Talk delivered on February 15, 2020. Organized loosely around exploring the relationship between the Cascadian bioregion as it intersects with Zen ideas, practices, and aesthetics, Seattle University hosted a diverse group of writers interested in exploring the question of “What is Cascadian Zen?” through their poetic and/or philosophical writing.
“When doing good to a man,” a poem from the Tamil poet Avvaiyar
A poem about gratitude and transformation by the 12th century Tamil woman, poet, and saint Avvaiyar. From her collection, “The Word that Endures.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
GIVE, EAT, AND LIFE: POEMS OF AVVAIYAR
Red Hen Press, Los Angeles
Free Performances in May and Wonder From Home
During the month of May I’m honored to present several online performances.
Cozy Grammar is offering free access to these two shows for the entire month:
- A Thousand Thanks: The Gift of Sadako and Her Cranes, a show I wrote for the Family Series at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) about the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.
- By Heart: A Celebration of Words, Magic, and Memory, a show I premiered at Open Space for Arts and Community about how poets and poetry sing memory alive, join past, present, and future, and reveal what’s really in our hearts and minds.
You can learn more and access the performances on Cozy Grammar’s Free Resources page.
And if you’d like to share them with friends, please feel free to pass this information along.
I’m also happy to announce that the NPR recording of my January talk at Town Hall Seattle has been posted to KUOW’s website:
A world where poetry meets magic and wonder | John O’Brien
You’re welcome to share this as well or simply enjoy the recording in a spare moment should you so desire.
Wonder From Home
Last, in a new experiment for me, I’ve been asked by Atlas Obscura‘s “Wonder From Home” series to present a live event from home on Sunday, May 17th.
It’s called The Magic of Words in a Poet-Magician’s Yurt and will be an hour-long online interactive presentation and workshop, similar to one I recently offered at the Sahrdaya Foundation in Chennai, India.
Tickets are $10. You can read all about it on Altas Obscura’s website.
Lyric World: Conversations with Contemporary Poets
I’m deeply honored to help inaugurate Lyric World: Conversations with Contemporary Poets, a new event series sponsored by Town Hall and curated by Shin Yu Pai.
On January 30, 2020, I’ll be reading and speaking about poetry and wonder. Jali Ibrahim Arsalan will also perform West African kora music and the poet Melanie Noel will facilitate an on-stage conversation.
Kai Curry of the Northwest Asian Weekly recently featured the series in an article:
“Town Hall Seattle and KUOW series highlights AAPI poets”
The Seattle Review of Books also featured the event on their website:
Literary Event of the Week: Lyric World at Town Hall Seattle
And Paul Nelson of Seattle Poetics LAB recently interviewed me and curator Shin Yu Pai. You can read the interview in the South Seattle Emerald:
Shin Yu Pai’s Poetry Series Gets a Dose of Magic With Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
You can watch a video of the interview here:
October 13 at MindFair Books
Oberlin’s wonderful local bookstore, MindFair Books, will be hosting a reading of my new book, The Safety of Edges, at 1pm on Sunday, October 13, 2019. It’s a particularly delightful honor to be able to read in the town where I went to college.
You can read more about MindFair Books on their website and read more about the book on mine.
I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
June 15 at Elliott Bay
The venerable Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle will be hosting a reading of my new book, The Safety of Edges, at 7pm on Saturday, June 15, 2019. I’m delighted and honored to present my work at a bookshop that from the time I was a child growing up in Seattle epitomized the best of literary havens.
You can read more about the reading on the Elliott Bay website and read more about the book on mine. There’s also an article in the June 6 edition of the Seattle Gay News.
I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
The Safety of Edges Released
I’m thrilled to announce that Marrowstone Press has released my new book of poems. The Safety of Edges is my first full-length collection, and since the work is dedicated to David, my publisher thought we should release it on Valentine’s Day. You can learn more about it, watch a video of me reading the book’s opening poem, and listen to an interview in the books section of this website.
The book’s first reading and signing will be at the Vashon Bookshop on Thursday, March 14, at 6:00pm. Other readings are scheduled and being scheduled through the rest of the year, including appearances at the Vashon Literary Conference and the Cascadia Poetry Festival. Please check the the list of upcoming events and appearances for updates.
If you’d like to be notified about special events and other forthcoming books, please do sign up on the mailing list.
Once again, my deepest thanks to everyone who helped make this book possible. May it reach every heart to whom its poems may sing.
The Safety of Edges Release Date
I’m thrilled to announce that The Safety of Edges will be released on February 14, 2019. The book is dedicated to David, so my publisher, Galen Garwood and Marrowstone Press, decided to schedule it to be out on Valentine’s Day.
If you’d like to hear me read from it, please check the list of upcoming events and appearances. I will be updating it weekly.
If you’d like to be notified about special events and other forthcoming books, please do sign up on the mailing list.
My deepest thanks to everyone who helped make this book possible. May it reach all those to whom its poems may sing.