By now you have probably heard that sometime during mid to late July I will be moving to the greater Los Angeles area. Although many of you are delighted, I know that for some of you it will not be an easy transition, having lived for so long in a city without Aaron Belz, the poet, in it. You’ve grown accustomed to a certain status quo—you’ve known what to expect, day to day, for your whole lives until now. What will it be like with me living there? Will things change?
The answer is “yes,” but I hope not too dramatically. The biggest change will be that you will read poetry more often. You’ll get to read new poems about life in your town! Here is an example of what you may expect:
LOS ORANGE
O cow, holy strawberries—
Orange tree in my yard. Los Mexicanos!
Let’s all go to the movies.
This is only a small example, and perhaps not even a very fine one. It draws on the kind of imagery I perceived when first visiting your fair province (when I came to interview for the job which occasions the move).
It’s OK, we’re going to have some fun. Things are really different in St. Louis. I’ll tell you about it in July, when I get there.
-Aaron
P.S. I’m bringing my wife, three kids, and dog Georgie (who’s kind of barky).
