Poetry is Not a Luxury

When difficulties surface,                                                                                                                     
                                         body language tells all--                                                                 catches me                                                                                       in the act of being real and I wonder if          it's fair                                                                                                                                                     to call myself poet.                                                                                                                         Afterall, I should know how to share                                      space, make everything                              okay, but challenges come along, a risk to work together.  No small thing to share space,                                          communicate,  overlook frustrations--                         I should know                                                   how to do this--but I'm still learning. 

This Weekend in Kirkland--NW Book Festival

Count your blessings, I hear my mother say to me as I reflect on how I just spent the last few hours at the NW Book Festival in Kirkland. Count your blessings, she'd say to me, when my little girl pout meant I was disappointed with expectations that differed from reality. Count your blessing, she'd say, again and again, to remind me that there was an early morning windstorm that knocked out power, closed the 520 bridge and ripped off most of the yellow and orange leaves I wish could last longer. So, though I wish there had been more people to talk to about Cave Moon Press, and my poetry, my thanks to Doug and Tanya Johnson, with Cave Moon Press, for driving over to support me at the exhibit table. My gratitude to Debra Schneider, King County Library staff, for making sure people had tables, signage and meals they ordered....and thanks to the writers and friends of writers for showing up. Tomorrow is day-two of the festival and I'll return to participate in the 10:30 AM Poetry Panel along with poets Michael Dylan Welch and Laura Lee Bennet....more reasons to count my blessings!!

Free Public Panel on Poetry during NW Book Fest, Sunday, Nov. 3

Poetry Panel – Sunday, November 3, 10:30am Laura Lee Bennett, Denise Calvetti Michaels, Michael Dylan Welch Many fiction authors start out writing poetry, because the rhythm of the words and the need to be clear and concise provides an optimum training ground for longer work. Discover how these poets use the beauty of language to craft their work.

how to purchase RASP anthology, Here, There, and Everywhere

For complete information about the recent release of the RASP poety anthology, visit the website, http://www.raspread.com/poetryanthology.html#upcoming

poetry reading tonight--in Redmond

tonight--poetry reading to continue to celebrate the launch of RASP anthology, Here, There, and Everywhere-- to be held at 6 pm this evening at VALA Art Gallery located at 7303 164th Avenue NE, in the Redmond Town Center

NW Book Fest link

http://www.nwbookfest.com

my poem to appear spring, 2014, in Embroidered Stories: Interpreting Women's Domestic Needlework from the Italian Diaspora, University Press of Mississippi, edited by Edvige Giunta & Joseph Sciorra--grazie