Detaching from mattress

Lying in bed, trying to covince myself to get up and get ready for Word on the Street. I'm on a panel at noon about publishing your poetry in magazines. Seems like such an odd thing to have a panel about. Kevin Connolly, Jen LoveGrove, and Emily Pohl-Weary are also on the panel. I will earn $100 and get access to a boozy, foody hospitality suite. I love hospitality suites.

Last night, Dana and I met up with UK poets Martin Figura and Helen Ivory. I "met" Martin on the Randy Newman listserv, and now he and Helen are on their honeymoon and I've organized a Kat Biscuits! reading for them tomorrow. Sandra Alland and I will also be reading. I sure hope an audience shows up. They are amazing people, funny as hell, and I think they'll do great readings. Going to try to record it for a Podcast, whatever that is.

Freaking a little about my week in Yellowknife. I was lured in with promises of a week full of school and college visits, "charge whatever you want," plus a public reading for Yellowknife Public Library where I'd be paid with a $250 tax receipt -- basically, a free reading. Now, less than a week from my flight out there, the only thing confirmed is the freebie reading. I mean, I'm excited about seeing Yellowknife, but I really need to generate some income. It feels weird to be billeted with a stranger for a week to do a one-hour reading. But maybe things'll come together before I get there. Gulp.

Edmonton, Castlegar, and Nelson are also on the agenda for this trip. Never been to Edmonton before. Have a favourite cousin there. Going to do a couple readings. And Nelson, well, that's the home of Hipperson's Hardware, a store mentioned in one of my favourite David McFadden poems.

OK, I'm getting out of bed. This is it. I'm going to put feet to floor. This is for real. I shall toss aside the cover and enter the world. Any second now. Oh yeah, I can feel my leg muscles about to swing into action. Soon the day will be mine. I'm about to leave this bed. Lift my head from the pillow. I really believe it will happen within moments. Really. Honestly.

Over and out.