Sun & Urn, Christopher Salerno’s latest book of poems, is filled with grief and loss—including the big three of modern life: infertility, divorce and death. But deep down, it’s also a tender, sometimes funny, ultimately hopeful book. This seemed like the perfect book with which to end my run as an interviewer for the Ploughshares blog—and this series the perfect excuse to get in touch with a poet whose work I’ve read with interest for a long time. You can read the interview here.

And catch up with the whole three-year run of interviews — featuring Paisley Rekdal, Ciaran Carson, Marianne Boruch, Naoko Fujimoto, Tomas Q. Morin and many more — over here.

I'm excited to head over to Poe Park on the 18th to read from Dear Almost and talk about my writing with Charlie Vazquez, the director of the Bronx Writers Center. It's a special thrill to participate in an event hosted by the Parks Department, which named my reading a "Must See Event"! 

Paisley Rekdal’s writing explores identity in its many facets: the experiences and influences that make us who we are and all the ways we shape, and are shaped by, our world. I’ve read her work for years, so it was a special treat to get to ask her about her poems for the Ploughshares blog for this interview -- my next-to-last one in this series.

I had a great time last week reading with Nicole Cooley and Miranda Field at Berl's over in Brooklyn. Thanks again to Jared White for hosting us -- and thanks so much to everyone who came to the reading. It was nice to see so many old friends. For those who couldn't be there, Jared video'd the whole thing and you can watch it on Facebook.

I’m looking forward to several readings this fall and the chance to share Dear Almost with some new readers. I’ll be reading with Nicole Cooley and Miranda Field at Berl’s Poetry Shop in Brooklyn next month, as well as reading and fielding questions at a poetry town hall event in The Bronx in November. A reading in Baltimore is also in the works. Check out the Events page for more info.

Hearty thanks to The Southern Review for picking up a poem from my new book project. “Your New World” will appear in the Spring 2018 issue.

Kathy Fagan’s poems explore the mysteries in the matter-of-fact; they bring a sharp eye and tender heart to the exact and strange particulars of life. I was thrilled to have the chance to read with her earlier this year in Ann Arbor. More recently, we caught up via email to talk about her beautiful new book of poems,  Sycamore, for the Ploughshares blog.

Thank you to the editors of HeartWood Literary Magazine and contest judge Maggie Anderson for selecting my poem “The Road to Bethlehem” as an honorable mention in their annual broadside competition. The poem will appear in their October issue.

Thank you to editor Eileen Tabios for engaging with Dear Almost in the latest issue of Galatea Resurrects. Here’s an excerpt: “The anguished roots of the poem highlight the achievements of Dear Almost for presenting a poem which narratively travels far and wide and yet makes all elements relate to the poet’s unborn daughter—and Thorburn does so in controlled and luminous words.” You can read the full piece here.

I'm honored to have my poem "Gray Light on An Unmade Bed" named an honorable mention in Cave Wall's 2017 Broadside Contest. Congratulations to all of the poets recognized for their work.