There are only a few weeks left to support the VOX Press fundraising campaign. For those who may not be familiar with it, VOX Press, based out of Oxford, MS, has nurtured and promoted poetry and the arts for nearly a decade, publishing a journal, sponsoring community outreach in schools, hosting events and readings, and now embarking upon an ambitious new book series. Currently in the works is a volume of essays on Barry Hannah, which this campaign is intended in part to support.

The campaign ends January 7. I’m honored to be a contributor, and proud to be a supporter.

I’m delighted to say that my new novella, The Bella, is now available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Today’s date is the two-year anniversary of the day on which the book is set: December 15, 2009. After so much that happened — and didn’t happen — it’s still hard to believe that we were there.

I have a new article up at Pelican Bomb, a small tour of the artwork at A Studio in the Woods. For those in the New Orleans area, the current resident, Roy Staab, is seeking help volunteering this coming Monday (December 12) installing his latest work, Chaise Ile, at Bayou Bienvenue in the Lower Ninth Ward — contact the Studio for more information. The unveiling of the work will take place next Saturday, December 17, at the corner of Caffin and Florida Avenue, from 2-4pm.

Speaking of unveilings, the new Mid-City branch of Maple Street Bookshop is now open, a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Adjacent to a grocery store, a wine shop, and a coffee house, that intersection has everything anyone could possibly need.

Oh, were there a machine that would make it so easy. First and foremost, my thanks to Susan Larson at WWNO 89.9FM for inviting me to join her on The Reading Life last night; the program is an absolute treasure and none of us here in New Orleans can imagine life without it. Thanks to everyone at WWNO. The interview will be rebroadcast this coming Saturday at 12.30pm, and available online thereafter.

For those in the New Orleans area, tonight’s reading (Wednesday), graciously sponsored by the Latter Branch of the New Orleans Public Library, will begin with a reception at 6pm, with the reading and signing to follow at 6.30. Valentine Pierce and I will both be reading new work, so we’ll look forward to sharing it with everyone there.

Following that, I’m looking forward to joining Ingrid Norton, Richard Goodman, Eve Abrams, and Helen Jaksch at the HomeSpace Gallery for the closing reception for the Redheaded Stepchild exhibition this coming Sunday, and the day afterwards, fellow Mississippi and Gulf Coast authors at the 8th annual Author Extravaganza at Main Street Books in Hattiesburg. Further details are available here.

Starting today, I’ll be writing a weekly column for the Uptown Messenger, covering arts and culture, appearing on Sundays. The first one, “Between Poetry and Prose,” is a recap of a few readings in New Orleans over the past week. I’m always open to ideas for stories from anyone in the area; don’t hesitate to get in touch.