All-Poetry, All-the-Time, or Why I’m Glad to Be Back in Seattle

Some things make you feel really feel like you’re back “home.” Like when the sun comes out in February, and you can see Mount Rainier (or a big full moon.) Like going over to your friend’s house for a poetry group meeting – a group that’s been meeting regularly for almost eight (nine?) years – and listening to your poet friend’s war stories and poems, hearing their good news and discouragements, shared over hot tea and plates of snacks. Like going back to a poetry reading series I used to help with – the SoulFood Books series – and seeing Lana and Michael. The guest poet last night was Tom C. Hunley, publisher of my first book. He’s a funny, laconic deliverer of poems. He also said that Becoming the Villainess is Steel Toe Books’ bestseller (Yay! that warmed my heart!) I’m also going to participate in another Seattle ritual tomorrow, and attend a poetry reading at Open Books – Mary Ruefle is in town!

All the socializing and poetry-izing is wearing me out, but in a good way. I feel like my life’s pace has quickened from the gradual, laconic heartbeat of California life to a caffeine-buzzed doubletime here in Seattle. More people to see, more stuff to do. It’s a poetry-stuffed town! In fact, I missed two readings this week already! But I wrote a new long poem, I sent out a few subs, I heard back from some lit mags, and Glenn is still dusting up his poetry submission database system we’ve been working on since December. (Much more thorough than my Excel spreadsheet, I can say that.) I also know I need to get on the ball and start booking readings for my new book this fall and next spring. If you feel like you’d love to have me come out to your conference or college, to read a bunch of poems about love, marriage, Japanese anime, etc, please let me know! I am feeling bashful about asking this time around, but I’m not sure why. The ARCs should be ready in a couple of months…it’s getting so close!