Fly Away Home
I recently wrapped up the first two months of Strategies Against Extinction book tourin’ with a return to St. Louis, the city that was my home for six years. The River Styx reading series had been at Duff’s Restaurant for decades, but since ownership has put the restaurant up for sale, the series had to find a new home. And, it’s a beauty: Tavern of Fine Arts on Belt Avenue in the Central West End. Easily, this was my favorite reading yet, filled with old friends, past colleagues, fellow graduate students, mentors, and long time supporters of River Styx. I couldn’t have asked for a better close to the first two months of the tour.
Here is a wonderful piece on my St. Louis reading. Written by Katiuscia O’Brian for Walrus Publishing, this captures the vibe of that night: celebratory, welcoming, and lots of fun. Alison Pelegrin’s poetry was fantastic, and we did our best to give the full house as much good listening material as we possibly could. We just might have pulled it off, too.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @mpnye