Happy National Poetry Month!

It's April and here in the Midwest, we've had our fair share of Winter and are ready to welcome Spring! National Poetry Month always seems to perk me up and I've been glad to do some readings and events this month (as well as in March).

The featured reading at Mama D's in Wales was amazing. I read from "Motherlung," "We Nod Our Dark Heads," a few new poems, and rounded it off with my old favorite, "Birds in the Mediterranean Speak Like Syrup."

You can view the latter here:

My husband was kind enough to record my intro to "Motherlung"

I appreciated the ambiance and audience at Mama D's. I met quite a few wonderful poets and friends. Thanks to Jim Landwehr, poet laureate of Wales and a cohort of mine from AllWriters' Workplace & Workshop, for inviting me.

I celebrated National Poetry Month closer to home, as well - like down the street. The Eager Free Public Library here in Evansville hosted local poets to speak to the Women's Literary Club. We read our own work as well as our favorite poets' and also guided the group in a writing prompt.

 Explaining the writing and publishing process at Eager Free Public Library

The Evansville Review joined in on celebrating National Poetry Month by highlighting me as their local poet of the week.

I don't often get to share my "other persona" with my wonderful little city of Evansville as I am known as Lisa Auter, wife and stepmom first and foremost. It was nice to have neighbors stop and ask if that was me in the paper.

April also brought Artful Dodge to my mailbox and I was delighted to see my poem, "Cleave," amidst the other fine work (ahh, can we say Marge Piercy???!!!)

And at the end of April, the Eager Free Library is holding an open mic and I'll be starting it off with some "Motherlung!"

As much as I love April because poetry gets recognized as the wonder that it is, I'm a huge fan of celebrating it every month. Check back often! I have exciting plans in the making for November!