Katie's Blog

Just a quick note: I'll be reading tonight at the Boundless Anthlogy release reading in McAllen at the Creative Incubator. Wine and cheese, free and open to the public. See you all there at 7pm :-)Oh, and just in case you're wondering, my poem is about a very lesbian experience with my car. LoL. This is also the kick off event for the 2011 Valley International Poetry Festival. While I won't be participating much this year (up to my eyes in obligations), there are many exciting events to attend. Check out their website at http://www.vipf.org for more information. But for sure, come out and see me tonight :-) When else will you have the opportunity to sip on free wine?

In case you haven't seen this yet! Art That Heals, Inc., presents . . . 4th Annual Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival Apr. 28--May 1, 2011 www.vipf.org Schedule of Events THURSDAY, APR. 28 *Reception/Anthology Release: 7 to 9 p.m. McAllen Creative Incubator, 1001 16th St., McAllen, TX Boundless 2011: The Official Anthology of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival FRIDAY, APR. 29 *Poets In The Schools: 8—4 Olivia Gatwood: McAllen Memorial High School Jon Davis & Melitón Hinojosa: San Benito High School Ken Jones: UT-Pan American *Slam Night Events: 6—10:30 p.m. Weslaco Public Library Theatre: 525 S. Kansas Ave., Weslaco, TX Host: Arnold Becho, Director Youth Poetry Slam Contest: 6—7 p.m. College/University Readings: 7—8:15 Featured Poet Reading: Jon Davis: 8:15 – 8:30 p.m. Featured Poet Reading: Ken Jones: 8:30 – 8:45 p.m. Featured Poet Reading: Olivia Gatwood: 8:45 – 9 p.m. Adult Poetry Slam: 9 – 10:15 p.m. SATURDAY, APR. 30 *Potluck Desayuno/

Wow it's been a while... I've been crazy busy, and Blogger was pissing me off a little so I quit blogging for a few weeks. But I'm back, with just a scrap of free time. Oh oh oh, the biggest news? I passed my defense! The Ripening of Mangos is a go go, and I will be graduating with the MFA next month... WOOHOO! Now I don't mean to jinx myself, but lately things have been going so smoothly. Too smoothly, you ask? That's why I'm suspicious. I had a terrible dream a few nights ago that I never applied for graduation, and was going to have to wait an entire year to finish (AHHH!!). So in real life, I called the graduate office frantic, thinking it was some sign from God... but no... no... they calmed my neurotic fear and said I'm set to walk. Hmm... I thought... too darn easy... And then... thesis advisor wanted me to make sure my thesis title will be included in commencement program... and I thought it was too late! But no, no, somehow, magically, I had already

V-Day is less than a week away. I was completely freaking out this entire week because I thought I was going to have to postpone it... but no, no, we're on and it's happening! : ) So if you'd like to witness the Epic Fall of Katie, you're absolutely welcome to! I will be defending: Thursday, April 7th at 2:30pm in the UTPA library, Schilling Room. I don't even have a title figured out yet, but I'm hoping that will come to me at the last minute :P Ok so this weekend I promise to do nothing but prep. I will ask myself random questions about the history of confessional poetry, the life of Anne Sexton (and how she's both my hero and nemesis), about contemporary confessionalstic poets and how they're super cool, about deconstructionist theory, the post-structuralists (my good pals Foucault and Butler), I will then proceed to tell myself everything I know about new formalists (i love and hate you), LANGUAGE poets (i more hate you than love you but i still love