It's poetry month! Take a poet to lunch. Or, maybe, just go listen to one read. Opportunities abound:
Nationally renowned poet B.H. Fairchild, for instance, will read at 7 p.m. Monday at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1900 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls. Fairchild won a National Book Critics Circle Award in 2003, and his latest book, "Usher," was named one of the 25 best books of 2009 by the Los Angeles Times.
Minneapolis poet James Lenfestey will read from his new collection of poetry, "A Cartload of Scrolls," published by Holy Cow! Press of Duluth, at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota. His reading is the first in the new Pankake Poetry Series, named for librarian Marcia Pankake, who hosted readings and poetry events at the university until her retirement in 2007.
And Irish poet Theo Dorgan, who recently was honored with the 14th O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry by the University of St. Thomas' Center for Irish Studies, will read at 7:30 p.m. April 23 at St. Thomas. Dorgan, of Dublin, will also take part in a public conversation with local poet Sharon Chmielarz at 7 p.m. April 19 at the Hamline-Midway Branch Library Auditorium, 1558 W. Minnehaha Av., St. Paul.
Also ...
•"Eyes on the Goal," the latest young adult novel from John Coy, is out this month from Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan. Coy, who lives in Minneapolis, is the author of "Night Driving," "Top of the Order" and several other books. Celebrate at his publication party at 7 p.m. April 23 at the Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Av., St. Paul.
•The annual Midwest Independent Publishers Association Vendor Fair will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the banquet room of the St. Louis Park Recreation Center, 3700 Monterey Dr., St. Louis Park.
•Jacqueline West of Red Wing, Minn., has her first children's book coming out in June with Dial Books -- the first in a series. "The Books of Elsewhere" is about a young girl named Olive who lives in a big spooky house where she finds she can climb inside paintings -- for good or bad.
