Blogging from North Dakota, where I’m participating in the Writing on the Body conference. I was on a panel, “The Metaphorical Body,” yesterday with poets Miller Williams and Li-Young Li, and artist Anne Harris. I loved sitting back and listening to Williams, who was thoughtful and eloquent, and who, in addition to his own achievements as a poet, made the world a better place by siring Lucinda Williams. I got to talk with him and his wife, Jordan, at length during lunch after the panel, and was reminded of one of the nicer things about Arkansas–nameliness, the genuine kindness of many of the people.

Stuart Dybek gave an excellent reading last night. I’ll be reading today, Li-Young-Lee tonight, Mary Gaitskill tomorrow. If you’re in Grand Forks (anyone in Grand Forks?), please come by.

Thanks to Nancy Salmon at Kepler’s, who wrote to say that she’s handselling THE YEAR OF FOG with gusto. If you’re in Menlo Park you can pick up a copy by the register–I’ll be reading there with Ann Cummins on April 9th.