MK Chavez and Heather June Gibbons: September 20th, 2018

After an introduction by Steve Dickison, MK Chavez begins the evening with her book Dear Animal, reading "Artemis," "Ode to the News of the Day," "San Quentin Senryu," and "Swamp Thing." From her book Mothermorphosis Chavez reads "Cut From the Same Cloth," "Cygnet," and "Mother of the Forest." Chavez then reads her manuscript in progress "Deforestation." Chavez finishes her reading with the literary essay "A Brief History of the Selfie."

After Steve Dickison introduces Heather June Gibbons, she begins her performance of her book Her Mouth as Souvenir, reading "Smell the Moxie," "Exploded View," "Folk Song," "My People," "Self Portrait as Tongue," "Crossing," "Sore Song (pg. 25)," "So Far Gone," "Sore Song (pg. 35)," "Sore Song (pg. 43)," Passengers," "Nature," "Vantage," "The Green Rose Up," ending with "The Brain May Disassemble Itself in Sleep."

MK Chavez and Heather June Gibbons answer questions from the audience. They discuss the need for social justice today, how to not be consumed by the overwhelming work attached to social justice, and the work they've done in the past as well as currently. They also contemplate the responsibility of today's poet, ideas around normative desire, writing through past traumas, how research informs and influences their writing, and what they'd like readers to take away from their work.