"Cherry Tomatoes" by Sandra Beasley + Pasta al Pomodoro

I remember the evening well. I was sitting with my parents and boyfriend on the shaded patio of an Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara. This was one of those "let's take you out to dinner to be sure you're eating well" meals parents often take their children to when they're still in college. By this time I had been cooking for myself out of necessity for at least a year, but wasn't the most adventurous when it came to trying new dishes. When I scanned a menu, once my eye paused on Pasta al Pomodoro, the decision was made. But this particular evening, I couldn't shake the price. Although I wasn't paying for it, fourteen dollars for a bowl seemed somewhat unreasonable considering I could buy a bag of spaghetti, two pounds of tomatoes, some basil and cheese for less than $10 and have multiple servings. Suddenly, my mentality shifted as I began to realize that my favorite restaurant meals were achievable in my own kitchen.

"Iceberg Lettuce" by Joanie Mackowski + Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

The first time you read this poem, you might peek underneath your own dinner table to see "what vegetable leviathan extends beneath." The second time, though, imagination fully open, you'll catch the subtle nuances.

Around one dinner table sits a "leaf on a plate like a wing," almost weightless, until we learn what would occur should it fly away. I sense the speaker reaching for something beyond her own existence. In one moment she remains in the physical world, bringing a small fork to her lips with pieces of vinegar-coated lettuce, but in the same moment a conversation is occurring within her soul, recognizing life's fragility.

London Calling

There's a reason I'm talking about London today instead of poetry, and we'll get to that in a minute, but first I wanted to tell you a little bit about why I adore the city so much.

In 2002, I lived in London for 6 months as a student with the University of California. As a literature major, I was drawn to the program for the single-semester option, as well as the course work. "Literature of London," taught by a King's Cross professor, took me inside the city in a new way. Instead of reading Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf in Santa Barbara, where I lived at the time, I was able to wander through the actual streets and squares that my favorite writers had. It was mystical and inspiring and I loved every minute of it.