Poetry reading at Wellesley College, Massachusetts 21 Apr 2017

Listening to Joni Mitchell's album Hejira in London, packing my suitcase, it still didn't feel real. But listening to Hejira in my hotel room in Massachusetts it made me smile, because then it felt real. It's a huge honour to be invited to read at Wellesley College, founded in 1870, it's a women's liberal arts college. The honour for me was all the more special because I'd been invited by Dr. Dan Chiasson, who I meet in Paris in July 2016, whilst I was there, launching my second collection The Lock And The Key.

I respect Dan deeply for his work, his ethics and the way he lives and embraces life. My reading was held at 4.30pm at the Zeta Alpha house on campus at Wellesley. Dan had encouraged me to read as many poems as I wanted. So I did a 40 minute set, reading extensively from my first two collections. I also read new poems like Fifth Circle of Hell and Armistice Day, and some poems so new I'd never read them.

Before my reading Dr.Chiasson gave me the following introduction:

I was deeply moved by Dan's introduction and the response from the women at the college. It was a pleasure to hear such positive, lovely, inspiring interpretations of my work from the students. It was great to be able to spend time with them after the reading, along with other professors and writers. A special thanks to Dan for this incredible honour, to Lisa Easley for her hard work, and all the amazing ladies at Wellesley College that I got to meet. And angels that emerged.

Whilst in Massachusetts I was able to go and pay my respects to one of my favourite writers in Lowell.