The jovial exile

If we don’t know Ted Finn, it’s because he’s virtually a hermit. It was nearly impossible to find a picture of this guy. He came out of his cave briefly after releasing a collection (Damn the Eternal War) a few months ago to fill The Book Collector with his powerful yet humorous lines like, “—why can’t you write a simple love poem / you ask me. / —how can i? i ask you. / i’ve never known no simple love.” Finn, the former Sacramento Union arts critic, is a pleasure to watch, and he’s as witty as he is profound.

Gene Bloom, the Sacramento legend and the guy who writes poems that would make a pornographer blush, was on the bill as well, but he had to back out at the last minute.

Get a seat up front to watch Finn engage the audience like a seasoned comedian with a knack for literature. And don’t forget to bring your own poetry for the Luna’s award-winning open-mic.