No rules! No strike outs!  Everyone cheers! We took home the silver pinecone an elf spray painted the day before. Second place felt great. It sits next to my bed and reminds me to just keep swinging.