I know the last postcard arrived a couple weeks ago, but I am still reveling in the variety and riches of a month of postcards from around the world. Yes, I received postcards from Canada, UK, and Australia as well as from within the U.S.! And of course I sent that many out into the void, sometimes with exhuberance and sometimes with a little trepidation. But borrowing from William Stafford’s sage advice, I lowered my standards as needed. I also discovered some new companions in poetry whose presence on Facebook and professional webpages allows me to cultivate a continuing rapport. The ‘void” is actually inhabited–who knew?

This brings me to my “take-away” for this year’s postcard poetry fest. Maybe because this was my third year, it felt more personal. I tracked the names on my list as the cards came in, ticking off each name and trying to connect each name to the poem in hand. I had a lot of fun making the postcards epistolary , that is, inserting “you” into the text which often strengthened the impact. It tickled me to allude to these imaginary connections.

I am happy to share that I have been invited to the APPF  Portland reading for their 2016 anthology of poems: Mother Foucault’s Bookstore, Oct. 27–that’s a Friday, at 7:00 p.m. Come join us and take some of the anonymity  out of an event you might really enjoy as a participant. (Registration begins in mid-July via Paul Splabman–just google August Postcard Poetry Fest and you are on your way.)