Two weeks ago, my local bookstore hosted the poet and writer Patricia Lockwood on her tour, promoting her memoir PriestDaddy. It was such a delight! The author started by reading a section from the beginning of her book, then fielded questions from the audience. There was such a great turnout, and the dialogue was so meaningful and illustrative. Patricia is so hilarious and sardonic - at times I was laughing so hard that I was crying, and other times I was trying to write down what she was saying. This was especially true when the questions turned to her poetic process. She also mentioned how much she hopes more of the 1990's culture will make a comeback. In particular, she expressed a deep desire that the Christian band DC Talk rise again.
While I really enjoyed PriestDaddy (you can read my review here), I am a much bigger fan of Trisha's poetry. The way that she plays with and manipulates imagery, language, and current events is brilliant and hilarious. I brought a copy of her most-recent poetry collection, Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals, to be signed. One thing she does, that I've never had happen at any other author event I've attended, is that she volunteered to draw animals as well as sign her name. One of the landmark poems in this collection is about Bambi as a sex object, so I just had to ask for a baby deer drawing...she didn't disappoint!
If you have the opportunity to meet Patricia Lockwood, I'd highly recommend it. She'll make you laugh until you cry, wow you with her 90's references, and leave you wanting more. Thanks to Midtown Scholar Bookstore for hosting!
Librorum annis,
