ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Tomorrow, I fly out for another out-of-town poetry reading . . . this time I'll be traveling to Carbondale, Illinois, to read at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale on Thursday night.

Just ask Genji (a.k.a. The Bean Bean) . . . he will attest to the fact that it has been a vexingly exhausting day.

First, there was a frantic scramble to finish proofreading the spring issue of South Dakota Review, and he had to assist by chewing on the pages, batting the red pen around, and periodically absconding with the entire dispenser of sticky flags . . . which he would eventually manage to shove either under the refrigerator, or under the stove.

Secondly, there was much laundry to do, and he had to assist by playing tug of war with socks and underwear, as well as napping with fierce and determined concentration on the warm laundry upon return from the dryer.

And finally, he had to supervise the packing.

Shocking, isn't it? There should be Kitten Labor Laws!