Peggy Shumaker Surprise!

I'm a member of a women's poetry listserv called Wompo, which is sometimes amazing, sometimes really not. One of the plus's is that some really cool people, and some kind of famous people are on it.

A few months ago Peggy Shumaker posted something to the list and noted that she would be going to her favorite bookstore in Phoenix. I saw Peggy read at Desert Nights, Rising Stars while I was an MFA student at ASU, I had bought her book and pretty much thought she was awesome. Two days before her post, I'd been cleaning out my garage and found a Changing Hands book club coupon. I'd already mailed off a couple other ones I found to my friend who had since moved, so I had stuck it on my fridge to think about who was still in Arizona to send it to. It seemed like quite a coincidence so I emailed Peggy and asked if she wanted it. She said sure and I thought, hey that's cool, and that would be the end of a cool story.

In the mail today I found a package from Peggy with two of her books, Just Breathe Normally and Gnawed Bones and a little note! I know it's only January, but this made my 2010 so far. I can't wait to read my new books!!

Poetry in the mail is the best surprise ever. If you have a poet friend, just buy her something off the bargain books at Amazon or your local store, or a journal back issue and send it to her without telling her first. You don't have to be a famous poet to make someone's day!