Birdnote.org, etc.

Busy day in our country today, so I’m cheating a bit and just making announcements and reposting from elsewhere.

First, I have been meaning to tell you about two upcoming readings — as it is National Poetry Month, there are many, all over the place —

1. I’ll be reading at Edmonds Bookshop on Thursday, April 17, 6:30 p.m., with four other poets from David D. Horowitz’s Rose Alley Press; besides David and myself, you can hear Carolyne Wright, Jane Alynn, and Jed Meyers, 10 minutes each. It will be fun.
2. I am a featured poet at Everett Poetry Night‘s open mike on Monday, April 21. This is scheduled 5-8 p.m., and, yes, I have been there before, but I don’t think it begins at 5:00. More like gathering begins. People grab food and drink and chat. When I tried to pin this down (I can’t be there until 5:30), host Duane Kirby Jensen said, “Show up when you can!” Everett Poetry Night has a page on Facebook, too, but after Nov. 5, I left Facebook so can’t send you there to fact-check me.

I was up early this morning and read a chapbook that I am preparing to review for Escape Into Life (EIL). Rather than try to come up with another book, and a post here, I am reposting the April 4 episode of Bird Note, featuring none other than my dear friend, poet, and Empty Bowl Press editor Holly Hughes.

It is 11 minutes — features 3 of Holly’s poems from Passings (click on this link to see my review of Passings) — and is so so worth it.

Bird Note, April 4, 2025

https://birdnote.org/podcasts/birdnote-daily/poet-holly-j-hughes-honors-birds-weve-lost

At Holly’s website she includes a quote from Jane Hirshfield, “Poetry is the practice of attention.” So is all of life, a lesson that our poems might teach others.