November Butterfly Launches in Occidental Today

We have been hard at work putting together a beautiful afternoon for you--if in Sonoma County, I hope you'll take the drive through the redwoods down along Bohemian Highway to the Occidental Center for the Arts (3850 Doris Murphy Way, corner of Bohemian Highway and Graton Road).

The doors open at 2:30 and the event runs from 3-5 p.m. and is free, though books and artwork will be for sale following the reading. Donations to the OCA are also accepted.

I will be reading poems from my first poetry collection, November Butterfly (Saddle Road Press, 2014) and screening movies we've made for poems in the Camelot section of the book, Mordred's Dream (originally published by Poetry Flash), Corridor, Thumbelina (originally published by the NonBinary Review / Zoetic Press and a finalist for Sundress Publication's Best of the Net Award in the category of poetry) and Amelia (awarded Juror’s Best of Show at the 2012 2D/3D visual poetry show held at the LH Horton Jr Gallery at San Joaquin Delta College).

Additionally, and in particular what adds a special dimension to the afternoon is that we will have artwork by Sonoma County Artists including Genevieve Barnhart (bronze sculptures), Loreen Barry (mixed media), Paul Beattie (ink print), Robyn Beattie (photography, including image of artwork by Christiane Vincent), Chris Boyd, Sandy Frank (ceramic sculpture--pictured here), Barbara Hoffmann (ceramics), Orion James (ceramics), Monty Monty (assemblage sculpture), and Ron Rodgers  (bronze sculpture).

November Butterfly was published in November of 2014 by Saddle Road Press.

(Cover photo by Robyn Beattie. Cover Design, Don Mitchell, Saddle Road Press.)

For more information: visit the full event description, with links to short radio interview, on my main website: November Butterfly Launches in Occidental. Here's the Sonoma Spotlight Radio Interview at KRCB with Roland Jacopetti.

Special thanks to the Occidental Center for the Arts: Suze Cohan, Judith Moorman, their volunteers, Lori O'Hara for helping today with books, Patrick Fanning on sound and Patrick Lizza, videographer.

Additional thanks due to Tracking Wonder's beautiful group of artists, and the work of Jeffrey Davis on #Livethequest.

March Events for November Butterfly

Author Signing, Coronado Public Library

I’ll be signing copies of my poetry collection, November Butterfly on Saturday, March 14^th from: 2-4 p.m. in the Winn Room of the Coronodo Public Library along with other local authors. I would love to see you there. 

Other writers you'll get to meet should you stop by include:

George Galdorisi, Leslie Crawford, Carl Luna, Jennifer Franks, Donald Hubbard, Raye Rinhgholz, Belinda Jones, Ted M. Nulty, Tamara Merrill, Jane Mitchell, Sue Crum, Cornelia Feye, Judy Eby, Alan Retzky.

Robyn Beattie, Guest Artist Exhibit in Sebastopol, "Get Pie-Eyed with Lauri Luck

Angel Bones by Robyn Beattie

at Dog House Studio"

My poetry movie collaborator Robyn Beattie is having an art show, hosted by Laurie Luck at Dog House Studio; if in Sebastopol for the weekend of March 14 and 15, stop in and see Robyn’s beautiful photographs. Visitors will be offered a piece of pie from 12-4 each day. Visit Robyn’s site: www.robynbeattie.com

Dog House Studio is located at 2371 Gravenstein Hwy. South, Sebastopol, CA 95472 (Turn at the Giant Yellow Duck and look for the “Lucky” sign).

Poetry, Poetry Movies, and Sonoma County Artists

Photo by Robyn Beattie

November Butterfly book launch will be hosted in Sonoma County by the Occidental Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 29 from 3-5 p.m. I'm very excited about this event which combines poetry reading, poetry movie screenings for Amelia, Corridor, Mordred's Dream, Thumbelina, and artwork. 

 On hand that afternoon we will have works of art featured in the four movies we will be screening by Sonoma County Artists Genevieve Barnhart, Loreen Barry, Paul Beattie, Robyn Beattie, Chris Boyd, Sandy Frank, Barbara Hoffmann, Orion James, Monty Monty, and Ron Rodgers. Sonoma County musicians Michael Greenberg, Lori O'Hara and Stephen Pryputniewicz provided the music behind the poetry movies. Stephen Pryputniewicz will be playing piano live for the event. 

New post up at Laundry Line Divine

At the invitation of Suzi Banks Baum, I wrote a post about the concept of The Village: Who Else Mothers When I am Here:

When the Mirror Daughter surfaces and the Empress fails to soothe, I turn to my tribe, in person, and online. Writing, collaborating, reaching out. Sorting through my poetry movie collaborator Robyn’s  beautiful images, searching for the ones that nail the day’s litany—today, Mirror Daughter, Water Mobius, twin Auburn Seed Pods, Girl Surfacing. Images and phrases merge in this healing mobius of collaboration, sometimes image first, sometimes words. Named, thus loved, brought into the open where they can be explored outside of the charged moments of living. My collaborators then, are also at the table while I mother.

Read the rest of Radiating Color: Mirror Daughters, Tarot Archetypes and Web Mothers.

Tarot for Two: Ace of Disks and Princess of Swords

Mary Allen and I continue to blog at Tarot for Two. This month's card of the month writings focus on the Ace of Disks and the Princess of Swords. 


Excerpt from Mary:

The Ace of Disks in the Thoth deck represents the wings of the Archangels, or at least that’s always how I describe it when I’m reading the cards for someone:  There are layers on layers of deep blue-green peacock-feather like wings, and there are some brown rings like the growth rings of bark in a tree, and at the center is a circle with two pentacles, one inside the other, inside it, and inside that are three little disks, which, I read somewhere recently, represent actual money, the angel’s wings and the bark representing layers and levels of spiritual growth and gifts. 

Excerpt from Tania:

I’m always drawn to the green light in the Princess of Swords. I was going to say that the green light shrouds her, but it doesn’t—she is green, thighs and arms and face lined gold due to the light emanating from behind rubble of dark clouds substantial enough apparently to brace her two slippered feet. Her sheer blue gown drapes off her thighs in swordfish pleats through which the green gold of her body permeates. Her helmet is the same dim blue as down-facing sword she holds in her right arm, having just finished a decisive swipe at the sky. The loose infinity loop of light could be something she wards off, or it could be the energy created by her act of protection.

Read the rest of Ace of Disks and Princess of Swords. 

Interview up at TCJWW

Jen Teeter-Moore was kind enough to post this interview about November Butterfly at The California Journal of Women Writers.

Upcoming Classes:

Classes are forming for my next Tarot and Writing Course offered online through Story Circle Network. Sign up here for Wheel of Archetypal Selves: Lovers to Strength.

Or join me in person at San Diego Writers, Ink for Intermediate Blogging.