Confession Tuesday
Tomorrow would have been my 9th wedding anniversary. I’m in a much better place than I was last year. And I was smart enough to schedule a reading at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, so I will be thoroughly distracted by something that brings me pure joy—speaking in front of students. My thanks to Jacqueline Jones LaMon for inviting me to the program (and for looking out for me).
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Have you ever read poems in front of your coworkers? Yesterday, I read two poems from Underlife at our employee “town meeting.” I was the last person on stage—that’s right, the only person keeping 300 people from the refreshments in the lobby. The reading went well, but it’s weird reading my poems in front of people I see five days a week. Much easier to read in front of strangers.
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This weekend, I’m all over the Salem Lit Fest. I’m excited to attend many of the events during the festival, as well as be a participant. Special thanks to Jennifer Jean for setting up our poetry panel (Life of a Poem) and reading (Poets in the Round), also for hosting us tonight at her house for a rehearsal. When our little group gets together, mayhem ensues.
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Last year: famine. This year: feast!
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To-do list:
- Finish one of the two fellowship applications I’m applying for (Ugh).
- Write two poems
- Submit poems to two publications
- Revise Misery Islands long poem/Tinker with second manuscript
- Update blog (read: makeover)
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If you're on Twitter, let's get "poetry" to trend today. Use the hashtag #poettues, which is Robert Lee Brewer's tag for his Poetry Tuesday convesations. Heck, if "Oompa Loompa" can trend, let's give poetry a shot.
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Life is good. Happy Tuesday, everyone!
Comments
have fun at the festival! I'm hoping to make it to my first NC Poetry Society meeting even though I've been a member for at least two years. Getting out on Saturday's is hard for me. I like to sleeeeep.
It would be really strange to read in front of co-workers, although probably not as bad at a university as say at my old insurance job :)
I've never read in front of coworkers--but it's always fun to read for friends and family (sometimes you see a look on their faces of, "A-ha! That's what she does!").
I've not read my poems in front of my parents yet, but I have read ones about my kids with them in the audience. I like showing them what I do when I'm away from home.
I do know some poets who read poetry in the workplace as a way of fostering community. Some have even made a business out of it.