Category Archives: Blog

Nominations from Minyan Magazine

The past two months have been so busy that I’m behind on sharing news here!

I’ll begin with this: I was already so honored to be published in Minyan Magazine this spring, and then they went and nominated my poem “Wrestling with God” for Best of the Net in September.

Now they’ve nominated my other poem that they published, “When God Looked Down,” for Best Spiritual Literature. If it’s possible to be honored to bits, I think that’s what I am now. ❤️

You can find my poems in the company of the rest of these incredible pieces at this link.

The Bleeding Woman Turns 10! (+ signed copies!)

Now that I’m home from summer travels, I can take a moment to celebrate this quiet milestone: my first poetry collection is 10 years old. What a wild 10 years this has been. These poems are still dear to me, some in very different ways than they were when I wrote them.

Now that I’m home I can also offer to mail signed copies of books! If you’d like to purchase The Gospel of the Bleeding Woman for this 10th anniversary, you can use these links: US or international; shipping included.

If you’d like to purchase a signed copy of my newest collection, Hereverent, I’m also able to mail signed copies of that book for the first time! You can use these links: US or international (shipping included).

Some of my other collections are available too. Details here. 🙂

Thank you to all of you who have read, published, shared, and encouraged my work along the way! I’m so grateful for you.

Books in Boston!

I didn’t try to pack too many poetry things into our family vacation, but we did visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum so my book could be with its cover art in person. ❤️

And we stopped by Grolier Poetry Book Shop to bring signed copies, visit my books on the shelf, and buy some poetry books, of course.

My books and I keep some excellent company. 😊

May Readings!

May found me finishing the semester, celebrating a milestone birthday, and giving more poetry readings!

May 5: Getting to do a First Fridays reading at San Diego Writers, Ink with my dear friends Margarita Pintado Burgos and Eddie Matthews on the night before my birthday was delightful all around! And Kristen Fogle, Executive Director of SDWI, even brought a birthday cake for me.

May 13: Kevin Kearney invited me into this wildly fun Small Press Nite reading at The Book Catapult with Ana Carrete, D.T. Robbins, Kyle Seibel, and KKUURRTT! I’d never met any of them before, and each one of them made me laugh so much!

May 16: Headlining at Poets Underground was almost too much fun. I brought out the weird stuff and did some audience participation pieces. I love this speakeasy-style venue, and I love the open-hearted open mic that followed my set.

Review of Hereverent at Rhino

Donna Vorreyer’s review of Hereverent over at Rhino Poetry gave me chills! What a gift to have such thoughtful attention given to my book!

Hereverent Launches!

Hereverent has been thoroughly and lovingly launched!

My poetry & jazz book launch was fantastic on April 20 at PLNU. We had poetry, music, drinks, and dessert in this little parlor that makes me feel like a wealthy great aunt has invited me to tea. 😁 I’m so grateful to Brenda Martin for her gorgeous music and her fun improv collaborations! (And thanks to Emma McCoy for the photo!)

Then my virtual book launch for Hereverent on April 21 was also lovely. What a gift to hear poets I adore read my poems alongside theirs. I’m so grateful to Agape Editions for publishing and celebrating my book! ❤️ (And thanks to Nicelle Davis for this shot!)

Finally in this countdown to launch, 15 of my favorite local poets read with me in my church’s sanctuary this past Saturday night, and I brought my favorite brownies (a recipe from my beloved dissertation advisor, Marthe Reed), and many more dear friends and delightful people came to celebrate my new book too. (And thanks to Margarita Pintado for this picture!)

My heart is full. Thank you to all who read with me, attended, and made these events possible!

Caesura Presents

This interview was released while I was traveling for the Pop Culture Association conference, but allow me to share it now. I’m so grateful to John Sibley Williams for his close reading of Hereverent and deeply thoughtful questions! There’s also a video of me reading a few of the poems at the bottom of the page.

New book: Hereverent!

It’s publication day! Hereverent is officially released into the world!

Launching Hereverent!

My first two launch events for Hereverent have been announced!

My publisher is throwing me a virtual launch on April 21 that will be part of the Favorite Poems series! Each poet will read a favorite poem or two from my new book in addition to work of their own. Join me with Fox Henry Frazier, Diane Glancy, Charles Jensen, Tania Runyan, Nicelle Davis, Jen Grace Stewart, Charnell Peters, and Jane Muschenetz!

And if you’re in San Diego, you can join me in person for a very special Poetry & Jazz book launch celebration on April 20 at 3 p.m. in Cooper Music Parlor at PLNU. I’ll read poems, my friend Brenda will do some jazz piano improvisation in response, and we’ll have dessert! I can’t wait!

In the mean time, you can still pre-order Hereverent! The book officially drops on April 3.

Find me at AWP!

I finally made one of these graphics of where I’ll be at AWP. Will anyone use it to find me? I hope so. I’d love to hug some writers. And I’ll have books! And I’m absurdly excited about the Whale Road Review swag I got to hand out!