Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma

author, poet, teacher, and performer

Free Performances in May and Wonder From Home

The Magic of Words in a Poet-Magician's Yurt

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:

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.

A Thousand Thanks: The GIft of Sadako and Her Cranes

A Thousand Thanks: The Gift of Sadako and Her Cranes

By Heart: A Celebration of Words, Magic, and Memory

By Heart: A Celebration of Words, Magic, and Memory

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.

A headshot of Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma

I hope that these days find you safely at home, discovering even amidst the uncertainty and tumble of events that there can also be wonder and surprise.

Warmly,

Thomas

Lyric World: Shin Yu Pai with Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma and Melanie Noel

Shin Yu Pai

How can poetry expand our understanding of civic life? Poet and former Town Hall Artist-In-Residence Shin Yu Pai invites us to the first of her Lyric World discussions, exploring the role of poetry as it stokes our curiosity and gives voice and attention to the human experience.

Joining in conversation with Seattle-based poet Melanie Noel, Pruiksma illuminates the ways that different languages alternately obscure or reveal truth. Together they ask us to suspend our judgement and embrace the not-knowing that defines these art forms.

Before their discussion, experience a performance by kora player and griot-trained jeli Ibrahim Arsalan. In West African society, the jeli preserved ancient stories and traditions through song, throughout the generations. They are believed to have deep connections to spiritual, social, and political powers.

Lyric World: Conversations with Contemporary Poets

Shin Yu Pai
Shin Yu Pai

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.

Learn More and Buy Tickets

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:

June 15 at Elliott Bay

Elliott Bay Book Company

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

Book cover for "The Safety of Edges," poems by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma.

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.