In an act of unprecidented bravery/stupidity (I’m still not sure which… maybe both?), I recently accepted an invitation to read one of my poems at a public reading at which several well-known writers/poets were also reading. That is NOT something that I do. I do NOT share what I write. I HATE public speaking and would rather blend into a wall than be the center of attention. And yet, I read something I wrote in front of a crowd of 50-60 people. And, terrifying as it was, to my great surprise, I didn’t die. And no one laughed or made nasty comments or threw things at me. Instead, people clapped, and afterward, told me that they liked my work, that it was “unique” and “fresh” and “just wonderful.” Weird.