UPCOMING READINGS & WORKSHOPS
- 11/13/25, Thursday, FEATURE READING: Art at the Cave, 108 E. Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98660. Starts at 7 pm with an open mike.
- 1/11/26, Sunday, Seattle Public LIbary Writersroom Residents Reading! Central Library, 4th Floor, 1:30-3:30 pm.
- 1/17/26, Saturday, FEATURE READING: Willard Art and Frame (Formerly TSUGA Gallery), 10101 Main St A, Bothell, WA 98011. Starts at 7 pm, with an open mike.
- 2/7/26, Saturday, In Our Own Hands: Women’s Wellness Series: Writing as a Healing Cauldron—Writing into health, strength, and suvival. Starts at 11 am Pacific Time, on ZOOM, runs three hours. All levels of writers welcome, come with paper and your favorite pen. To register, either for the series, or for individual workshops, click here.
Trip East & to Edinburgh
2025 was a year with several trips. I visited my sister and nephew in Philadelphia for the first time since COVID. We celebrated his graduation from Drexel University, where he achieved a degree in animation.
In August we took a bucket-list trip to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. I arranged a lunch date with the former Maker of Scotland (National Poet for Scotland similar to our US Poet Laureate), Elizabeth Rimmer. We had a lovely afternoon discussing poetry. The last five days, John and I traveld north by train to Findhorn and explored the Findhorn Eco-Village. A mecca trip where we connected with two friends we’ve not seen in over thirty years!
Poetry GEMS
In February I was feature reader at Honeymoon Cider & Beer in Bellingham, the night of Bellingham’s inaugral Poetry Pop-up! We had a blast, the final open mike was at a bowling alley! Thanks to Rena Priest for organizing this wonderful event, I was delighted to be featured at the first stop on this open mike trail!
In May I ran two “Poeming Health” writing workshops at the Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference in Wisconsin. Plus, I read my poetry before their featured speaker, herbalist Gail Faith Edward. It was the weekend in the woods I didn’t know I needed.
In September I hosted Dana Snyder’s book lauch at Folio for his intriguing book Pocket Fairytales. What a joy, he invited everyone to dress in fairy regalia, and he dressed as Peter Pan for his reading! Handmade crafts and yummy treats were offered. Opening was poet Scott Ferry, who read from his two most recent books, Sapphires on the Graves and dear tiny flowers.
POETRY PUBLICATIONS & Residency
- Hard Fall, publshed in the Washington Queen Poetry Anthology, read here.
- Shoe Watch, published in the Washington Queer Poetry Anthology, read here. THANK YOU TO WASHINGTON STATE POET LAUREATTE: Arianne True, and CLARE JOHNSON who assisted. I’m honored to have my poems in this project.
- Pick Your Battle, published in Second Coming, read at Indolent Press.
- To Love a Car, published in Silver Birch Press, read here.
- Robot Wives Coming Soon, published in Mad Swirl, read here. Plus, it was featured in The Best of Mad Swirl: 6-21-25.
- Fires Burn Our Tomorrows, Verse Daily Book Prize, read here.
Other News
- I’ve started an Amazon Author Page, please check in and follow me here!
- Find my book in a brick & mortar store! Open Books, BookTree, Village Books (Bellingham), Geromino’s Books (Santa Fe).
- Slow Now with Clear Skies and truth be bold: Serenading Life & Death in the Age of AIDS are available at the Seattle Public Library.
- This year I was accepted into the Seattle Public Library Writersroom Residency Program. I love traveling downtown to this special room to work on my memoir.
I hope to see you soon! Please make comments on Amazon or Goodreads when you read my book!
SW Trip First stop was Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival. We did the afternoon into evening with the Glow, a drone show then fireworks. Sunday we attended a matinee Flamingo dance at the Albuquerque Hotel. For five days our friend introduced us to SW food and culture.
Then on to Taos where I gave a reading at SOMOS with the former poet laureate of Taos, Catherine Stririk, explored the Rio Grande, including a natural hot springs along the river. We took a pueblo tour, visited Earthship Biotechture, and the ski center.
Next to Santa Fe, viewed three films at Santa Fe International Film Festival, Ojo Calenti, walked Canyon Road, and a publication celebration for the Santa Fe Literary Review.
I had the opportunity to fill a vacated spot and read at Geronimo’s Books! A great second hand bookstore with new books by local authors. With these two reading my friends in the Southwest were able to hear me read. A totally successful trip.
2025 Readings from “Slow Now with Clear Skies”
Cultivating Voices Zoom Reading! Sunday, January 12th, 2025 at Noon. No fee. Registration Link!
Honey Moon Mead and Cider! Thursday, February 20th, 2025. Feature reader with Open mike. Come out to hear me read live. Address: 1053 N State St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference! May 22-24, 2025. I’ll run two “Poeming Health” Workshops & give a reading.
Ghost City Feature Reading in Vancouver, WA! Thursday, November 13th, 2025 with Open Mike. More information will follow.
Additional readings will be announced.
Buy “Slow Now with Clear Skies” for yourself or for a gift!
Five brick and mortor stores: Village Books in Bellingham, BookTree in Kirkland. Open Books a poetry bookstore in downtown Seattle, Nook and Crannie a friendly store on 15th Avenue on Capitol Hill in Seattle, and at Geronmio’s Books in Santa Fe!! And of course online in all the usual places: Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, indiebooks.org. And . . .Seattle Public Library now has copies!!!
My book is recommended on The Poetry Department . . . Aka The Boyton Blog community creativity from Watcom County to promote author’s books on their “Gift wrap your local poet” list as Christmas and other holidays approach.
AN ASK!! If you read my book and like it, please consider writing a review, or a few words or sentences about your experience! On any of the sites online where books are purchased, or on Goodreads. This means so much to help me get the word out. A note a friend in the SW sent, “I have been reading your beautiful, brilliant book. Holy cow, your visual writing is both powerful and such a great read.”
A Second ASK!! Ask your library to carry “Slow Now with Clear Skies.” It has a Library of Congress Number and is ready to be entered into any libraries system.
Publications: Poems & an Essay!
“Trail of Dust” and “No Means No” were published in Anti-Heroin Chic, 8/4/24
“Skymall Year” was published in Mad Swirl on 9/3/24, and included in their monthly, The Best of Mad Swirl,
“A Witch Blessing” and “Coming Out of COVID” were published in Verse-Virtual, 10/1/24
“Entering where Truth Resides—Our AIDS Memorial Mandala” was published in HEAL, Humanism Evolving through Art & Literature, 11/15/24
“a spring memory of love” was published by Periwinkle Pelican, 11/24/24
“There was a time” was published on Lana Hechtman’s blog Poem to Poem, 11/25/24
I”m thrilled to announce, my prose poem, “Those of Us Who Aborted,” in Slow Now with Clear Skies was nominated by MoonPath Press for a PUSHCART PRIZE!!! Plus, it is published in Ghost Town Anthology 3, out of Vancouver, WA.
My poems, “Election Grief” and “Decision About Owning a Pet,” are published in Anti-Heroin Chic, 12/3/24.
Essay, “My Mentor: Audre Lorde, Hunter College” published in the Bi Women Quarterly for their theme, Mentor. 12/24
Readings in October
10/10/24, Reading with Catherine Strisik, former Poet Laureate of Taos, at SOMOS: A Place for Books!! 5:30 – 7 PM. 108 Civic Plaza Drive, Taos, NM 87571. Free, with option of a donation to SOMOS. I’m thrilled this reading was able to be scheduled while I am traveling for my first time in the Southwest!
PLEASE, PASS ON THIS INFORMATION TO ANYONE WHO LIVES IN THE SOUTHWEST!!
10/25/24, Reading at RASP, Redmond Association of Spoken Word! El Centro Cultural Mexicano, 163 Redmond Way, Suite 101, Redmond, WA 98052, 6:30 PM. With Open Mike!
Readings are being booked for 2025!
Poetry
“SkyMall Year” was published in Mad Swirl: A Creative Outlet , September 23, 2024
“Frida’s Fevered Life,” will release in The Poeming Pigeon: A Journal of Poetry & Art on October 22, 2024. A Zoom reading will be held on November 9th, details for how to register will be revealed. Sadly, this will be the last issue of this journal, but The Poetry Box will continue to publish books. I’m grateful to have had four poems in issues of this journal.
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 7-9 pm: Duvall Poetry Series, La Pasadita Guatemalan Cafe, 15904 Main Street NE, Duvall, WA 98019 with Open Mike!
Saturday, September 7, 2024, BookTree, Somatic Writing Workshop & Reading with Julene & Ansley Clark, 609 Market Street, Kirkland, WA, 4:30 pm Workshop & 6:15 pm reading with Open Mike!
Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Poetry Bridge, Featuring with two other readers (TBA), C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98136 with Open Mike! It’s my Birthday!
Sunday, September 15, 2024, MoonPath Press Reading, featuring with Donna Prinzmetal reading from “Each Kept Secret” on Zoom. Register here.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, SOMOS A Place for Words, Featuring with Catherine Strisik, 108 Civic Plaza Drive, Taos, NM 87571!! Start time: 5:30 pm. Yes, I’m traveling to the SW! Please reach out if you live in the area, I’d love to connect.
Friday, October 25, 2024, RASP, Redmond Association of Spoken Word, at Centro Cultural Mexicano’s Mi Casa gallery, 7945 Gilman St, Redmond, WA 98052
More readings will follow in my next post; so far two featured readings are booked for 2025!
Poetry Published
“Trail of Dust” & “No Means No” published in Anti-Heroin Chic.
“Bad Girls” published in the anthology, The Power of the Feminine I: Poems from the feminine perspective, Volume 2
Upcoming Readings (all in Pacific Time; more information will follow)
7/11/24, It’s About Time, Ballard Library, 6-7:45 pm. Reading with John Treat & Esther Helfgott! Open mike!
7/15/24, Everett Poetry Night at Sister’s Restaurant, 5-8 pm, with open mike!
9/4/24, La Pasadita Cafe, Duvall, 7-9 pm, with open mike!
9/7/24, BookTree, Kirkland, 4:30 Workshop & 6:15 Reading, both with Ansley Clark, includes an open mike!
9/11/24, Poetry Bridge, West Seattle, 6:30 pm, with open mike. Other features will be announced.
9/15/24, MoonPath Press Zoom Reading with Donna Prinzmetal, 3 pm.
10/25/24, RASP, Redmond, 6:30-9 pm, with open mike
The Book Launch on 6/9, at Folio was a blast! Here’s a picute of my fabulous book cake from Cakes of Paradise! Thank you to my hosts: Tess Selim at Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, my three pre-readers: Clare Johnson, Stephen Jackson, and John Burgess who also introduced me. Gratitude to my partner John for camera work and assistance of getting everything to the space! And to the the between forty-eight to fifty people who showed up to be audience! It was an amazing event.
Poetry Published
My poem “Bad Girls” was released in the book The Power of the Feminine I: poems from the feminine perspective, Volume II. Edited by Christal Ann Rice Cooper & Donna Biffat.
With all the readings I’ve been lining up I’m submitting less. I’m grateful for writing groups that keep my pen connecting to the page.
Welcome to my new website, remodeled on a new template. I had excellent guidance from webmaster Brian Ring.
June Readings & Book Launch!!
6/3/24, Jack Straw Alumni Poetry Series, reading with Anastacia-Renee, Erin Malone, Kevin Craft, Jeanine Walker, and Wendy Call.
6/9/24, Book Launch, Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, at Pike Place Market, 4 pm. Please register, event is free, but a donation to the libary is accepted.
6/29/24, Village Books, Bellingham, 4 pm; reading with Arlene Naganawa & Susan Landgraf. Please register, for a nominal registration fee you get a coupon for $5 off any book you purchase.
Additional Readings: more information to follow!
7/11/24, It’s About Time, Ballard Library, 6 pm, with open mike
7/15/24, Everett Poetry Night at Sister’s Restaurant, 6 pm, with open mike
9/4/24, La Pasadita Cafe, Duvall, 7 pm, with open mike
9/7/24, BookTree, Kirkland, 4:30 Workshop, 6:15 Reading, with open mike
9/11/24, Poetry Bridge, West Seattle, 6 pm, with open mike
11/13/24, Ghost Town Poetry, Vancouver, 6 pm? with open mike
11/22/24, RASP, Redmond, 6 pm?, with open mike
Jack Straw Grand Finale!
My Jack Straw Interview with Priscilla Long was published!
My year as a Jack Straw Writing Fellow ended with a song! Each of us was paired with a musician from the Bushwick Book Club; I was paired with the guitar playing singer and vergioning comedian Chiku Nance! And below that my interview with curator Priscilla Long.
Poetry Publication News!
- Songs of the Revolution: Poems Against Oppression published my ekphastic poem, Futility, and a second poem, A Call for the Lost.
- The Power of the Feminine I: Poems from the Feminine Perspective, Volume 2, published my poem Bad Girls.
- Nerve Cowboy Selected Works: 2004-2012, published two poems in previous journals: Only What I Can Do (a poem selected from my first chapbook, Case Walking: An AIDS Case Manager Wails Her Blues, and read by Garrison Keilor on National Public Radio, and the poem Happy in Hawaii. Both these poems are in my full-size poetry book truth be bold: Serenading Life & Death in the Age of AIDS. Thank you to the editors of this fabulous journal that has come to it’s close. I’m honored to have been included.
- Anti-Heroin Chic published two poems: After Mother’s Death and Lost Wanna Die Moments. (12/17/24)
- Silver Birch Press published my poem, Frame Soup Cooks Best on Slow, in their Spices theme issue. (2/4/24)
- Wellspring Literary Journal published my poem, The Moment of Diagnosis, in their first issue. (3/18/24)
Jack Straw Readings
On May 18th I read my essay that was published in the Jack Straw Anthology, “Avoiding Burnout in a 365/12/7 Work Environment,” at Jack Straw. Watch it on their YouTube channel here!
On May 29th I read my essay, “Babes with AIDS,” about the start of the Babes Network, on the Center Stage at Folklife, watch it on my YouTube channel! We had a Q & A afterward that was not recorded. A huge thank you to my friend who recorded this talk!!
I’m excited to announce I’ll be on a panel with authors John Treat, Felice Picano and Patrick Milian!
How to get Banned: An LGBTQ Book Panel at Folio: The Seattle Anthenaeum, in the Pike Place Market. Thursday, September 21st, 6:30 pm. Pay what you can registration!
Jack Straw Readings:
Village Books, Bellingham: Saturday, October 14, 4pm
Seattle Public Library downtown: Saturday, November 4, 2pm—registration required.
SoulFood Books, Redmond: Thursday, December 21, 6pm
Poetry
“Insomnia,” was published in Medmic on May 22nd 2023.