This week’s pick* goes to M.G. Martin for his reading at Pegasus Books as part of the new series Lyrics and Dirges, not just because M.G. is vibrant and his poetry versatile, but because he takes presentation to another level by stringing his poems into a distinctive new work for the unique experience of the audience at hand. Just watch this:

If you haven’t read M.G.’s book, One for None, you’ve been missing out on one of this year’s most original releases of poetry in the Bay Area. I add that preposition only because I don’t know much else about much else, but that critic in my head that we’re supposed to trust as writers—which I very much do trust—said and still says rather loudly that the preposition probably isn’t necessary, and to leave it there I’ve had to finish the rest of this terrible sentence. In fact, I’m in the process of reviewing One for None now but am having trouble doing it justice. It demands more art.

To see more M.G., you would be wise to grab an advance ticket to this month’s Rumpus, which is not this but the following Monday (the 8th). I have that feeling again.

This coming week » There’s a lot going on. Because I have, I’d tell you to put your money on Quiet Lightning—the lineup will haunt you, plus we’re headed into a bookstore for the first time. Though if political readings are your thing maybe you want to skip the lightning for some change. Actually, I don’t know if those poems will have anything to do with politics. On Thursday you can celebrate the release of Zulema Renee Summerfield’s book “Everything Faces All Ways at Once” with Fourteen Hills, and on Friday see what Paul Corman-Roberts and Valerie Chavez are up to with their brand new series, Bitchez Brew. I also want to tip you off to this play because the run ends on Saturday and it’s really tremendously written—an excellent way to see lit in perhaps a different way.

*We captured so much goodness this past week that we dare this week to top it; unless someone convinces us otherwise we already have next week’s pick. What do you think about that? Up to it?