During this year’s National Poetry Month, I had the pleasure of joining my dear friend and fellow poet Kim Dower for a deeply personal and illuminating conversation as part of the WeHo Reads series, presented by the City of West Hollywood.

Together, we explored the ways poetry helps us navigate our identities—how it invites us to listen more deeply to ourselves and one another. We spoke about belonging, memory, and the quiet yet powerful work of language in transforming our experiences into something we can share. Kim’s voice and vision always remind me of the emotional honesty that poetry demands—and the connection it makes possible.

It’s moments like these that affirm why I write: to reach across the spaces between us, to create meaning, and to build community through art.

Learn more about Kim Dower’s poetry, life, and works HERE.