On August 29th, I participated in the 2021 Utah Arts Festival as a Literary Artist. I read about twenty minutes of poetry, a blend of works in progress, poems written in workshops, and a few pieces that I dredged up from documents I’d long forgotten.
I attempt to crack jokes during my poetry readings to lighten the mood. That’s why you’ll notice these photos of me are a little silly. I usually find that sometimes people can get quickly bored at poetry events, especially if they’re hearing one poet after another reading pretty heavy stuff. This has led me to attempt to “wake up” my audience. I’m still working on how to perfect this process.
The UAF was a packed event on a hot summer’s day in Salt Lake City. The air was hazy from the wildfire smoke trapped in the valley by the mountains, leaving a slight aftertaste in the mouth and an underlying scent everywhere. Besides the smoke, the ongoing Pandemic appeared to be an afterthought for most people in SLC. I saw very few people downtown and at the UAF wearing masks or social distancing. Masks have been recommended for people outdoors because the air quality is so poor.
I want to say thank you to UAF, those in charge of the Literary performances, and everyone that attended my reading. I had a wonderful time sharing a selection of my poems and engaging with my audience.
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