pittsburgh

Dustin and I had our first reading together at CMU last week. My mom is here visiting so she was able to help us out with childcare so this could happen in the first place. Terrance H and Yona H were such lovely hosts and Yona gave us an incredible intro. I love doing readings, but this was super fun to be with Dustin in a setting like this. I opened for him and read mostly all brand-new poems, including part of a 13 pager long poem about --wait for it--the birth of our son. I told Dustin he'd be reading the italicized parts of one section of this poem about 2 minutes before we got to the auditorium. And like a pro, he didn't flinch, which is amazing considering he 1) has never seen this poem before and 2) had no idea he was going to read a part of it or that I was going to read a part of it. So 1/2 way thru my 'set'--I invited him up there and this was the best part--the audience didn't know (with a few exceptions) that we were married (Yona and Jim and Terrance and anyone who was teaching my work didn't mention that little fact to the students) so it was a total surprise the way I set it up..."I'm going to read a small section of a longer poem about the birth of my son, and this has never happened before, and he has never even read the poem before, but my husband will actually read part of it with me. Dustin, can you please come up to the stage for a minute?"

ahahahahaa. the audience totally laughed and even gasped audibly with surprise. and lest you roll your eyes and think this was a totally self-indulgent gag-me poem about the oh so NOT original subject of *birth*, you can be rest assured that Homey don't play that. The section we read aloud was a bunch of our fears and superstitions that were passed onto me when I was pregnant in the Philippines. It was funny, if I do say so myself. Or maybe the audience fake -giggled. Anyway, the best best best part was seeing D totally rock the audience after I read with his hilarious short-story and having so many fiction students swarm him and ask questions afterwards. The good folks at CMU had a sweet reception for us afterwards and a bunch of students hung out with us and I signed books and we closed down the place till the janitors were literally sweeping us out the door well past 10pm. On a school night! And poor Yona and Terrance had been teaching all day, too. I know Yona back from our days at Ohio State before she had the 1st of their beautiful children. Some of my dear former Kundiman students were in the audience too and that was a special treat in itself. Sally and Soham:

At any rate, I wish so bad that all of my readings could be joint readings with my husband. It was like a mini-vacay and then we hit the road the next day at sunrise so he could make it back in time to teach his 11am class. Back to reality! ps. who knew rt 79 to Pittsburgh is totally beautiful?? I can only imagine when the fall color is in full effect--wow. Shimmery hills, I bet. So much Shimmer.