First Friday & Nuestra Palabra Radio Show

I did my first First Friday! I didn't know what to expect since I had never been before but I wanted to go hear local writer Gwen Zepeda read. I thought I'd show my support by sharing a few of my poems during the Open Mic portion. Not that she needed my support but I love supporting Latina writers when I can. She read poems from her new chapbook, “How to be a Secretary.” I LOVED “Proposal.” I love the line she repeats throughout, “I’m ready to be my own bride.” And the line, “I finally captured the girl I deserve.”

I got to the First Friday house and it is in fact a house. The readings take place in a living room setting with the chairs set up auditorium style. There are other chairs in a side room that also faces where the reader stands to read. In other words it isn't big.

A friend asked me earlier that day if she and her sister should come with the kids and I hesitated to tell her yes only because I didn't know what to expect. Later I told her about the setting and she was glad they didn't go.

Another thing I didn't know was how many people sign up to read. Twenty-one people signed up that night! It was a full house! The other thing is that the man who runs it calls everyone's name randomly. So you don't know when your name will be called. And since it doesn't actually start at 8:30 p.m. you never know what time you'll be getting out of there. My name was called around 10:45 p.m.! Thank you to those of you who stuck it out to hear me read! I had seven friends, my sister, and my husband there.

All in all it was a great experience. Since it was my first time reading poetry I must admit I was nervous. I was a little apprehensive of how it would be accepted but then I remembered that that's the beautiful thing about poetry. These were my words and my very own experiences. I could have written, "I love my kids," and that could be called poetry. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but you know what I mean. Once I read the poems and I got some chuckles I felt good and like I was well received.

I read three poems. I did read “My Boy Sleeps” and “Mama and Hilda.” On Thursday, at the last minute, I ended up writing a new poem, “Morning Drama.” If you missed hearing me read I will be reading them again on the air on the Nuestra Palabra show, probably on Tuesday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m. I’ll have a definite day soon. The poems are all pre-recorded and will be aired on one day but they will be edited and mixed in with others’ works.

If you don’t get to hear it that same night the beautiful convenience of the Internet makes it easy for you to hear any time after that online at kpft.org. You just go to the Archives and click on the show you want to hear. More definite news on that to come soon! Thanks Nuestra Palabra!! Thanks Liana for pre-recording me reading my poems this weekend.

This is going to be the year that I will do more for my writing. I will actively try to sell my current book, I will write a chapbook of short stories, I’m starting a new novel and I’m going to do more readings. I’m going to get active in more literary events through Nuestra Palabra and WIVLA if I can.