I'll go in reverse. We finished the tour in Amherst, MA with a crowd of at least 60 people. Aaron Tieger read first from his Shanties... series, which I liked a lot, and I assume from the laughter, that the audience did too. Then Geoffrey Dyer read from some new work and his book The Dirty Halo of Everything. All I need to say is if you haven't read this book, DO. Then I read and yeah, I was great. We went out for beer and fried pickles afterward. John Erhardt (The Skeptic) was there and it was nice to meet him albeit brief.
New York. Rain. Geoff and I got to the gallery a little early and so went to a pub up the street for some Stella. Got back at 6. People were still filtering in. Some older gentleman, who I don't know approached me and said "55 minutes down the drain! I came all the way down from Uptown." I shrugged and apologized but it's a poetry reading, when do they ever begin on time. He left. My aunt and uncle even came from Jersey, which was really great. That was the first time anyone in my family has heard me read more than one poem. Geoff read, then me, then Robert Paredez, who I think and hope people took a liking to because he is one of our greatest unknown poets, and then Noah Eli Gordon finished the evening. I met Brenda Iijima, David Perry, and a whole lot of other people whose names I've forgotten.
We began in Providence. Began the evening at the Waldrop home with some wine and cheese. Then went to dinner at an indian restaurant where the Waldrops suggested more wine. We heartily agreed. Then to Atlas Bower Books, where Michael Gizzi was waiting to introduce us. The reading was good and the space small so it looked really packed. Met and had drinks with Mike Magee, William Gillespie and Jennifer Martensen. I stayed with my very good friend and new Brown MFA student,Kate Schatz.
I got home and contracted the flu. I'm still recovering. It was a very rock star style tour.
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