THANKS, NEW YORK! I am back in Atlanta after a whirlwind two-and-a-half-days in the Big Apple. I stayed in the swanky Le Marquis hotel over in the Murray Hill area of Manhattan. Big plush robes, soft sheets, a bathroom with one of those walk in showers big enough to hold ten people, Aveda products, NYC Times brought to your door. I didn't want to leave the hotel, but I did. Saw Sight Unseen with the brilliant Laura Linney on Thursday night. Although I was in the back of the balcony, Laura tore the place up. She may be my new favorite actress. If you're in NYC, get a ticket. They've extended the run to July 25.

On Friday, the opening of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 was at a fever pitch in NYC, and I got up at the crack of dawn and saw the 11 a.m. show. It is moving, funny and searing indictment of Bush. It's one of the best documentary films I've ever seen. This should be the nail in Bush's coffin. The connections Moore makes between Bush and the bin Laden family is damning. It broke box office records in Manhattan and there were picketers and news vans outside every theatre. I still can't belive I got in to see it. Someone said getting a ticket to that film was harder than the biggest hit on Broadway.

On Friday evening, huge rainstorms moved across NYC, but it was warm and cozy at the Cornelia Street Cafe where I did my first reading. It was a BLAST!!! Standing room only, great crowd of poets and host Jackie Sheeler is one of my new soul sisters. She's brilliant and runs a great reading. Reading there was definitely in the top three of best times I've had since Better To Travel was published. Fellow poet Tonya Kelley came all the way from Connecticut to hear me. Thanks, guys!

On Saturday, Ryn Gargulinski welcomed me to the Bowery Poetry Club. Another great afternoon of poetry, esp. from Ryn, Ice, featured poet Mary Jane Tenerelli and Jean Lehrman. I read Jean's chapbook, If You Come Back I Won't Have AIDS, on the plane home this evening and was very moved. This is some of the best poetry I've read in ages. We've got to get you down to Atlanta, Jean. My couch is your couch!

So, that's it...my trip to NYC in a few paragraphs. NYC is definitely back and thriving...there was such a great vibe. My last visit (which is chronicled in Better To Travel) was a bit of a downer so soon after Sept. 11, but the city has rebounded. I Love New York!

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