Thank you for coming out, bright and early,
for poetry on a Sunday morning.
Welcome to the second annual Tucson Festival of Books.
My name is Cybele Knowles, and I'll
be introducing the poetry reading this hour
here at the Poetry Stage.
For sponsoring this venue, I'd like
to thank the University of Arizona Poetry Center, Chax
Press, Pog, Sonora Review, Casa Libre, and the Tucson Poetry
Festival.
Representatives from all these local literary organizations
work together for about a year to put together
the really wonderful schedule that we've been presenting here
at the Poetry Stage.
It's been a great collaborative effort,
and we just got a great result.
OK, in this hour I'm very pleased to present poets
Jonathan Rothschild and Pamela Uschuk.
This presentation will last approximately one hour,
including a short Q&A session.
So please hold your questions until the end.
After the reading, poets will be signing here
for a little while.
We have their books for sale, courtesy
of UA bookstores over there.
Thank you very much, U of A bookstores,
for being here for the whole fest.
Also, they'll be-- after that, they'll be going
to the Madden--
Madden Media signing area 1, tent C.
And that's just south of this building over there.
And their books are for sale over there, as well,
courtesy of Mostly Books.
And yeah.
They'll be available there for about half hour.
OK.
And they will be happy to meet you there and sign your books.
OK, so let me go ahead and introduce our first reader,
Jonathan Rothschild.
This mic is just, like, in my way.
OK.
Jonathan was born, raised, and live-- born, raised,
and lives in Tucson, Arizona.
He was educated at Tulane University, Kenyon College,
and the University of New Mexico.
He divides his time between work as an attorney
and his family Karen, Isaac, Nathan, and Molly,
and volunteering and community affairs.
The Last Clubhouse Eulogy is his first book of poetry.
That's a great title.
Jonathan is also a member of the American Academy of Poets
and the Poetry Society of America.
I just wanted to also introduce his words
with a few words from his publisher, Charles Alexander,
about Jonathan's writing.
"Looking at the past and present with a glass clear as memory
and sharp as a razor blade, the lens
allows truth and beauty, and untruth and unbeauty.
The razor blade saves everything from becoming sweet memory.
Jonathan Rothschild's debut is a rare book
in that it sees everyone.
The grandfather wondering what has become of what he has made,
the grandmother lost in a haze of faulty neural inputs.
The parents who connect and stray and have problems as well
as successes, but somehow, through it all, care deeply.
And the children, always the children,
who can't quite provide hope, because a lens
is too clear to get sentimental about the possibilities of life
facing them.
This is a poetry that embraces everything and doesn't
lie about any of it.
Clear language, clear vision, love and truth.
Please join me in welcoming Jonathan Rothschild.
[APPLAUSE]