Upcoming Reading Events

Damn, there are a few taking place in the coming week.

First up is the monthly Tamale Hut Cafe reading. Local author Chris DeGuire starts the evening out, and an open mic follows. 7 p.m. at 8300 W. Cermak Road in North Riverside; details can be found on this here page.

Also, Open Books has two readings on days back-to-back, and they have flyers! Dr. Judith Wright will be reading on Wednesday, February 27:

And a whole bunch of authors will be reading as part of "An Evening of Speculative Fiction" on Thursday, February 28:

And then there's another reading taking place in the afternoon on the 28th: author Roxane Gay will be reading at Roosevelt University. A few weeks back, I read her story "North Country" in The Best American Short Stories 2012. And then I re-read it because it was so freakin' good. I wish I could go to this one, but I think schedules are going to conspire against me.

But that's the list of what I've found. Chicago may be the fourth most miserable city in the country, but it's not because of its literature scene.

I Can Almost Picture It

What does a freelancer do on a Saturday night after she's met her deadlines and made a dent in the housework? Well, if she's smart, she looks for more work. If she's me (and she never got used to the sound of "if she is I"), she starts a new project.

I Can Almost Picture It: The Blogger Version

Until I can figure out which blogging platform I like better for this idea, the content will be mirrored on Tumblr. Why I'm mentioning this when you're already here on Blogger, I have no clue. But hey, we're branching out!

Something I first loved a long time ago...

It's not my favorite holiday. I prefer the day after, when all the chocolates and other goodies have been moved to the clearance shelf at the local supermarket. But earlier today, a friend posted a poem across ye olde social network that I hadn't read in a long time and was happy to see.

My freshman year of high school, a musician was invited to perform a small concert for my English class and a few others--a field trip without the field. His idea was to take the poems of e.e. cummings and use them as song lyrics, the melodies being his own creations. Hearing one poem in particular was, for better or worse, what started me reading poetry in earnest.

So today of all days, it seems appropriate to include a link to that poem, "[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]". Thanks to Sally for sharing it first (and for just being fabulous in general).

Also, in happy news, yay, Illinois.

Some of what I've been doing lately:

It's neither fiction writing nor poetry, but among the freelance jobs I've picked up this year is an opportunity to write articles for the "Science" section of the website Opposing Views. I already wish I could do even more editing on some of the articles I have up there. But it's been an interesting challenge, trying to explain (and better understand) science while working within a very specific article format.

Here are some of my articles. Go go biology degree!

The Biology of Compost
The Impact of Global Warming on Soil Moisture
How Do the Sperm Nuclei in a Pollen Grain Get to the Egg Nucleus in a Plant Ovule?

Natasha Trethewey Reading in Chicago Tomorrow

Natasha Trethewey, the current Poet Laureate of the United States, is giving a reading at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago tomorrow. And it's free! Sadly, I don't think I can go, but I wish I could. Here are the details of the event.

Also, in celebration of the event, here's a photo a friend shared with me. One day, my friends, one day....