Sangati Center

I'm reading some feti(sh)ame poems at the Sangati Center Tuesday, July 14 at 7 pm. Think I'll try some of the "funnier" pieces to see if they're actually funny. I'll be joined by other Cave Canem folks like Samantha Thornhill and some South Asian writers organized by Neela Banerjee

Queer Open Mic at Modern Times

Tonight, for the first time in many years, I read at an open mic. The queer open mic at Modern Times bookstore was laid back and cordial. I went first with "Salvation," inspired by a tender man whose leather play and light S&M flow from the various distances between he and his state trooper father. The cheerfully distracting Trans March passed outside as I read but, according to someone in the audience, the poem still made an impact.

The featured poet was the award-winning Lucky 7, a slam poet based in the East bay and the captain of the Berkeley Poetry Slam team.

Baruch Porras-Hernandez (who would later read a poem that opened the floor) asked me to read a second time (considering the distraction earlier). I read my newest work from feti(sh)ame, "Question for Dolly Parton" (working title), a meditation on the gay men I admired growing up.

I'm looking forward to connecting more with these folks.