I’ve begun putting dates for May events in a planner that I can’t find. Actually, I have lost two of them in the past month. This isn’t a crisis, just an inconvenience because I am pretty good at remembering dates. Sometimes I forget, but not often. And interestingly enough, I remember less when I’m more dependent on the planner.

It started out as an ideas day and later fizzled like a dud firecracker. I wrote a third poem, to go with my other poem, entitled Three. I was on a roll. I even had this great line in this third poem, where I talked about being thrown a line (I was caught on a sweeper), and the line image could also be related to writing.

I then decided to resume work on Shelf Life. I pulled it out from under a stack of books on the bookcase (stacks of books are now everywhere), and had an insight about how to continue with it – I am going to use the framework of settings – the recycling center, the meeting house, and the hotel – and write about what happened while at each place.

I also decided that I will work on this an hour each day.

I took my poems to the open mic reading in town, and I read after an eight-year-old recited some lines from Shakespeare. I just thought of it now, that this was a tough act to follow. The poems were not super well received because perhaps they were lacking in context. I did provide plenty of context, mentioning that I wrote two of them at the Foraker Group Summit and that all were about me attempting to figure out where I fit in.

There were about a dozen readers total. And some read multiple times. I wrote a poem on the modern-day version of an etch a sketch and read it. That went over pretty well.

Lancee, who I knew a few years back, was there as was Michele who also attended UAF and got her MFA there, making us kindred spirits. Nice to see both. They also read their work.

We partnered with the Palmer Arts Council, providing books to all comers. This worked well

I then went back to the hotel – Pete and Terry, another BLBP board member, were there working hard on the fundraising campaign.

I told them about my experience and added that I wished we could do more literary events. I further explained that while I know that the term literacy is important, the term literary is equally, if not more important to me. This may have been the first time that I articulated this to anyone.

So anyhow, I am going to take Monday and Tuesday and work at home and see if I can’t get more administratively organized.

Next: 116. 4/27/25: Wack-a-Mole