Best Way to Dream

Recalling the pre-pandemic month of February feels like having a dream — especially thanks to a visit from a man named Mathias Svalina. The nomadic poet travels the country, delivering prose poems to people who subscribe to his service. His stop in Nashville, arranged by The Free Nashville Poetry Library, lasted for about a month earlier this year. During his stay, he delivered a pink envelope to my door every day by bicycle. Each included a surreal prose poem. In these “dreams,” as he calls them, I showed Buddy Holly how to use his hotel room key, befriended an elderly woman at a Rage Against the Machine concert, designed a role-playing game based on my autobiography and more. By turns whimsical, funny and moving, the Dream Delivery Service managed to transport me to a state of being that would satisfy fans of Kafka and Lynch alike. ERICA CICCARONE

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