Monday, April 21, 2008

Wrapping Up

We've been busy around here, trying to get all over L.A. before we head down to O.C. on the 4th, then back to Portland June 1st. We've been exploring downtown (little Tokyo, the Toy and Fashion District, the great French dip sandwiches as Phillipe's), the Los Feliz-Silverlake-Echo Park area (likely where we'd want to live if we're ever to come back, the most Portlandy of all L.A.), a little bit of the beaches, and many areas in between. This last Saturday I was down at my parent's house, taking part in my first Passover seder since my teenage years. Then Claire, the dog (Athene) , cat (Odysseus) and I will be joining my parents, their dog, my sister, brother-in-law, my nephew Jack and their dog, at a rented Cabin in Big Bear this Thursday-Sunday. When we get back we only have a week in the apartment. This makes us both very sad.

We're getting through the last 100 or so submissions for the issue. We took a great poem from Carol Muske-Dukes and are trying to figure out a way to include a wonderful, but very long poem (likely 18 pages in our format) from Amy Gerstler. David St. John got his promised poems to us this week. This will truly be an all-star issue.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Santa Fe

For my birthday last week, Claire and my parents surprised me with a trip to Santa Fe. Claire and I got to spend three lovely days in the city. Even though I lived in Flagstaff for 6 years, it was my first time traveling there. It's an amazing and unique place; nothing but adobe houses, really great food (green chile every day!!), more galleries then anyplace I've ever been, beautiful landscape and amazing hiking.

We're down to about 3 weeks here in L.A. Something has happened to Claire and myself that we would have never imagined...we're sorry to be leaving. L.A. has far exceeded our expectations. Our lives are sitting in a 10 x 10 storage unit in Portland, so we need to go back. We're going to give it a year or so back home and then reaccess, hoping to be able to clearly see where our hearts truly lie. We're spending our free time exploring the city, finding all the great little pockets. Tonight we head to Koreatown with my sister, her husband and a couple of his Korean friends. I predict lots of Soju and barbecued meats.

Friday, April 4, 2008

My Reading This Saturday

For any of you in the L.A. I hope you'll come to my reading this Saturday. I'll be sharing the stage with fellow L.A. poets Marlys West, Julie Gamberg and Vandana Khanna. Here's your chance to switch positions and judge my work (I only ask that you keep the booing and hissing to a minimum as it's the first time my whole family will ever see me read). The reading takes place at Metropolis Books (downtown 4th and Main), 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. I'll have some issue of the Burnside Review to hand out for free (a blatant bribe).