Nature Poem by Tommy Pico
Join the Desert Reserach Library Book Club for our second in-person meeting on April 4th at 7:00pm PST to discuss Nature Poem by Tommy Pico at the HDTS Firehouse Outpost in North Joshua Tree. This will be our first of many book club meetings at the Firehouse. We also plan to continue meeting at local community members’ houses in the future.
This month’s collection of poetry was selected and acquired for the DRL Library by Blue Alameddin. Here’s why Blue selected Nature Poem for our library and the book club:
“I love this collection because of the way Pico writes poetry. Both tempo (or lack thereof) and spelling feels rebellious. I find the way he speaks about “nature” very refreshing; not focusing on it as colonial society likes to. I thought that it being titled Nature Poem might draw all sorts of people in who may not otherwise seek out the voice of a queer Indigenous person. At the same time, having a SoCal Kumeyaay writer in the HDTS Desert Research Library seemed relevant. I love how non-linear this book is, very gay, very raw and rambling, great for this ADHD age.”
—Blue Alameddin
We look forward to welcoming old time Book Clubbers and meeting newcomers in person! Don’t forget to bring snacks and drinks to share.
A free PDF of Nature Poem is available to download online. Used and new copies are available for under $15 from many online bookstores such as Abe Books and Bookshop.org. As a reminder, you don’t have to read any or all of the book to participate in Book Club, we will always include you in the conversation. Pre-registration is not required this month, just show up. See you on April 4th!
Directions
The HDTS Firehouse Outpost is located at 65430 Winters Road, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. The building is accessed from a dirt road, and is wheelchair accessible.
COVID safety
Attendees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We will be meeting indoors, and masks are optional. If you think you may have been exposed to someone with COVID in the past 14 days or are experiencing any symptoms, please refrain from attending this program. Thank you for keeping our community safe!
After a brief hiatus during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, our in-person book club, formerly known as Kip’s Desert Book Club, resumed in January 2022 as the Desert Research Library Book Club (or DRL Book Club, for short). Each month, a member of the current Desert Research Library Artist Cohort or another member of the book club community selects a book from the library as that month’s book club selection. We meet at various locations throughout the high desert to discuss the books and share snacks.
The DRL Book Club grew out of our long-standing tradition of monthly book club meetings, first established by Katie Bachler during her Scout residency, then carried on as Kip’s Desert Book Club, from October 2014 through April 2021.
