Green Apple Books and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival readings

This past Tuesday I read at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, curated by Robin Ekiss and LitQuake. 
I had the great fortune of reading with Brenda Montoya, Javier Zamora, and Javier Huerta.  Music was provided by La Gente on a really gorgeous day in San Francisco.

This reading came right on a day of personal emotional turmoil.  While I usually read some of my somber poems, at the YBGF I had to read lighter poems as a way of being gentler on myself and on those listening.  After the reading, I totally felt like my work was a wash, like my voice didn't matter among the powerful voices of my co-readers and co-performers.  It was afterward, chatting with folks about The Acentos Review, readings and the work, that I felt welcomed, affirmed and light.  My recent heartbreak still presses on me, but with days like this past Tuesday, the pain is lessened. 

At that event, I read from both Canticle of Idols and Boogeyman Dawn: 
"Lesson" p. 16 of Canticle of Idols
"Genocide Bop" from Boogeyman Dawn
"All that time, waiting to bloom" from Boogeyman Dawn
"Pixie stick" p. 86 of Canticle of Idols
"Christ and Magdalene" p. 90 of Canticle of Idols

5 poems and 10 minutes. 

I am working on my reading for Green Apple Books.  I've pulled a number of poems from my third manuscript, second book, and first book:  "Sonku for God's Girl" p. 57, "Believe" p. 46, "Ascend" p. 63, and "Addict" p. 22 from Canticle of Idols; from Boogeyman Dawn, "Surviving the Burn," "To survive," "An owl questions with a human face," "To fall to sleep then wake,""Lately I've grown accustomed,""All around, he's there,""On the football field," and "The disappearance of fireflies";  From the third manuscript,  "chill," "Quotilla:  Closing the bar," "Portrait of a landscape," "Elective," "To see the sister," and "Archangel." Since I only have 15 minutes, I'm thinking that this might be the order: 

"To see the sister" Third manuscript
"Believe" p. 46 Canticle of Idols
"Ascend" p. 53 Canticle of Idols
"The disappearance of fireflies  Boogeyman Dawn
"To fall to sleep then wake" .Boogeyman Dawn
"Surviving the Burn"  Boogeyman Dawn
 "Lately I've grown accustomed" Boogeyman Dawn

"Portrait of a landscape" Third manuscript
"Quotilla:  Closing the bar"  Third manuscript

I wanted to write a new poems for today.  Perhaps when I settle at the bookstore I will.