Trap Door Reading A Success!

Last night's Trap Door Poetry/Prose reading was a big success. We were coming in on the heels of Biker Weekend, an annual conglomeration of bikers from everywhere, primarily Harleys and renegades - although with a modest smattering of all types of bikes and bikers.

Thanks to Mary Sojourner, new to the high desert, for bringing with her a small contingent of 29 Palms High Desert friends - that, with the sound of Harleys in the parking lot (the Palm Springs Wine and Art shop is near a hectic and crazy British Pub, downtown) - and a smatter of Palm Springs tourists (looked like well-fed Canadians to me), some of the usual Palm Springs poets/friends, and even G. Murray Thomas, who runs poetix.net calendar, all the way from Long Beach!

Mary brought a special resonance for me - in addition to this being probably the first poetry reading I've been at/seen here in Palm Springs that was entirely inclusive to people from the vastly different high desert, mixing it up with some of the well-jeweled and surgeried patrons, although distinctly at their own table by the door - nothing I love more than connecting the dots and mixing up cultures and peoples at poetry and literary events. Coming from my own beloved Flagstaff, Arizona, Mary was a longtime resident there - driven out by sad changes in economy - she reports the closing of Aradia Women's Bookstore, a place I went for books, women-strength, writing workshops.

Last night, a meeting - from northern Arizona across old trails of the desert, and then some - a story about Buffalo Park, a place I knew well and loved and hiked numerously, in all conditions Mary described walking it - muddy, slushy, summery, spring-ish, lightning-doomed, and blinding snowstorm - I've done it all. In my own two years in Flagstaff, 93-95. Wonderful to resonate with my own connections and stories there, back when I was in graduate school - a part of me I was so sad to leave, returning to California after my time there. Interesting that after the reading, I met a young Navajo man working at I-Hop restaurant from northern Arizona. Of all the synchronicities...

Thank you for the blessing, the small ray of connection to stories and humanity and a real and honest connection between peoples' souls. Last night - squeezing in a shred of evening to read one of my own poems, to connect and build a generous vibe - lifted me up and will keep me going this week, undoubtedly. A little poetry reading - a world of intent and meaning and articulation and feeling just a little less by myself.

Our next reading: Sunday, November 16, 6 p.m. Featuring Ching-In Chen and another poet, to be announced. On December 14, Joshua Tree Park Ranger-Eco Poets, Caryn Davidson and Mike Cipra.