Category Archives: Uncategorized

Hey everyone. I had the honor of being selected for the 40 North Volunteer Ace Award. They made a video you can watch here. Please support 40 North any way you can, either by attending events, donating time or cash, or just by being a nice person who appreciates the arts. Thank you.

Episode #92 features me. Watch it here or catch it on UPTV6 if you are in CU.

Poet Jim O’Brien discusses his artwork on this episode of Art Now.

Art Now is an award-winning mini-documentary series that has produced over 90 episodes on local artists working in Champaign-Urbana and the surrounding areas since July 2010. A joint production by the Urbana Public Arts Program and Urbana Public Television, Art Now highlights members of the Urbana’s creative community and introduces local artists to the viewers of the program. For more information, visit: http://www.urbanaillinois.us/artnow.

Fly Right

I can’t keep
keep my head away
from the brick wall
for very long before
another false start ends
with a thud thud thud
tearing at my sense
of well-being.
Frantic honking
draws my attention
away from my chair.
I go outside
to where a flock of geese
struggle
to get into the familiar
wedge formation. I understand
their flailing and feel
at one with them now,
comforted by their inability
to form a proper vee.
This makes me feel better
about the world, about
the end of the promise.
Winter approaches
with surety, with the
dedication of an eagle
perched on a bare branch,
surveying the landscape
for signs of life,
which he will capture
and eat for lunch.

Available here

Saturday, November 4th, I’ll be at the Tuscola Community Building serving up poems from 10 to 5 with the Tuscola Oddfellows at their Oddmarket. Details here, you be there.

I’m very excited to announce I’ll be at Sipyard in Urbana every Wednesday in August from 6 to 8, weather permitting. Stop by for a brew and a poem!

Saturday, June 17th from 10:00 to 4:00 I’ll be serving up Poems on Tap at the Best Damn Backyard Art Pop-up, 508 S. Chicago Ave, Champaign, IL.

A bunch of cool stuff will be available the first weekend in May at the first-ever SideShow Gallery — Parasol Pop-up in the old Parasol Records building at 303 W. Griggs Street in Urbana.

Friday, May 5, 4:00 to 9:00 and Saturday, May 6, 11:00 to 4:00

Here’s a link to the Facebook event which has links to many of the artists’ work. I’ll be there with my typewriter (and my backup typewriter) so stop by for a poem and maybe it will wind up here.

Thank you to Rat’s Ass Review for publishing my poem Napa Cabbage. This is a long-time favorite of mine that has its roots in a paper I wrote on post-modernism way back when.

Lots of opportunities for poetry in CU in April. I will be reading with the CU Poetry Group from 2-4 on April 8th at Jane Addams Bookshop in Champaign, from 2-4 on April 9th at Pizza M in Urbana, and rolling out the typewriter whenever I can between both. That weekend is the Boneyard Arts Festival in CU so come early and stay late.

And don’t forget about Poets at the Post – a monthly open mic that I am hosting at the Iron Post in Urbana the 2nd Monday of each month, which will be April 10th. Signups start at 6:30, reading starts at 7.

Saturday, March 11th, I’ll be taking Poems on Tap on the road to Springfield, IL for a pop up show. Facebook info here.

Saturday, Arpil 8th, I’ll be providing Poems on Tap at the Jane Addams Book Shop before the CU Poetry Group reading. Catch me at noon and the reading from 2-4.

Monday, March 13th, will be the second Poets at the Post – a monthly reading series I’m hosting at The Iron Post. The featured reader for March is Will Reger and lots of open mic slots. I’m calling it Poets at the Post because it sounds cool but all poets, writers, and storytellers are welcome.