I think I've told everyone at least 10x that the former U.S. Poet Laureate (2004-2006) Ted Kooser is going to reprint my poem "The Pelican," from my new book, Compositions of the Dead Playing Flutes. So please forgive me if you have heard this before!

What I may not told you is that I have a reading tonight in Westminster at Ziggi's Coffee House and that I think a lot of Denver people may be coming. 

A few other important things are in the works that have much to do with the marketing of my book:

• a poem (and I don't know which one) will be featured on Verse Daily on Sunday, January 19

• a cable news channel in Denver is right this moment scheduling me for an interview with one of their documentary makers, Shaughnessy McDaniel.

• I am going to be attending this year's AWP conference in Seattle and speaking on a panel. This may seem far removed from my book, but it is not. Point in fact: several of my poems are about what the panel is about: Haiti. I plan on packing my books when I go!

• I am looking forward to the May radio interview on the KRFC Poetry Show out of Fort Collins.

This I know is not enough. I need to be lining up readings by the dozens and getting my book out into book stores. I also need a professionally rendered book trailer, not like the one I recently pieced together!

And I need to blog more. In the meantime, I have three trips planned that will hopefully allow me some time to market my books to other states and venues: Moab this weekend, Seattle end of February, and then the icing on the cake: A month-long residency up in Banner, Wyomoing, courtesy of the Jentel Artist's Residency Program. Wonderful things are happening.