My husband cautions me not to offer too many poetry readings in Knoxville, for fear of my being overexposed.  But the publicist I hired for "Packing Light' (yes, I hired a publicist, to see if that would make a difference) was baffled by the concept.  She feels that each reading, if publicized well and respectfully, should have an impact.  Nancy Young (the publicist) is smart, energetic, and enthusiastic about my work.  She has offered to handle the out-of-Knoxville events, and I'm going to continue to promote the local events.

Reading from the children's book in different venues always goes over well.   At the Oak Ridge Public Library, I was few minutes late, and the two and three-year-old crowd was waiting patiently.   Each child sat like a little Buddha on a personal mat, poised for story time.  Their wonderful parents brought them each week, and they were trained to listen, to love stories. Lucky children, who will always have books and stories for company in their lives!

But the poetry readings--I do worry about overkill.  I am scheduled to read on February 2nd at the Hodges Library at UT, to launch the new book.   Good.  But then my dear friend Jessie Janeshek, editor of the new anthology, "Outscapes," asked me to be part of a reading to promote that new book in November.   Her kindness and friendship mean the world to me.   So there we are.   She says she'll announce my new poetry book, and will say that the anthology reading is an appetizer.  So I'm getting psyched to memorize and perform the poems in the anthology (which are not in my new book).

I'd say that no one cares but me and my husband about the overexposure factor, except that one of my young male colleagues in creative writing has taunted me for reading on every street corner.   Reading too much is the creative writing exquivalent of being an "easy" woman!  

I'd love to hear from others about the "overexposure" factor, if there is one.   And I'll report back once "Packing Light" is out, as to whether the investment in a publicist makes sense for a poet.  I just noticed that every writer featured in Poets & Writers--no matter how small the press--every single one had a publicist.  For me, a collection of forty years' of writing doesn't happen often.  I want to make the most of the event.   I'm selling last year's Italian shoes and boots to help pay for the publicist.  What?  It's good for red leather to go back into circulation!  

 All cheers, Marilyn