OK.
My name is Cybele Knowles.
I'm the coordinator of the Poetry Center's reading lecture
series.
So last summer, when we first heard
about Eric Magrane's poetic inventory of the Saguaro
National Park, we said, ooh, this is going to be wonderful.
And then, when we found out that the inventory would
be published as a special issue of Spiral Orb, which
is an online literary journal edited by Eric,
we're like, OK, great.
We have no excuse.
We must have a reading.
And so glad that we said that and did that
because the inventory turned out to be even more
wonderful than we imagined.
Really.
It's such an inclusive collection, not only of
the native species of the park but also
of the many and varied talents of the poets and writers who
reside here as well.
For me, the inventory makes me feel pride, delight, wonder
and awe.
We have a big night tonight so I'll just
make a few announcements and introduce Eric,
who will tell you more about the inventory and what it is
and how it came to be.
First of all, does everyone have a program?
If you don't have a program, raise your hand.
Then we can get you one.
Need over here.
OK.
I'd like to thank the Poetry Center's donors
for providing funds to pay for the programs and then
for the lovely reception.
If you're not a Poetry Center donor already,
please consider becoming one.
We always need your help to keep this reading series free.
Also I have a special instruction
for tonight's readers.
We're recording this reading for inclusion
in Voca, our online audio-video library.
We'd love to include your reading.
If you haven't done so already, stop by that little author
table over there where you'll find a permission release
with your name on it.
Fill it out and sign it and then we'll
let when your reading's up online.