Sunday, November 4, 2018

So THIS Happened!

 
So many fun and wondrous things happened recently, and I wanted to share them before they slipped away into the Holidaze!

A couple of Sundays ago, I was astonished to find my friend and NightBallet Press poet Andy Roberts reading his poetry on television! The reading was from 2014, and I thought it might be a one-time thing. But another Ohioana show was on this morning's television. If you want to check it out, it's WVIZ/PBS/Ohio Channel.





I had the pleasure of traveling with John Burroughs to hear Concrete Wink read in Mansfield in October -- Concrete Wink is Rikki Santer, Chuck Salmons, and Sandy Feen, all from the Columbus, Ohio area -- and they were fabulous! The poets displayed their wares, and it made my heart bubble with delight to see all the NBP books included. Rikki has a new book just out from Crisis Chronicles Press, Dodge, Tuck, Roll. The event was held at Main Street Books, hosted by the lovely Llalan. We all had a wonderful after-party at Cypress Hill Winery.


During the course of the reading, Sandra Feen surprised me with a gorgeous bouquet of fall flowers as thanks for the book I released for her that day -- Fragile Capacities. My heart was truly touched by her kind words and generous gesture.


 


Then it was back to work at the press. These packages, mostly for subscribers to NightBallet Press, were mailed Friday. Another large package went out Saturday.


But I've found time to write, too! I have two poems in The Main Street Rag: "Grand Reflections" and "When You Read the Poems of the Dead." Many thanks to editor M. Scott Douglass for publishing my work.



And I have three poems, "This Can't Be Oklahoma," "Seeing Jim Morrison in Giant Eagle on the First Day of Autumn," and "Finding Myself Inside a Quentin Tarantino Movie in Cleveland at Four O' Clock in the Afternoon" in this gorgeous journal, Gasconade #3 - Gas Station Famous. It was just published, and I don't even have my contributor's copy yet. I can't wait to get my hands on it! Much gratitude to John Dorsey and Jason Ryberg for the honor and privilege to be a part of it!

I found time to do one more (sneaky) thing...I hand painted and lovingly detailed a "Day of the Dead" box for my husband James. It wasn't easy to surprise him, with him being around all the time, but I managed to keep it from him until November 1st. I painted the inside of the box with Glow-in-the-Dark paint, and added glitter. Oh, and it lights up, too.


October was a great month, filled with happy moments, good friends, and loved ones. Thank you, each of you, all of you, who were a part of it in any way. Big hug! Now, on to the Holidaze!