Sid Ghosh with Cedar Sigo — 'Yellow Flower Gills Me Whole: Poems'

Third Place Books welcomes poet Sid Ghosh to our Ravenna location for a conversation about his debut collection, , a treasure trove of nimble, vivid poetry emerging from his experience as a nonspeaking autistic writer with Down syndrome. He will be joined in conversation by fellow poet Cedar Sigo. This event is free and open to the public.

For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

This event is free to attend. Registration is recommended in advance.

Please note: While RSVP helps us anticipate attendance, your RSVP may not guarantee a seat. Seating is first-come, first-served, and all events at our Ravenna neighborhood store are free and open to the public. Only standing room may be available for events with high interest.

We are happy to accommodate any accessibility concerns. Please contact us at [email protected] or call our Ravenna store at (206) 525-2347.

An exciting new edition/entry to Milkweed's Multiverse series--a visionary collection of poetry advocating for the excited, the rebellious, and the neuroqueer.

In this momentous debut, Sid Ghosh invites the reader "to be so free that it scares you." Leveraging gem-like koans, technicolor wordplay, and earth-shaking wit, he creates startling new worlds in only a handful of words. As a nonspeaking autistic writer with Down syndrome who must navigate immense sensorimotor complexity, his short poems are both muscular and agile, displaying a dexterity replete with vertiginous grace: "Spinning I harness / poetry of the Earth. // The Sufi dances / in me to dare me // to scare your loud / soul to ensnare // my fearful mind to / bare some misery / to bear some truth."

Ghosh writes beyond his years and from a perspective steeped in queer and fractaled sensibilities. As one who is "simply privy to a new road," he renders neurodiverse thought patterns as truly divine. The poems that result bristle with wisdom, divergence, and the "generosity of deep rivers." Unprecedented in its genius and composition, this collection of poems is sure to leave readers wide-eyed and breathless.

Sid Ghosh is a levitator of language, meandering through the rivers of Down Syndrome, gilling himself through poetry. He is the author of two chapbooks: Give a Book and Proceedings of the Full Moon Rotary Club. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Cedar Sigo is a poet and member of the Suquamish Nation. He studied at The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at the Naropa Institute. He is the author of endless books and pamphlets of poetry, including All This Time (Wave Books, 2021), Stranger in Town (City Lights, 2010), Expensive Magic (House Press, 2008), two editions of Selected Writings (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2003 and 2005) and most recently Siren of Atlantis (Wave Books, 2025). In 2022 he received a grants to artist's award from The Foundation for Contemporary Arts He has taught all over the country including The University of Washington, Bard College, Washington University, Naropa University and The Institute of American Indian Arts. He lives in Lofall, Washington.

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.

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