Category Archives: Reading

Publications & Reviews & Readings… Oh My!

I just read the last words of this post’s title in George Takei’s voice rather than as the end of “lions and tigers and bears” from The Wizard of Oz, and I’m loving the collision of pop culture references that’s happening in my head!

The last couple of months have been a busy blur, not always in the best ways, but sometimes in wonderful ways. Here are some poetry highlights…

Courtney LeBLanc came to town in September, and I got to read with her at the CHE Cafe! What a brilliant poet, and what a wonderful space!

At the end of September, I hosted PLNU’s 25th Annual Poetry Day. I had the idea to have an ensemble reading of 25 poets for this special occasion, and we pulled it off! San Diego poets and a few guests from LA turned out for this incredible event, and we filled the auditorium. People stayed around talking for a long time afterwards too, and that’s how I know it was a good time. The whole evening felt magical.

In October I was a featured reader for Hafez Day in San Diego alongside some incredible poets. I chose the poems I read that night using Hafez divination: I opened the book of poems and let the lines I landed on point me toward which of my poems I should read. (I loved this! I need to let Hafez choose poems for me more often). This was such a beautiful night of poetry by a gorgeous variety of people.

Jennifer Pollock Michel interviewed me about Hereverent alongside Heather Lanier for The Englewood Review of Books podcast.

My poem “Who Is Like God?” was published in the latest issue of The WIndhover!

Psaltery & Lyre published Jennifer A. Sutherland’s incredibly thoughtful review of Hereverent last week.

The grad students in my Editing & Publishing course in PLNU’s new MA in Writing program are creating a new online literary journal that focuses on longform work, and it’s amazing: Last Syllable. I’m so proud of the work they’re doing. They’ve already had their first reading period and chosen work for the first two issues, and the first issue will be out in December!

I’ve also gotten to be a guest at a poetry salon, attend some delightful readings, receive a couple of exciting acceptances… and I made some fun arrangements that involve licensing “This Poem Is about Dinosaurs” (my Jeff Goldblum poem). More info on that coming soon!

May Readings!

May found me finishing the semester, celebrating a milestone birthday, and giving more poetry readings!

May 5: Getting to do a First Fridays reading at San Diego Writers, Ink with my dear friends Margarita Pintado Burgos and Eddie Matthews on the night before my birthday was delightful all around! And Kristen Fogle, Executive Director of SDWI, even brought a birthday cake for me.

May 13: Kevin Kearney invited me into this wildly fun Small Press Nite reading at The Book Catapult with Ana Carrete, D.T. Robbins, Kyle Seibel, and KKUURRTT! I’d never met any of them before, and each one of them made me laugh so much!

May 16: Headlining at Poets Underground was almost too much fun. I brought out the weird stuff and did some audience participation pieces. I love this speakeasy-style venue, and I love the open-hearted open mic that followed my set.

Hereverent Launches!

Hereverent has been thoroughly and lovingly launched!

My poetry & jazz book launch was fantastic on April 20 at PLNU. We had poetry, music, drinks, and dessert in this little parlor that makes me feel like a wealthy great aunt has invited me to tea. 😁 I’m so grateful to Brenda Martin for her gorgeous music and her fun improv collaborations! (And thanks to Emma McCoy for the photo!)

Then my virtual book launch for Hereverent on April 21 was also lovely. What a gift to hear poets I adore read my poems alongside theirs. I’m so grateful to Agape Editions for publishing and celebrating my book! ❤️ (And thanks to Nicelle Davis for this shot!)

Finally in this countdown to launch, 15 of my favorite local poets read with me in my church’s sanctuary this past Saturday night, and I brought my favorite brownies (a recipe from my beloved dissertation advisor, Marthe Reed), and many more dear friends and delightful people came to celebrate my new book too. (And thanks to Margarita Pintado for this picture!)

My heart is full. Thank you to all who read with me, attended, and made these events possible!

Launching Hereverent!

My first two launch events for Hereverent have been announced!

My publisher is throwing me a virtual launch on April 21 that will be part of the Favorite Poems series! Each poet will read a favorite poem or two from my new book in addition to work of their own. Join me with Fox Henry Frazier, Diane Glancy, Charles Jensen, Tania Runyan, Nicelle Davis, Jen Grace Stewart, Charnell Peters, and Jane Muschenetz!

Register in advance at this link.

And if you’re in San Diego, you can join me in person for a very special Poetry & Jazz book launch celebration on April 20 at 3 p.m. in Cooper Music Parlor at PLNU. I’ll read poems, my friend Brenda will do some jazz piano improvisation in response, and we’ll have dessert! I can’t wait!

In the mean time, you can still pre-order Hereverent! The book officially drops on April 3.

First Friday and WNP

I’ve been sleep deprived and scrambling to finish course prep after what felt like the shortest winter break ever, but somehow I still got to be involved in two poetry readings within the past week, and those were life giving.

The First Friday reading at San Diego Writers, Ink last week was delightful! What a joy to see some faces I didn’t expect to see and to read from How to Play alongside Jane Muschenetz, who read from her forthcoming chapbook and ended with having everyone raise some sparkling cider, and pinch-hitting poet Jill Hall, who stepped in at the last minute to fill in for our sick scheduled reader. Thanks to Tania Pryputniewicz for organizing such a wonderful event and to Kristen Fogle for hosting! (And thanks to Jenn Givhan and Ann Tweedy for sending photos of me!)

And tonight I was part of a virtual event: Wednesday Night Poetry featured Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology, and I was one of the readers representing the anthology. The other featured poems were incredible. I can’t wait to hold a copy of this book in my hands! Thanks to host Kai Coggin for featuring us!

Simultánea, Play Forever: A Celebratory Reading!

On Oct. 1, Margarita Pintado, Emma McCoy, and I had a wonderful time celebrating our new poetry collections with a virtual reading for a lovely audience that included folks from San Diego to Nairobi!

If you’d like to catch the recording of our reading, you can find it now on YouTube.

If you’d like to get copies of our collections, here are the links to purchase them:

Emma McCoy’s “In Case I Live Forever
Margarita Pintado’s “Simultánea, La Marea
Katie Manning’s “How to Play

Thanks for supporting poets and poetry!

A Celebratory Reading!

I had so much fun reading with these amazing poets in person a couple weeks ago, and so many people from all over told us they wished they could be there, so I’ve asked Margarita Pintado and Emma McCoy to join me for a virtual celebration! We’d love for you to join us on Zoom this Saturday, Oct. 1, at 10 a.m. Pacific. Grab your beverage of choice and let us read to you from our new poetry collections. Register at this link.

Glen Workshop, La Playa Books, SDUT Festival of Books

The past month was full! We crammed in as much last-minute summer break fun as we could (and I’m still a bit sore from two nights of all-you-can-play laser tag) while also trying to prepare for the new semester. Last week was full of meetings, and this week we all started school again!

The end of July and the month of August still found me immersed in poetry though. Highlights include a week in Asheville at the Glen Workshop, where I took the lyric essay workshop with Molly McCully Brown and had so much fun with writer friends. It was especially fun to be there when Agape Editions announced that they’ll be publishing my second full-length poetry collection, Hereverent, in Spring 2023! These dear friends stole me away to celebrate…

Another highlight: a reading at my delightful little neighborhood bookshop, La Playa Books, with Leonora Simonovis and Karla Cordero…

Recent highlight: a full day at the poetry stage at the SD-UT Festival of Books, where I got to host the teen and young adult poets, including two of my rockstar students, Emma McCoy and Aliah Fabros, and also enjoy readings by several more incredible San Diego poets and friends.

I’m looking forward to more readings and good things coming soon. If you’re in San Diego, join Margarita Pintado, Emma McCoy, and me at PLNU for a joint poetry book release celebration in Colt Hall at 4:30 on Wednesday, Sept. 14! We’ll each be reading from our newly published poetry collections, and it’s going to be a fun time.

A Hundred Pitchers of Honey

Reading in Donna Vorreyer’s virtual series, A Hundred Pitchers of Honey, was such a delight this past Thursday evening! I shared some poems from How to Play, along with a couple of newer dinosaur poems, and I loved getting to hear my fellow readers–Fox Henry Frazier, Ann Hudson, and Steven Sanchez. Their incredible readings might’ve caused me to do some book buying immediately after…

If you’d like to relive the magic, the reading is now on YouTube! Grab a cold drink and imagine you’re with us in real time. 🙂