Readings, Readings, Readings
This time last week I was heading home from a wonderful reading. That's the thing about New York, you can go to at least three great readings any night of the week -- or two great readings and one infuriating one depending on your taste. I have never been to a reading at NYU and since I had emailed the poet Kazim Ali and he had agreed to be the first participant in my great new blog initiative for National Poetry Month -- and he was reading there -- off I went in the pouring rain. Really, that says a lot about how awesome I think Kazim Ali is as a poet. There were eight readers in all...Kazim Ali read from The Far Mosque
and his upcoming book The Fortieth Day
and he mentioned his partner in the publishing company Nightboat Books, Jennifer Chapis, and she became the running joke of the evening. She is the author of the chapbook The Beekeeper's Departure
as well as the wife of the third reader of the evening, Josh Goldfaden who read from his book of short stories Human Resources
. It seems Jenn wasn't able to come to the reading, but she had a connection to almost everyone there. In fact, reader number 7, Gregory Pardlo even introduced himself as Jenn Chapis. And I had a good laugh! Other readers included Jacqueline Bishop who read from her book, The River's Song
, and Wendy Lee from her forthcoming novel, Happy Family
. There was also Joseph O. Legaspi who read from Imago
and Julia Lisella, who read from Terrain
. The aforementioned Gregory Pardlo read from his book Totem
. And last but not least, the Poet Laureate of South Carolina, Marjory Wentworth, read from Noticing Eden
and Despite Gravity. Everyone was fabulous...not a clinker in the bunch! It made me want to go to more readings -- even in the pouring rain.
Have you gone to any good readings lately? Where did you go? And do you know of any good ones coming up?
and his upcoming book The Fortieth Dayand he mentioned his partner in the publishing company Nightboat Books, Jennifer Chapis, and she became the running joke of the evening. She is the author of the chapbook The Beekeeper's Departure as well as the wife of the third reader of the evening, Josh Goldfaden who read from his book of short stories Human Resources. It seems Jenn wasn't able to come to the reading, but she had a connection to almost everyone there. In fact, reader number 7, Gregory Pardlo even introduced himself as Jenn Chapis. And I had a good laugh! Other readers included Jacqueline Bishop who read from her book, The River's Song, and Wendy Lee from her forthcoming novel, Happy Family. There was also Joseph O. Legaspi who read from Imago and Julia Lisella, who read from Terrain. The aforementioned Gregory Pardlo read from his book Totem. And last but not least, the Poet Laureate of South Carolina, Marjory Wentworth, read from Noticing Eden and Despite Gravity. Everyone was fabulous...not a clinker in the bunch! It made me want to go to more readings -- even in the pouring rain. Have you gone to any good readings lately? Where did you go? And do you know of any good ones coming up?
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