ALL POETS ARE THIEVES!!!

Back from the Emerald Isle and, sadly, the emerald has been devalued. But the craic (mischief) is still afoot and the Celts are still, unlike most of their American counterparts, readers. And listeners. Last week I was invited to read poetry at a library in Carlow, a small town roughly ninety minutes southwest of Dublin. Most of the audience members were neither poets nor typically poetry readers. However, they were curious and thought that a night of poetry would be a worthy collision with the new. I do hope it was. All in all, the evening was sublime and the fine young poet Derek Coyle, with whom I shared the stage, was phenomenal.

In case you're interested in quality verse, I suggest you go check out Samuel Menashe this weekend. Menashe, who was published several years ago by the Library of America in their Neglected Masters Series, will read Saturday at the Jefferson Market Library at 2 pm. Admission is free. The Library is on 6th Avenue and 9th St., across from the PATH station. I will be reading with Samuel, a warm-up act so you can indulge in the Menashean mind, truly a fine mind. And a great poet. J/C