LitDay!

I feel somewhat -- somewhat, mind you -- inspired.

I want to finish all the books I'm reading, which include:

The Penelopiad/Margaret Atwood
Snow/Orhan Pamuk
Autobiography of Red/Anne Carson
A Room of One's Own/Virginia Woolf

Plus, I really, really want to read the new Dave Eggers, plus:

All the Best American series books that I feel are relevant to me (which will probably include "stories" and "poetry," and often, "non-required," but may also include "science" and "travel"), Yann Martel's collection of short stories (I've been trying to get around to it forever!), the Helsinki Roccamatios, plus all of Ondaatje's works that I haven't read, and the rest of Margaret Atwood's collections. And the, I need to move on to stuff more outside of my comfort zone.

I'm not sure what that will include. But it will be mixed with the poets I feel I need to read.

I feel like today is going to be exceptionally productive. Yesterday was productive as well. Let me break it down!

Yesterday: I went to a reading at UMass Boston. Irish poet Greg Delanty was reading. I had a tough time finding an example of his poems on line, but managed to find this at poets.org:

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19626

Anyway, his reading was excellent, and prompted me to buy his book, "The Blind Stitch," which I proceeded to read immediately after the reading in the lobby. Excellent.

Today, I'm going to the last New & Emerging Writers Series Reading of the year, which has a YA focus. You can get the details about this reading here: http://newsreadings.wordpress.com/

After the NEWS reading, I intend to jaunt over to Somerville to attend the Somerville Writers Festival (http://www.heatcityreview.com/somervillenews.htm), which features Robert Pinsky, Tom Perotta, and Steve Almond.

I'm very excited about today. Also, I already drafted a poem today, and I have itchy fingers.

I believe my friend Marybeth is coming with me, which will make it that much more enjoyable. It's nice when you're not an island.

For those who might not be aware, two of my closest friends and I have undertaken the creation of a magazine, which we're very excited about. Coupled with that, I've gone and collated all the information I could garner about current lit events and put them on the magazine's myspace calendar (http://www.myspace.com/blackwillowreview).

Also, if you feel like submitting your work to the magazine, the guidelines are there as well! You should submit.... to: blackwillowreview@gmail.com. Our new email addresses will come with our new (forthcoming!) website!