August 16: Ann Menebroker & Joyce Odam

For our last poetry reading of the Summer (though not of the year!), we have two great poets: Ann Menebroker and Joyce Odam!

Ann Menebroker has published over 20 collections of poems, has appeared in hundreds of literary journals, and........very rarely give readings. A longtime resident of Sacramento, she is much loved by the poetry community and well respected worldwide.

Joyce Odam is another longtime voice in Sacramento's literary community. Like her friend Ann, Joyce has been much published. She is also an editor for the California Quarterly, Rattlesnake Press, and her own monthly Brevitities. We are very excited to host Ann and Joyce.

The reading starts at 7 pm. Donations suggested, money goes to poets.


Turtle Man by Ann Menebroker

The turtle man writes me about the dog, Lucy,
getting old and beginning to limp, and how his
friend, Wolfgang, in Germany, caught the train
to Paris for the ping-pong games. “Wouldn’t it
be nice,” turtle man says, “to be a train ride away
from Paris?” Then he spoke of Radar, the cat, who
recently got neutered and how he refuses
to look at any of the family, or allow them
near him. In answer I, the dog girl of summer,
write back and tell him how my barking
annoys the neighbors and how it used to be
when I thought about more than food or barking.
The BART goes underneath the bay
from Oakland to San Francisco. I lick water
from my bowl.

Hide & Seek by Joyce Odam

He wanted me to find him. I found him in
gold weeds, in a field so wide it took all day.
He left no paths. He could have been anywhere,
widespread, asleep, or looking at the sky while he
waited for me. I looked 'til coolness came over the
searching—came low and covered the bright weeds
with its soft blue shadowings. I called, but he would not
answer, lying there like a cross. He wanted me to find him.