If you'd like to celebrate the new year with a little poetry and a little art, then I'd like to invite you out to Bellevue Art Museum on its free first friday, January 4.
You can listen to some of my recorded poems from She Returns to the Floating World along with information about the new Japanese art exhibits - follow the instructions here:
http://www.bellevuearts.org/exhibitions/featured.html
Check out this information about the whole Japanese celebration event on the 4th here:
http://www.bellevuearts.org/calendar/#search-by=featured-event&query=1/4/2013&title=Celebrating%20Japanese%20Traditions%20at%20BAM
The whole day's schedule looks pretty cool. Besides my reading with art show by Michaela Eaves, there's also manga lessons, a talk with one of the featured artists, and a bunch of cool stuff. Plus my book will be available at the gift shop!
Celebrating Japanese Traditions at BAM
11am to 7pm
Free
4 - 4:30pm: Q & A with Yuri Kinoshita
4:30 - 5pm: Redmond Poet Laureate Jeannine Hall Gailey will read poems on Japanese folk tales and culture from her second book, She Returns to the Floating World, accompanied by an art show by Tacoma artist Michaela Eaves, with sketches created for the poems.
5 - 6pm: Jeannine Hall Gailey will lead a workshop on two Japanese poetic forms, haiku and haibun. The artist will read work from classical Japanese poets like Basho and participants will have a chance to write their own haiku and haibun. No experience necessary. Recommended for teens and adults.

Source:
http://myblog.webbish6.com/2013/01/starting-2013-off-with-little-poetry.html