Reading the opening of a lyric essay on WRVO’s The Campbell Conversations!

It was awesome to be asked to read my creative nonfiction for yesterday’s episode of The Campbell Conversations on WRVO, celebrating the work of writers associated with The Downtown Writers Center in Syracuse. Sitting at home in a bedroom closet last week — with my phone balanced on my knee — I read the first 6 minutes of my lyric essay, “Go Away and Stay Right Here,” originally published in the Colorado Review. My reading leads off the episode which also features luminous performances by Jessica Cuello, Georgia Popoff, and Arthur Flowers.

Give a listen HERE!

Thank you Martha’s Vineyard!

Thank you so much to all the great folks who came out to my class on the hermit crab essay and my poetry reading yesterday at the Oak Bluffs Library on Martha’s Vineyard! It was such a treat!  Thank you to Carolina and Marco for hosting me at the library. Thank you to Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing for bringing me to the island as part of the year-long visiting writers series!

I’m teaching & reading in Martha’s Vineyard Feb 29, 2020!

I’m delighted to announce that I’m returning to Martha’s Vineyard at the end of this month! I’ll be teaching a 2-hour writing class on the Hermit Crab Essay and then giving a poetry reading at the Oak Bluffs Public Library on Feb 29. It’s all completely free and open to the public. Dag! This event is part of the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing’s Year-Round Writers Series. I did it last year, too, and we had a great time. If you’re in the area, please come on by!

More info HERE.

Reading in Philly Friday April 17, 2020 at the Popular Culture Association National Conference!

I’m going to Philadelphia in April to read poems from my forthcoming book If We Had a Lemon We’d Throw It and Call That the Sun (winner of the 2019 Antivenom Poetry Award from Elixir Press). I’m reading Friday April 17, 2020 at 6:30 as part of the Popular Culture Association 2020 National Conference. Swing on by if you’re in the area. Plus the conference is just crazy packed with great stuff, including featured speakers Terry Gross and Kevin Willmott!

Our LiterarY Dinner!

Thank you to everyone who came to our LiterarY Dinner yesterday in support of the Arts Branch of the Syracuse YMCA. We’re overjoyed by the amount we raised! Thank you to our readers, Jessica Cuello and David Lloyd, and to Bob Early for your music. Having our backyard full of poetry, song, and fiction as the colors of the evening passed overhead… What a joy!

Thank you to everyone who came out to my reading last night!

Huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to my poetry reading last night as part of the LiterarY Dinner to raise money for the Arts Branch of the Syracuse YMCA in support of all the amazing and necessary work they do in the community. Thank you again to Joe and Mary for hosting us and to Phil Memmer for inviting me to read and for cooking such amazing Indian food (Sarah sends thanks for her “carry out” 🙂 ) And thank you to Meredith and Nancy for the photos! What a warm and wonderful evening!

***SOLD OUT!***I’m reading poetry this Saturday February 9, 2019!

***UPDATE*** I’ve just been informed we’re sold out for tomorrow’s fundraising dinner/reading. Sorry! 🙂
Dear friends. I’m giving a poetry reading this Saturday, February 9 as part of a LiterarY Dinner in support of the Syracuse YMCA Arts Branch and The Downtown Writer’s Center and all of the amazing and valuable work they do in the community. The cost for attending is $50 — it’s a fundraiser event…and you get dinner! 🙂
 
Complete info is below. If you’re planning on coming, please RSVP Phil Memmer <pmemmer@syracuseymca.org>. Feel free to share this with anyone who may be interested. Thanks!
 
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Saturday Night’s Y Lit Dinner – February 9, 2019
 
Location: 208 Pear Tree Dr., Camillus 13031
 
Time: 6:00 to ? (dinner itself will probably start around 6:45-7:00)
 
Guest Poet: Christopher Citro, author of The Maintenance of the Shimmy-Shammy.
 
Donation: $50 per person, tax deductible. You can bring a check payable to YMCA, or cash, or you can also give online at our Mobile Cause page: https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/artsymca
 
Our menu will include seven dishes, including four vegetarian options. It’s going to be scrumptious!
 
Thank you for supporting the charitable work of the Arts Branch of the Y!
 
Phil Memmer
Executive Director, the Arts Branch of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse
340 Montgomery St.
Syracuse, NY 13202
pmemmer@syracuseymca.org
(315) 474-6851 x328
(315) 474-6857 (fax)
ycny.org/arts