Poet Michael Katko reads on March 1 @ Ruby K's, 6 p.m.

We're kicking off March with a great event! Join us at Ruby K's Bagel Cafe on Thursday, March 1, at 6, when Mike Katko reads from and signs his first book of poetry, Skies and Other Poems.

Tickets for the event, available at here Otowi Station Bookstore, are $17, and include a book, which Mike will sign after the reading, and sweets and a drink at Ruby K's. Tickets are $20 at the door.

In a recent interview, the former restaurateur and educator discussed his poetry and his creative process.

Katko explains, "I became serious about poetry while attending Los Alamos High School. I give credit to the poets E. E. Cummings and Richard Brautigan for the compulsion to become a poet. The material I use in my books comes from the hallways, parking lots, and classrooms of public schools. I think the most salient part of school is the energy one feels from the exuberance of youth. The spontaneity of students is energizing. I recently read that the urge to write is constant; the only relief from that urge comes from just having written. I am in agreement with that statement. As I get older, the feeling to write grows stronger each day."

He continued, "I have always been attracted to all forms of speech, the way someone talks, the words they choose to use. I think that is why I love to visit popular cities and towns in Europe. The different dialects there are like music. Poetry is the filtering of word clutter. As Mrs. Nelson, a second-grade teacher in Cheyenne, Wyoming, stressed; choose your words carefully. The cowboy code of the 1960's demanded that one speak in short, succinct phrases. 'He's all hat and no cattle' is one I've always remembered because it spoke volumes. Poetry does the same thing for me. It gets to the point."

When asked how he would describe his poetry to a person who has never read it before, Katko replied, "My goal with poetry and all of my writing is to make people feel better after having read something I have written. My wish is that they get in touch with the good part of their soul and walk away with a smile on their face. I can do that in many ways, but I have chosen poetry as part of my calling."

Skies and Other Poems has been described as part memoir and part illumination. When asked why he chose not to write a traditional memoir, Katko explained, "I will probably never do a memoir; it would feel immodest to me. I would like to think that any book I write would illuminate the ordinary things in life that we too often overlook. So many people are busy working their jobs and worrying about their bills that they miss what is essential. We are all prone to neglect the importance of relationships. We do not take time to listen to the calming rhythms of nature. We do not recognize or use our God-given talents. I would hope that my book and my future books touch upon those themes."

Katko then explained his writing process. "I have to sit down and start writing. Sometimes I like to write in calm places by myself and at other times I like the background noise of coffee shops, bookstores or small cafes. I find a clean table top somewhere and start writing. I start writing and see what flows out at the end of the pen or see what sentences may appear on the screen of my laptop. The inspiration arises as the words start forming sentences or lines begin fashioning a poem."

Katko talked about reading poetry. "Many people say they get a whole different feeling reading poems alone. I think poetry spoken aloud works well for ballads where the reader emphasizes words of importance in the poem. Parts of poems work well in speeches delivered by seasoned orators. For me, reading a poem for the first time in private feels the best fresh off the page. A poem works when, at the end, I discover the meaning the poet was conveying. The ending of the poem should be the last piece of the puzzle."

What kind of poetry does Katko like the best? He laughed as he replied, "I do not prefer a certain form of poetry. I like all types of poetry-just like I like all kinds of chocolate cake!"

Katko is working on two books, Real Men Don't Lie, a nonfiction novel about the nation's ethics and how they play out in public schools, and Big Medicine, a historical novel. The poet lives in Los Alamos and spends his time doing speaking engagements, traveling, skiing, and having fun with his wife and family.