WEALTH OF IDEAS

On Monday night I hosted a performance by Brad Buchanan, professor of British Lit at Sac State, and Farrah Field from Brooklyn, New York. The two were amazing, and the open mic afterwards was energizing. That's the thing, the energy I get from these readings--I get so inspired I become restless. A surge of creativity. Brad Buchanan recited (performed) English Poetry from John Milton to Dylan Thomas, famous selections. His rendition of Yeat's "The Second Coming" was a subliminal moment. I was sitting there thinking, "Walking around with these masterpieces in your head has to have a certain effect on you own writing". And of course, Brad has writtehn two well-crafted collections, The Miracle Shirker and Swimming the Mirror , both of which I have had the pleasure to read many times. I have nearly destroyed my Miracle Shirker because of good habit of crafting my poetry inside other poets' books. I hate that empty space we leave on the right of the page...it...

On Monday, May 11, I am hosting a performance of the brief history of British Poetry from John Milton to Dylan Thomas by Brad Buchanan and Farrah Field. This is happening at the Sacramento Poetry Center. The time of the event is 7:30 pm. Brad Buchanan is Associate Professor of English at California State University, Sacramento, where he teaches Creative Writing and Modern British Literature. His poetry has appeared in more than 140 journals worldwide, including The Antigonish Review, Canadian Literature, Fulcrum, The Fiddlehead, Grain, and The Wisconsin Review . He has published two books of poetry: The Miracle Shirker (2005) and Swimming the Mirror: Poems for My Daughter (2008), and is co-founder of Roan Press , a small publishing operation (www.roanpress.com). Farrah Field is the author of Rising (Four Way Books, 2009), winner of the The Larry Levis Prize. Her poems have appeared in many publications including Harp & Altar, Typo, Linebreak, The Cortland Review, 42Opus, the Mis...