Reading Roundup, September 2025 Reading an small-town Mississippi bookstores is so much fun, no matter how many people are there.

North Mississippi friends! I'll be doing a reading and book signing at Bookends in Pontotoc this weekend. Come hear #poems from Tree Fall with Birdsong! Everyone is welcome! #poetry #northmississippi #pontotocms

Recent Developments on AI for Writers I talke about my experience signing an AI opt-in agreement and with learning about tne Anthropic settlement.

Where in the World Is A Writer’s Craft? Seeing where A Writer's Craft has been sold leads to insights and confirms my plans as I work toward a second edition.

September is shaping up to be a busy month! Read about all the events I have coming up on my free Substack. Next up will be an appearance at the Mississippi Book Festival, Saturday, Sept. 13 at 9:30 a.m., 4th Floor House Corridor. open.substack.com/pub/kendalld...

Advice for MFA Applicants My response to Poets & Writers recent advice essays for MFA Applicants

I'll be helping to kick off the Mississippi Book Festival at 9:30am Sept. 13 with the Attached to the Living World ecopoetry panel in the 4th Floor House Corridor of the Mississippi Sate Capitol. msbookfestival.com/schedule/

Orpheus in Serbia I add an anecdote to my Substack post about Staround's performance of my poem "Orpheus" in Serbia.

In this divisive time, international collaboration can still be amazingly rewarding. Here is the story of one of my poems that will be performed in Serbia tonight. Many thanks to Petros Bouras and the band Starwound for all they do! open.substack.com/pub/kendalld...

Don't miss my interview this afternoon on Mississippi Arts Hour arts.ms.gov/events/missi...

I had a great conversation with Lauren Rhoades on the Mississippi Arts Hour yesterday. Our interview will air this Sunday on MPB Think Radio. Listen live on mpbonline.org or later on the Mississippi Arts Hour podcast. arts.ms.gov/events/missi...

Writers Resist AI with Human Interaction Should you read this title as a statement or a command? Going on book tour has me thinking about how writers can engage readers through personal appearances, and how that promotes the value of human-generated writing to counter the influence of AI.

It's going to get busy (again) in August... open.substack.com/pub/kendalld...

Thanks, Tennessee Williams: on the importance of blogging Finding an old post about the Tennessee Williams Tribute, leads me to a realization about the value of blogging (or journaling).

Congratulations to L. Lamar Wilson who is featured at Poem-a-Day today for his poem "Lauren Oya Olamina Explains Earthseed to Ernest Hemingway." poets.org/poem/lauren-...

How to Read a Book of Poems Several times at readings for Tree Fall with Birdsong, the question has come up: Is there a right way to read a poetry book? Here is my answer.

“I think Mississippi has so much to teach our nation about resilience, never losing focus and not giving up when your government is actively working against you,” Joe Kennedy III, speaking in Indianola MS, organizing for the Groundwork Project. #mississippi www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/u...

Ready for my reading Lemuria Bookstore at 5 and very glad I got here early before the downpour, which hopefully will let uo soon.

I'm finally back in Mississippi and will be heading to Jackson tomorrow for my reading at Lemuria Bookstore! Looking forward to seeing everyone! I'm bringing extra copies in case the store runs out, so there's sure to be plenty for everyone... It will be a great time! #JacksonMs #poetryreading

My reading at Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi, is only a week away! You can pre-order a signed copy of Tree Fall with Birdsong, even if you can't attend in person. #JacksonMS #Mississippi #LemuriaBooks #poetsofbluesky #mississippipoets www.lemuriabooks.com/Tree-Fall-wi...

It's a big week for Tree Fall with Birdsong with an insightful review by Celeste Maria Schueler in the Clarion Ledger and the Mississippi Books Page. #poetrybook #review www.clarionledger.com/story/entert...

July Update: Book Events and Interview This is a quick post to let people know how my July is going. I've had a great time in Iowa at three book events in Osage, Charles City, and Mason City. I got to know the owners of two local bookstores, Prologue Books and Wine and Three Bells Books, which…

Many thanks to Southern Review of Books and C. T. Salazar for the fabulous interview that was published today! Thanks for the great questions @ctsalazar.bsky.social #poetrycommunity southernreviewofbooks.com/2025/07/14/t...

We had a great reading in Osage last night! It was fun to read some poems that North Iowans understand the humor of (like the one about cooking beef tongue). Great to see so many people know, too! I'm looking forward to reading tonight at Prologue Books and Wine! 5pm #poetryreading #northiowa

Tomorrow (7/10/25) begins my 3-day book tour through North Iowa with a reading in Osage at 6:30 p.m. Our Savior's Lutheran, sponsored by the Alpha Writers and Fine Arts Council of Mitchell County. I'm so grateful to them for getting the ball rolling! #poetry #reading #northiowa #poetrycommunity

What to do during Prime Days? Go to a live author event and get a book. No shipping costs, no Prime membership needed, and a real live preview!

Thanks to Friendly City Books for hosting me at their Poetry Book Club, July 1. I had such a good time that I wrote about it on my SubStack. Looking forward to more conversations like this in #NorthIowa later this month. open.substack.com/pub/kendalld...

I'll be back in Mississippi at Lemuria Books in Jackson, 5pm July 24. #Jackson #Mississippi #poetrybook #reading

Heading Back to Iowa I'm headed back to Iowa for traditional summer treats like parades, ice cream, and rhubarb pie, plus three poetry readings!

Join me for a Tree Fall with Birdsong book tour in Iowa in July! July 10 in Osage at Our Savior's Lutheran at 6:30 p.m. and July 11 at Prologue Books and Wine in Charles City at 5pm and July 12 at Three Bells Books in Mason City at 5pm.

Though my name has appeared in print many places over my writing career, there is always something extra special about seeing it in the Globe Gazette, the daily paper my family got when I was growing up in Osage, Iowa. #Iowa #newspaper #poetryreading globegazette.com/article_e669...

When I wrote "Tombigbee River Haiku" and included it in my collection Tree Fall with Birdsong, I had no idea the book would rise to #677 on Amazon's list of Haiku & Japanese Poetry books. Still haven't cracked 2 million in books, though. #haiku #booksales

Can I call myself a best-selling author now? Thanks to my readers, Tree Fall with Birdson is tied for #10 on the Clarion-Ledger's Mississippi Top Reads! Probably the only poetry collection on the list, though they don't say. #TopReads #Mississippi #Poetry www.clarionledger.com/story/entert...

Does Using AI Really Make You Stupider? A morning rant on the evils of AI, this time after reading about how using it can lead to cognitive decline.

Jackson (MS) friends, join me on July 24 at Lemuria Books for a reading and signing for Tree Fall with Birdsong! #JacksonMS #Lemuria #poetryreading

Tuesday, June 24, I will take part in a Literary Salon with writers affected by ALS. My father in law died of it, and I'm supporting my former student Katrina Byrd, who is an ALS advocate. Register to join us (free). #ALS #reading lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/kwjrq...

Congratulations to Christian J. Collier, newly minted MFA (thesis defended, only waiting on graduation) for winning the Summer 2025 Shō Poetry Prize for his poem "Nocturne." #poetryprize @shopoetryjournal.bsky.social shopoetryjournal.com/prize-winners/

Denver Friends: I've heard from West Side Books that they will have stock on Tree Fall with Birdsong in the coming week. I always want to support independent bookstores, esp. when they have my books on the shelf! #westsidebooks #independentbookstore #denver

On July 10, I'll be in Osage, Iowa for a reading. 6:30 at Our Savior's Lutheran in the Fireside Room. #poetryreading #osage #iowa

Time to post about my July events, starting with a book club appearance on Discord, July 1, for Friendly City Books. 7pm.

I've now reached 100 subscribers to my (free) SubStack. Thanks to all who have subscribed! Won't you join them? Read for more book news, including an untold story about the title. #Substack #booknews #poetrybook open.substack.com/pub/kendalld...

A Week of Poetry Talk It's hard to imagine a better week than one where you get to talk poetry every morning for about an hour, but maybe doing that with morning coffee from the comfort of your own home would qualify as better. This week has been like that for me, as I've been working on an…

@nytimes.com You left out the dad who's a poetry buff (or one of many kinds of poetry buff). How about correcting that omission with another list! You wouldn't even have to mention my new book, Tree Fall with Birdsong, but you could... #poetry www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/b...

I'm thrilled to have a new poem up this month at Delta Poetry Review. It's a wonderful issue with featured poet David Kirby and many others. Give it a read! #poetry #litmag deltapoetryreview.com/2025june-dun...

What a great way to celebrate on the eve of my mother's 98th birthday — the book launch for Tree Fall with Birdsong. #skybooks #booklaunch #poetry #substack #free open.substack.com/pub/kendalld...

Thrilled to be included on this list from Loblolly Press of #SummerReads! What a great group of writers to be associated with—scroll to the bottom to find Tree Fall with Birdsong, and you'll see all the other great books I'm talking about. loblollypress.substack.com/p/southern-s...

A Few Book & Poetry Notes Notes on readings, events, bookstores, and a new poem.

Now you can order a signed copy of Tree Fall with Birdsong from my local bookstore, Friendly City Books, and I will come in and sign it for you. www.friendlycitybooks.com/shop/p/signe...

Happy Pub Day, Part 3 It's been a busy pub day for Tree Fall with Birdsong.

I stopped by Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi, today to see their copies of Tree Fall with Birdsong on its #pubday! #poetrybook #bookstore