Was humbled to learn yesterday that my collection “The Singing River” was a finalist for the 2020 Raz-Shumaker Prize at Prairie Schooner, one of the most distinguished publications and presses in the country. I’m grateful for this vote of confidence, and am so looking forward to Mónica Gomery’s new book when it appears. To all the poets out there: Read. Write. Persist!

I’m delighted to be joining the good folks over at the Author Shoppe tomorrow afternoon for a reading and chin-wag about Hattiesburg history. The reading is a 12.30 gather for a 1pm start at 140 E. Front Street downtown.

The owners were kind enough to invite me on to their podcast last week, where we spoke about history, fiction, and most importantly, how to piss people off (namely, by telling them the truth). You can listen to that conversation on Spotify at this link.

Last week the OA featured a piece from its archive, a 2013 essay about the abandoned Jazzland theme park in New Orleans. Interesting to see it return, given the recent speculation about redevelopment…

Delighted to say that at long last the New Orleans Poetry Festival is returning this year — free, online, open to the public, and taking place all month long in April. For months we’ve been working behind the scenes to transition the festival into a virtual format, and are excited to kick it off this Thursday, April 1, with a launch event for the anthology I Am New Orleans.

I’ll be hosting an event on poetry and travel in the age of Covid on April 20, but until then, more details about all events, including how to register and a full schedule, are available at nolapoetry.com.

I’m grateful to have been able to review the Louisiana Contemporary 2020 exhibition, in its last days at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art (closes Feb 7). If you’re in the area and you never got a chance to see it, consider this the perfect activity for a rainy weekend — the show is as provocative and inspiring as ever. Thanks to the editors at Burnaway for the opportunity.