Yep, I’ve been neglecting you, dear blog readers. Given my mood, it’s something of a miracle that I’m posting now, but I want to get the devil off my shoulder. The one who is whispering that if I don’t post soon, I’m going to lose every reader I have and die alone in a slimy, 16th-century alley while starving and dressed only in filthy rags. (My personal shoulder devils have a flair for detail.)

The truth is, I’ve been overwhelmed by this reading series I’m planning. It’s for Los Angeles Review, naturally–the New York series, since I live so close to the city. Why not? We have contributors from all over the world, not just LA, including many in the tri-state area, so it makes sense to have some readings here. The thing is, I’ve never planned a reading before, so I’m learning as I go, and boy am I learning. 1. Don’t try to find a venue 7 weeks before the reading date, especially if some really obvious venues have been placed off-limits, because you won’t find one with any availability. 2. If you send out a mass invitation to every contributor for every issue (instead of, say, the most recent issue), you will get positive responses from virtually everyone, leaving you with waaaaaay more readers than time. 3. Don’t tell anyone anything about the details until you’ve got it all settled and in writing, or else you will have to backtrack and change plans on people and people don’t like that. Also, 4. be ready for the whole dealio to stress you way out, causing nightly apocalyptic nightmares. Make sure you have someone available to hug you early and often.

All that notwithstanding, things are nearly settled and it looks like the event will be taking place at The Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which I am extremely proud of booking. I consider it a coup, as a matter of fact. It’s March 29 from 7:00-9:00 pm and we have, at the moment, thirteen awesome readers participating, in all genres. Come one, come all, and bring your friends. It’s going to be a great night. Also, they have booze there. If you can’t come in March, come for the second event on September 13. Same time, same place.

Anyway. We’re also getting close to our next reading period opening up for Issue 8, and AWP fast approacheth, and so on and so forth, so the rest of my life has fallen to the wayside, writing included. I find myself, for the first time ever, craving a month at a writer’s colony somewhere. I’ve typically been able to balance writing and an overwhelming life, but not at the moment. Perhaps it’s that winter is getting me down and I have less energy than usual. Yes, I think spring would help tremendously. Sun, where are you???