Reading at UCR-Palm Desert Tonight

I just returned home from a reading of UCR-MFA program faculty members....it was incredibly inspirational and I was so honored to be included in this reading! I shared the preface to the desert literature anthology.

I re-acquainted with several writer friends whose works I admire immensely: Tod Goldberg, Rob Roberge. And, I made several new writer acquaintances, among them the acclaimed writer Deanne Stillman and poet Alba Cruz-Hacker......

I especially admire the gutsy and honest prose writing of the very talented Rob Roberge, who is also a super-sweet and genuinely humorous guy! He read from a piece of his appearing in the new anthology, "Orange County Noir." I am hoping to work with Ashanti Press (time willing) to propose doing something for "desert noir," as it seems I've already made a bit of a scene in that element...

Finally, I was amazed and overjoyed with the comic relief and smart commentary of a multimedia presentation of one of the faculty members - a blowup of a desert mansion on a hillside (film) alongside his reading of desert real estate ads, noting that the mansion being blown up was a short sale. Exactly where I am, and it was so synchronous and also hilarious.

It was good to intermingle with amazing writers, enjoy another trip to the stunning UCR-Palm Desert campus - where I've also, in the past few years, attended several shows/exhibits, presented at last year's CA Desert Indian Conference, taken a southern California Indian class with the esteemed anthropologist Dr. Lowell Bean, and also have taught several quarters of poetry for UCR extension.

I even got inspiration for a collection of new poetry/prose I'd like to embark on, and realized that this idea is a peaceful, relief-finding way to write my way through some very painful stuff I've lived through in the last 2 years. I don't want to give away the title, but it will be a collection of poetry, prose, and it's going to be raw and real and brilliant (I hope.) As the writer-avant garde artiste William Burroughs said, and I am loosely paraphrasing, the only way he could get through the agony of his accidental shooting of his wife was to write his way through it.

And that, my friends and humble readers of my silly little blog, is where I am at. I find myself succumbing a bit, tonight, to the rapid onset of round #2 of a virulent sinus infection - first onset was exactly a month ago; I did the Z-pack, got better but still tired, and of course have over-done it since and now it's back - could be I was still harboring the thing, or maybe I got reinfected because my daughter Tarah came home with it last Wednesday. Great. Off to z-pack and bed.

But tonight, for awhile, I soared on my strengthening literary wings. I am so uplifted and grateful that I attended the reading tonight - and participated! Thanks, Tod, for letting me share!