Upcoming Events

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here—I’m hoping to get back to more regular blogging soon—but June is coming and I have a lot to tell you about, starting with Ghostbird Press’ 2016 launch party, which will be on June 26th, from 5-7 PM at Fatty’s Cafe in Astoria. I will be celebrating the publication of my new chapbook, For My Son, A Kind of Prayer, along with Roger Sedarat and Kimiko Hahn, whose new chapbooks–Eco-Logic of The Word Lamb and Resplendent Slug respectively—Ghostbird has also just published. If you live in the New York area and you can come, it would be lovely to see you. For more details, click here.

These are my other June events:

• June 4: A Queens Spectacular, where I will be reading with Shereese Francis and Luis Francia. Details.
• June 5: A launch reading for Veils, Halos & Shackles: International Poetry on the Oppression and Empowerment of Women at the Nassau County Baha’i Center. Details.
• June 13: I’ll be reading at the Summer Gazebo in Oceanside. Details.
• June 19: I’ll be reading at the Sunday Salon series in Manhattan. Details.
• June 21: I’ll be reading at the Risk of Discovery reading series in Astoria. Details.
• June 26: One last reminder, June 26th is the date of the book launch at Fatty’s Cafe. Details.

Publication News

I have three poems in Unlikely Stories Mark V: In November 2014, I attended Enough Is Enough: A Meeting on Sexism and Accountability in NYC Poetry Communities, a meeting organized to help “forge a more respectful, alert, and conscientious [poetry] community.” It was (and is) an important initiative, addressing a problem that is at once all-too-pervasive and rendered all-too-invisible. I am happy that “Gender Politics,” a poem rooted in a couple of different true stories of sexism and sexual violence both in and out of the poetry world is one of three, gender-politics related poems published in Unlikely Stories. I’d love to hear what you think of them.

The father figures who have moved in and out of, and sometimes back into, my life have taught me many things. One thing they didn’t teach me, however, was how to be a father. For My Son, A Kind of Prayer is a chapbook about finding a language in which to talk to my son about what it means to me to be his father, about what it can mean for him to be a man. If you can’t come to any of my June readings, or to the launch on June 26th, I hope you’ll consider buying a copy directly from the publisher. It’s only $10 and the book would make a lovely Fathers Day gift.

Veils, Halos & Shackles: International Poetry on the Oppression and Empowerment of Women is a first-of-its-kind anthology, collecting several hundred poems by poets in dozens of countries, each of which takes a stand against men’s violence against women. I am especially happy that the title poem from For My Son, A Kind of Prayer is in this anthology. If you live on Long Island, I hope you will consider coming to the reading on June 5th at the Nassau County Baha’i Center. If you live in Westchester, I hope you’ll consider going to the reading on June 26th at the Hudson Valley Writers Center. If you can’t make one of the readings, I hope you’ll buy a copy from Kasva Press, if not for yourself, then perhaps for someone who needs to hear what these poets have to say about resistance and healing.

Other News

My son’s band, Starbat, has released their first single, “Anyway” on Bandcamp. It’s a very cool song that I hope you will give a listen to. If it moves you, I hope you’ll consider buying it. You can name your own price.