Because I am a can of ham.
Did you hear that? A CAN of HAM.
The first time an actor friend of mine described himself using those words, I knew they would become a mantra. He truly was, by the way, a can of ham. Except that I'm a bigger one. I love to perform. Which is very weird. Because I also love sitting where I am right now, in front of my great big computer screen, typing really fast and watching words appear upon it.
I would appear to be one of those introverts I keep reading about on the internet. Yes, thank you, I am exhausted after parties (although I love to throw them). And when my beloved sister, who has always maintained a much fuller social schedule than I do, tells me what she's been up to, it always makes me a little dizzy. My mom says that when I was a little girl, I'd sometimes bring a friend home from school, wander away from her, and later be found in a corner, reading. I don't remember doing that, but it sounds about right.
Except: a POETRY READING WITH ME IN IT. Ta-dah! June 5th! I may be an introvert, but I really like reading my poems out loud. There's a script for that; it's way less scary than cocktail party banter. I have some new poems I really like, and my friend Nancy Quaglia, who did the art for both my poetry books, is making a sort of broadside with me: an art piece that contains one of my poems, Blake-style, with pretty stuff all in and around it. Suitable for framing, and if we're both lucky, she'll be at KGB, too, with a pack of them to sell. Yay!
So open up that CAN OF HAM and let's rock and roll! If you're in or near New York City, I'd be super-happy if you showed up. (That's KGB Bar, friends, 85 E. 4th St, 7 PM!) Besides the broadsides, I'll have books of poetry to sell, and I'll bring down a few copies of my young adult time-travel novel Time Runs Away With Her, too, if anyone wants an autographed copy. Sequel's coming soon!
In other po-biz news, I was honored this week to be asked to blurb Stephen Bunch's excellent new collection of poems, Transmissions From Bone House. They are dark, austere pieces, hugely imaginative and skillfully compressed. I really like Stephen's poetry, and it's cool being one of the early sets of eyes on a book. I'm about two-thirds of the way through it, and I'll probably get the blurb done this afternoon when I get back from my workout break. In fact, I'm not letting myself read any more of Stephen's book before I exercise, which is how I am getting myself to exercise today.
So look at me livin' the dream. Or something.
Watch this space for news about the new YA book, In Her Own Time. And for news, I hope, of some more poetry publications; since NAPO month, I have logged some serious hours playing the submission game. I 'd be surprised if The New Yorker bit, but I'll be in the Silver Birch Press beach poem series (film at eleven on that), and I think I'll have some good news on the little mag front soon, too. Still working on putting together my third poetry collection, too.
Hey. Did I mention I have a poetry reading with my friends Hilary and Rick? Yeah. Guess I did. Better keep practicing for it!!