>Poetry Reading at WLU

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If I lived in, say, New York, I wouldn’t go to every reading I hear about. Too many. But they aren’t that common, and I try to go if I can. Today, I hopped down to Washington & Lee University to hear Melanie Almeder read from her book On Dream Street, along with Lesley Wheeler, reading from her new book, Heathen.

The readings were quite different, but I enjoyed them both. My favorites of Almeder’s were from a series on cures. From Wheeler’s reading I especially liked the “Daily Show Ekphrasis” and “The Fall”–at least those are the poems that stayed with me on the way home. (I bought the book, though, so I get another crack at them, except for the unpublished poems she read.)

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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