Brief Nudity Book Tour Update

Just returned from a swing through the southland for two readings supporting Brief Nudity. The first was at Murray State University, where I inaugurated the summer low-residency MFA reading series (and later, got to listen to and meet fellow visiting writer Claire Vaye Watkins, author of Battleborn). The following night, I was fortunate to read for one of the biggest audiences a poet can dream of at Poetry Sucks! at Third Man Records in Nashville. This multi-media event included co-poets Paige Taggart and Sampson Starkweather, musician and artist Tim Kerr (whose paintings were on display), as well as rock 'n' roll from Lee Baines III & The Glory Fires. What can I say? It was an incredible couple of days.

Photo by Mark Robbins

 Right before my trip south, I had a blast returning to the Wit Rabbit Reading Series, joined by co-poets Jason Bredle, Tim Murray, and Lana Rakhman.

Tomorrow, I will give a talk and read from Brief Nudity as well as new works at the Summer Creative Writing Institute at Northeastern Illinois University. This is yet another return engagement, one which I am always thrilled to participate in.

WKMS Interview

Click here to listen to my recent interview with Kate Lochte on WKMS, where I read from and discuss the inspiration behind some of Brief Nudity's poems.

Post Unposting

Haven't posted in almost two weeks. For one thing, I decided to cease (temporarily? Permanently??) reproducing work from Pith & Vinegar. Hope everyone enjoyed the poems, and more so, that the manuscript finds a home somewhere.

Since my last post, I appeared on WLUW in Chicago, promoting The Injured Parties' record release party at the Double Door later that same night. (If you'd like to hear the show, which runs about an hour, it's archived here; you may download it, or listen to it streaming.) In addition to discussing the band I brought along some music I've been listening to lately. Thanks to DJs Razor and Di for having me on! The gig itself also went well; we finally had copies of Fun with a Purpose for sale, and as an added bonus, people who came out specifically to see us received one of four randomly awarded rock 'n' roll rubber ducks as a door prize:

The next day I hit the road for Murray State University where I successfully defended my thesis and then read with fellow graduates at the Clara Eagle Gallery. Murray has a terrific low-residency MFA program that I cannot endorse enough! Thanks to everyone there for making my experience such a rewarding one.

Since returning to Chicago, after collapsing from all the recent activity, I've become aware of some early reviews and airplay for Fun with a Purpose. Whenever I can, I'll pass on other notices here.

Finally, a reminder that the album is available on iTunes,

and elsewhere, including Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic, IMVU, Lala, Shockhound, and Amie Street. It may also be ordered directly from the label, Zenith Beast and me!

More to come...