In the Beginning

October 1995 through October 1996 I went to 200 places in Seattle, and drank a latte at each one. Then I drafted at poem while I drank the latte. At that time in Seattle, there were enough independent coffee houses, carts, and laundrymats so that I only had to include 2 Starbucks, 2 Seattle Best Coffees, and 2 of any chain. It was an adventure, and was the absolute best way for me to get to know Seattle. I still think of it as a kind of pilgrimage. At the end I had my life in poetry complete with latte spills, and a decreased need of a Seattle map. My 10 years in Seattle were not the best, but that one year project no matter what else was going on good or bad was one of the highlights of my life. I didn't publish The East Coast Poet's Last Chance Latte Log, and I couldn't do it now as most of the places have closed. However, I edited those pages extensively, and I'm still very proud of the final product.