Home from performing poetry at Francis Marion U for Vagina Monologue week--one day after the book launch at the University of Tennessee.

On Monday It snowed.  Hard.  People in Knoxville freak out when it snows.  They get buggy.  They buy up all the bread in the stores.  They don't go out.  

The snow stopped at about 3 p.m.   I made my way over to school, to the venue, and by 7 pm, the auditorium was full!  Standing room only!  I performed most of the 40 minute set by heart, and got lots of applause.   My grad students all turned out.  That made me very happy.   The Jewish community showed up, too.  My friends and students gave me roses!  

The books sold out within the first fifteen minutes!  People who didn't get there in time to buy a copy of Packing Light bought my other books.    

Honestly, it was a triumph!   And I went into it with an upbeat attitude because of all my Red Room friends who told me to "have fun"!    So I did!  The only glitch occurred when the librarian couldn't get the cd player to work (I wanted to play a snippet of "My Favorite Penis Poems." But Murphy's Law of Audio-Visual aids kicked in!)  No big deal.  

The grad students took me out afterward to the Sunsphere bar.  Great view of Knoxville by night--good Scotch!  A real ceremony, with laughter and warmth and strong spirits! 

Francis Marion was less intense, but also friendly and successful, and we sold books there, too!  I'll write more about that tomorrow.   Dog tired.

Now for a day of rest and gratitude.   I'll post a few pictures here, with love and thanks--Marilyn