Been a month with some big ups and downs. I figure my blog isn’t the place for complaining*, but it is the place to mention that I’ve been doing some ghostwriting**. I can’t, uh, actually point you to any of it because, y’know, ghostwriting. But maybe in a year or two I’ll have my name in tiny print on someone else’s book. Meanwhile, I can at least point you to my most recent column advising you on ways to beat the heat.

Although it dealt no decisive heat blows***, this past week I attended another poetry open mic, which I hadn’t done in a while. There is something inherently satisfying about live performance that all the writing in the world never quite captures: the pleasure of being on stage and getting that immediate positive audience feedback that lets you know, yes, someone appreciates what you’re saying. Just a couple weeks until WordXWord Festival, and even if my own role this year is fairly minimal, it’s still the best poetry event in the Berkshires (and is FREE!), so I encourage everyone who can attend to do so.

* Facebook is the place for complaining!

** Boo! and Yay!

*** “Decisive Heat Blows” is my Flaming Lips cover band.