T'shuvah Is Available For Pre-Order

I am delighted to share with you the cover of T’shuvah, my third book of poems. The official publication date is October 17th, but if you order before then, you’ll also receive a free gift: two of my own piano improvisations on the melody that ran like the thread running through the heart on the cover through the process of my putting the book together. I used the words to that melody as the book’s epigraph: “All the world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to be overwhelmed by fear.” A paraphrase of a saying by Reb Nachman of Breslov, those words—though in the Hebrew original—were set to music by Rabbi Baruch Chait. That song, Kol Ha’Olam Kulo, has been important to me since I first learned it in high school, and I often sang it to myself or played it on the piano when I got stuck as I worked on T’shuvah—in particular when I was working on the book’s final section, “This Sentence Is A Metaphor For Bridge.” In a very real sense, in other words, Kol Ha’Olam Kulo was a bridge that helped me cross the difficulties I encountered putting this book together, which is why, as a thank you for pre-ordering, I’d like you to have two of my improvisations: The Path To The Bridge and The Bridge Is A Blues. (There’s more information at the pre-order link.)

The Launch Party - Save the Date!

Where: Espresso 77 in Jackson Heights

When: Thursday, October 12, 2023

Time: 7:00 - 9:00

Espresso 77 is the cafe where the reading series I curate and host, First Tuesdays, meets on the first Tuesday of the month, September through June. David Siller, a First Tuesdays regular, and the series’ faithful cento scribe, will be hosting. I understand that he has planned a delightful and interesting evening. I will, of course, be reading from T’shuvah, but it will also be a chance to celebrate literature and the reading of literature at a time when the value of those pursuits are under serious and sustained attack.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Finally

T'shuvah completes a trilogy of books exploring the impact surviving sexual violence has had on the personal and political shape of my life. If, like me, you are a survivor of sexual violence, please know that you are not alone. (And if you know someone who is a survivor, please let them know they are not alone.) There are resources available to help survivors heal and recover. Here are some places you can reach out to if you need help:

• The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): rainn.org

• The National Center for Victims of Crime: victimsofcrime.org

• MaleSurvivor (Specifically for male survivors and their loved ones)

• 1in6 (Also for male survivors)

I’ll say it again: You are not alone. There is hope. Please reach out for help if you need it.