Two weeks ago, a surprise arrived at my door. The connection it carried began much earlier, in March, when I saw a friend from a distance on the prairie, each of us walking with our dogs. Coronavirus was new and masks not yet mandatory, so we kept our distance. I went home and wrote a poem for this friend, and months late later she delivered a commissioned broadside by Minneapolis artist Marni Kaldjian. I’m grateful for these moments of humanity and art in the midst of so much uncertainty.
So while September and October slipped away in a blur of pandemic-response teaching, all is not lost. Sheltering and staying safe have opened opportunities for virtual lectures, literary events, and classes at Minnesota Center for Book Arts.
I’ve also begun the reflection and work that prepares the way for publication of a new book. A full-length poetry collection, will be published by Terrapin Books in 2021. If you’re not familiar with the gorgeous books they produce, please check out their titles.
Take care, be well, and, as always, check back for news of forthcoming poems and essays.
Diane LeBlanc 
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