Now back on the west coast (for a hot second), I haven't been doing much but studying, researching, writing--mostly for upcoming teaching. BUT: yesterday the faculty @ The Evergreen State College, several students, & alumni, led by my partner Elizabeth Williamson & collaborator & friend Arun Chandra, held an Evergreen book launch/surprise birthday party for me at Orca Books. Most everyone there grabbed printed out sections of Occultations (as well as Hospitalogy, if they so chose), and performed these pieces in any way they wanted to. Some hammed it up, others rehearsed these beautiful (as far as the book can get, anyway) polyvocal pieces, and others walked in, grabbed a page or two, and read on the spot. Aside from Arun Chandra / Elizabeth Williamson's piece (they performed a whole section of the book), if I had to choose a piece of virtuosity, I might go with Sarah Yamasaki's Star Trek version of the books' beginning: each noun replaced by a Trek noun, some other on-the-spot replacements, and the thing sounded quite like a scene in one of the shows. 

Nice to see friends Leonard Schwartz & Steven Hendricks, Holly Melgard, Jenny Paris, some of whom I hadn't seen in a year. Anyway, huge thanks to everyone who put the reading & afterparty together, especially Arun & Elizabeth, & including Orca Books.

So, I don't have any photos of that reading (tho somebody might?), so instead I decided to put these up on the blog: of my east coast (official) book launch for Occultations. Just got these from co-designer of the book, Kate Robinson, so first time I've seen these. Dark theater. Really nice theater. No Dottie Lasky, who was one of the 4 readers, due to pesky camera batteries. 

Belladonna Series Big Spring Book Launch, NYC & Dixon Place Theater: (above) David Wolach, w/help from book designer Kate Robinson (Occultations, Black Radish Books). (below) David; Eleni Stecopolous (Armies of Compassion, Palm Press); Brenda Iijima (revv. you'll--ution, Displaced Press, If Not Metamorphic, Ahsahta Press). Not Pictured b/c Kate's camera batteries died & she read last: Dottie Lasky (Black Life, Wave Books)