It's true! Thursday, October 6. I don't think it's too early to pimp a reading at Iowa's finest bookgasm palace, do you?

This is what it would look like if the President bought my book at Prairie Lights!

I got a whole lot of spinning plates in the air! My new book's coming out in October, I'm about to start my second year teaching at ISU (go, Clones!), and my little side biz, Saltlickers, is really taking off.  So I'll also be teaching a few cooking classes at the famed Des Moines Social Club. I'm so psyched! Sign up and we'll talk about the poetic nature of spices. Really!

EPAZOTE ME, ASAP

COOKING WITH HERBS & SPICES OF THE SOUTHWEST
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 5:30 p.m. AT THE DES MOINES SOCIAL CLUB CULINARY LAB
900 Mulberry Street in DM
We'll unpack the bright, fresh, and rich flavors of southwestern cooking. On the menu: chilies, peppers, regional garlic and onions, epazote, cumin, cilantro, cinnamon, vanilla and more. We’ll explore fresh versus dried ingredients and techniques such as roasting and grinding. We’ll also create a delicious southwestern style spice blend to take home.
$30 per person. Register on the Des Moines Social Club website.
Here's the FB event. Ask a question or let me know what spices you'd like to learn about!

Etouffee? Ees a-ok!

COOKING WITH HERBS & SPICES OF THE SOUTH
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 5:30 p.m. AT THE DES MOINES SOCIAL CLUB CULINARY LAB
900 Mulberry Street in DM
What’s the difference between Creole and Cajun? We'll find out when we unpack the cornerstone ingredients of southern cooking. On the menu: regional garlic, onions and shallots, peppers, celery, filé, bay, and more. We’ll explore fresh versus dried ingredients and techniques such as roasting and grinding. We’ll also create a delicious southern spice blend to take home.
$30 per person. 
Here's the FB event. Ask a question or let me know what spices you'd like to learn about!

An interview of me in the PRoPS creators blog! Thanks, PRoPS and Ken Hamm, for making it happen!

This is cool as f*k. Kerrith Livengood is a musical genius who has taken some poems of mine and turned them into mad modern musical compositions. Check them out. We are going to collaborate soon. 

Kerrick's entire awesome Soundcloud page is here.

This is his wonderful take on my work for The Poetry Review (UK). Thanks, Jack! 

"And there is the surprising tidiness of her writing, despite its pace and the amount of stuff she packs in. She writes the way Dean Moriarty parks cars."

Another misfit poem up at Queen Mob's Teahouse!

I'm today's naked castaway on the Island of Misfit Toys at Queen Mob's Teahouse! Thanks, Mobbers!

This. Is. Amazing. 

Michael Ching asked me if I'd write the words to his music for the 2015 Science Festival Chorus' "A Little Light Music." Our piece was about how animals see light. We called it "What do you see, butterfly?" The Cambridge Family Chorus is singing. I'm guessing the kids did the drawings. Thank you so much, Michael, for inviting me to do this! Click here to watch.

I'm so thrilled to be part of Plume's amazing new anthology, with 100 awesome poets including my NYU homie, Kazim Ali. Plume's always been so supportive of my work. Thanks, Daniel and all  you Plumers! Get it here!