If you need plans for Friday evening, join us virtually for this reading with The Writers Place! I’ll mostly be reading from 28,065 Nights (poems about/to my Granny) since it’s her birthday. ♥

Our Staff Celebration Reading yesterday was a bright spot in a dark time. I’m so thankful for these folks who work on Whale Road Review with me and who are such gifted writers themselves.

You can join us asynchronously and watch the reading on YouTube!

I’ve attended the Glen Workshop many times, so it was a special honor to return as faculty this summer. I was the writing retreat guide, and I spent a few hours each morning working on writing projects in the company of wonderful creative people.

A few of my writing retreat folks

There were too many highlights in the week to name them all, but one that stands out to me is the LOGOS poetry reading on Sunday night. It was co-sponsored by EcoTheo and hosted by Shann Ray, who created such a welcoming space. I loved reading alongside Phil Metres and Gabby Bates, and the audience conversation and Q&A times were more lovely than I can describe; the whole event had a beautiful earnestness about it.

My people

As always, my very favorite part of the week was spending time dear friends and making new ones. When I first attended the Glen ten years ago, I said that I felt like I’d found my people, and despite a lot of changes (location, schedule, leadership, etc.) over the last decade, that’s still true.

Last Monday, I was the featured poet at A Conversation with Jimmy and Friends. This weekly Zoom reading and conversation hosted by Jimmy Pappas is so fun! I loved presenting game poems and having the attendees ask questions and make observations back to me. In addition to sharing some poems from my How to Play chapbook, I also shared two game poems I love that were written by other poets: “Do Not Pass Go” by Jennifer H. Dracos-Tice (first published in Whale Road Review!) and “Queen Me” by Kelli Russell Agodon.