Emma Ramey is an old friend of mine.
She was also in the MFA program at the University of Alabama.
And her work is some of the best poetry that I've read.
She's one of the best thinkers that I've met,
and we were thrilled to publish.
We have a very small chapbook of hers called
"A Numerical Devotional."
And in her-- and which is a great chapbook although I'll
say that I'm assuming many of the works
that you're going to hear tonight from Emma are newer,
and her voice has really developed
and become something else also.
I mean, it's still recognizably Emma Ramey work,
it's still hilarious, it's still depressing,
and they're going to be doing this humor writing workshop
here in a little while.
And I'll let you into the secret.
All the best funny work is also the most depressing.
You have to have that void under it, and both of these poets
I'm honored to have published.
They're the reason I started the press
and they're the reason that I continue
to publish and to grow.
So I'm going to welcome Emma Ramey first and then
Jason Bredle.
[APPLAUSE]