Poetry. A READING (11-17). " A READING manifests a generic singularity, an absolutely specific human presence which could at the same time be interchanged with anyone.... Writing and reading are both acts of relation, problematically focused on the object that comes in between--an object made of words, which might be conduit or barrier or mute altar"--Geoffrey O'Brien.

Beverly Dahlen is a native of Portland, Oregon, Beverly Dahlen has lived in San Francisco for many years. Her first book, Out of the Third, was published by Momo's Press in 1974. Two chapbooks, A Letter at Easter (Effie's Press, 1976) and The Egyptian Poems (Hipparchia Press, 1983) were followed by the publication of the first volume of A Reading in 1985 (A Reading 1-7, Momo's Press). Since then, three more volumes of A Reading have appeared. Chax Press published A Reading 8-10 (1992); Potes and Poets Press: A Reading 11-17 (1989); Instance Press: A Reading 18-20 (2006). Chax Press also published the chapbook A-reading Spicer & Eighteen Sonnets in 2004. Ms. Dahlen has also published work in numerous periodicals and anthologies. A forthcoming issue of Crayon will publish poetry and her essay on beauty.