Overdue and running late... (It's May?!?)
Story of my life... or one of them, anyway. I'm often running late is what I'm saying. Late, early or right on time (which is really just early for being late)
PREORDERS AVAILABLE OMG
Look, y’all, you can pre-order my book right now!
Buy a copy of This Body, This Fruit for yourself (and your nana, your sister-in-law, your cousin around the way, your unc, your pop-pop, mamá, père, your ex- (because, look, I’m not saying you’re still harboring a faint flame of hope in your heart, but… this could either be an incitement for them to talk to you about poetry (always a win!) or a reminder that they missed out on one of the best, because LOOK how great your taste in poetry is!), a second copy for yourself for the office / car / backpack / bookshelf you keep in the front room to show company how good your taste is, and maybe a third copy you can tear the cover from and have matted and framed at a local framing shop because WOW 😍! TrioHousePress has been a wonder and a marvel to work with and I’m deeply thrilled with this cover.
The Other This Body, This Fruit
My play is coming up quick! Less than two months till opening day!!! Pick up tickets to This Body, This Fruit now, and you won’t have to worry about forgetting (or missing out on whichever night/afternoon works best for your schedule).
Quick Reminder
The best way to stay most up to date on my activities is… IDK, really. Usually I’m pretty good with this newsletter. And there’s the calendar on my Events page. And my Events page. My Instagram is usually (not always) up to date. Sigh. You do you 🤷🏼♀️
Spoken Heart: Amplifying Voices
Saturday, May 4th, 1:00—4:00 PM
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis
This gathering will feature spoken word poetry, community singing, and the opportunity to immerse yourself in the art.
Join us for Amplifying Voices, an inspiring afternoon in the gallery with Art from the Inside that brings together community, creativity, and connection. This gathering will feature spoken word poetry, community singing, and the opportunity to immerse yourself in the art. Together, we will lift our voices, reflect through art, and create a space for storytelling, healing, and collective experience. Guests are invited to explore the artwork, listen, participate, and connect with others in a transformative afternoon of creative community.
Art from the Inside (AFTI) is a Twin Cities nonprofit that uplifts the voices of currently and formerly incarcerated artists by sharing their work with communities beyond prison walls.
BuckSlam Team Feature & Open Mic
Wednesday, May 13th, 7:00 PM (doors at 6:30 PM)
Yellowbird Coffee Bar NE
639 22nd Ave NE, Minneapolis
The winning BuckSlam team will be performing at the next BuckSlam, followed by an unscored open mic. I’ll be there! Reading a poem! At the Open Mic!
My team, Queer AF - an amazing group of wonderful poets - placed fourth overall! And this is my second year making finals at the Midwest Poetry Mash-Up 😁
Film unlocked on May 14th
Portrait of Midway (a video poetry collaboration). If you’re a financial supporter, of course, you’ve had access for a couple months already 😊.
Podcast Launch!!!!!
Thursday, May 27th, 6 PM
Open Book Performance Hall
Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis
I’ve been working for a while on this project, a new podcast called Into a Darker Wilderness. From the website, IntoADarkerWilderness.com:
Into a Darker Wilderness podcast sits at the intersection of nature and Black history, expanding our definitions and seeking new understandings of our relationships with and through time, nature, and history.
Into A Darker Wilderness is co-hosted by Erin Sharkey, editor of A Darker Wilderness anthology, and Michael Kleber-Diggs, poet and author of Worldly Things and contributor to A Darker Wilderness. Each episode offers engaging dialogue with writers across the United States, unpacking the ways that Black folks have stewarded natural spaces despite pervasive structural racism. The Into A Darker Wilderness podcast celebrates the little and big impacts that Black folks have had on nature writing, all while inspiring listeners to cultivate new relationships with the outdoors.
There is a very cool event flyer on the way; I plan to send out a special edition newsletter along in the next week or so with more details.
Rainbow Festival
Thursday, May 28th, 6:00—9:00 PM
Maggie’s Farm Theater
Lenox Community Center, St. Louis Park
Come get your pre-Pride on! Celebrating identity and queer joy through performance art and craft with a variety of Twin Cities musical artists, crafters, artisans, improv comedians, poets (including me!), and… a sing-along 🤩 — pick up tickets in advance or when you get there ($12 credit card, $10 cash at the door). The artisan area will be free to access if you want to skip the performances (???).
Better Things (June 2026)
I’m hosting the next Better Things 5x5 Reading & Open Mic (with my fabulous co-host, Erin Sharkey) on June 2nd, 7pm at Moon Palace Books; we’re featuring five fantastic artists: mk zariel, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna (who just released The Way the Water Does).
Rhythm & Revolution Poetry Discussion
Wednesday, June 3, 6:30 PM
Arlington Hills Community Center - Community Room
1200 Payne Avenue, Saint Paul
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book, selected my poem “‘America’ Never Loved Me” as winner for the We the People theme in Rhythm and Revolution: The America at 250 Poetry Project. I’ll be making a rare appearance all the way across the river in Saint Paul for a short, moderated conversation followed by an audience Q & A.