I am launched in Seattle

Last evening my new poetry collection, The Ghost in the Lobby, was launched by (Professor) Marck Beggs at the Salmon poetry reception and mega-book launch at the 2014 AWP Conference in Seattle. The event took place in the fancy hotel pictured. Marck read my poem 'Know' and then a satirical poem he has written about the postures of Irish poets - the whole first stanza of which is about my (and many other people's) favourite subject: me.

Marck is a trendsetter: in the future all poems should begin with a first stanza entirely about me. I understand the Irish Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, plans to introduce early legislation to make this compulsory.

Launched alongside The Ghost in the Lobby were new poetry collections by Raina Leone, Cameron Conaway, Stephen Powers, Philip Fried, Jean Kavanagh, Kelly Moffit, Lex Runciman, John Menaghan, John Fitzgerald, Jo Slade, Ed Madden, Joseph P. Woods, Jo Pitkin, Mary Pinard, Dan Moran, Robert McDowell, Alan Jude Moore, Jacqueline Kolosov-Wenthe, Laura-Grey Street and the anthology, edited by Susan Millar DuMars, Over The Edge-the first ten years.

To buy any, or even better, all of these books dust off your credit card and go to the the Salmon Poetry website.  Why save money for your children's education, or to cover the cost of your own funeral, when you could be buying poetry books.