I’m thrilled to be joining a cohort of superb writers here in New Orleans — among them Brian Boyles, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, and Katy Simpson Smith — for Bloomsday next Tuesday, June 16. If you’ve never been to a Bloomsday celebration, drop everything that evening and join us — by turns strange, funny, moving, and nonsensical, I promise it’ll be the weirdest (and best) encounter with language you have all week. 6-8pm at the Irish House on St. Charles, with spots available for guest readers to show up with their own favorite passages (come early to sign up).

Pelican Bomb has a brief essay on baldness, as part of their ongoing (De)tangled series on hair. Who among us couldn’t watch that clip of Zidane over and over again?

Room 220 has a brief take on Kate Tempest and her upcoming performance at One Eyed Jack’s in New Orleans. For those in the New Orleans area, go.

Pelican Bomb has a brief essay on a new set of wetlands-themed murals being exhibited this week at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. For any in this area, stop by for the reception on Wednesday– the students did a fantastic job.

What a pleasure it is in the middle not just of National Poetry Month but of National Library Week to join the Hattiesburg Public Library’s “Lunch with Books” program. Tomorrow, Tuesday the 14th, I’ll be reading from Hattiesburg at 12 noon, with a discussion — and dessert — to follow. With much of the material for the book coming from the Library’s own collections, it’s an especial joy to join them for the afternoon.

Registration is $10, available from the Library in advance or at the door. Come for the book, stay for the ice cream– rumor has it it’s made in-house.