Public Exposure

I have read poetry and fiction in public. It's a mixed blessing. At best, your offering is loved, people want to touch you as if you are spreading inspiration, and they buy your books. The worst part is mustering the calm to assert yourself. On an occasion when I received a standing ovation, my husband and son were in the audience. They wet their pants.

If you are called upon to read in public, be aware it is only a blip in time. Whatever happens is merely a learning experience. Good luck!