Met with Michael and Suki, the folks who've offered to host the first semi-public Coffeehousebook.com reading. I say semi- because the place only seats about 30, public because if you e-mail me I'll put you on the invite list. The venue is a live/work music studio in Oakland.

It should be a nice opportunity for a bunch of us to read our work aloud for a sympathetic audience in a copacetic environment. We're going to tape the proceedings so the, er, performers can learn from the experience, and perhaps, if all goes well, to use as a "demo" for more public (coffeehouse, bookstore) readings in the future.

Suki and Michael have a band, the Noodles, and their studio is full of percussion and other instruments and recording devices. We're planning some heavily scripted spontaneity (just kidding). Actually, any time I find myself rehearsing future events too much I remember one of my favorite live-tape stage-banter quips, from the mouth of the late Pigpen (on listening to an overzealous promoter type try to get people to sit down now and dance later): "Don't be programmin' it, baby."