(Above, Top to Bottom) - Memories from the 2000-2003 national tour:  A California scene (photographed from the top of a lighthouse), the Corn Palace on a 104-degree day, and a waterfall in Camden, Maine give a brief sense of scenery.  Next, the three key players in the tour:  David Messineo and Suburban Gothic meet "American Gothic" in Iowa, the Pontiac Convertible visits the home of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and videographer Kleber de Freitas single-handedly recreates A Chorus Line.  The Publisher poses with a printing press, and displays the Coney Island issue at a Toledo, Ohio stop with poet Treva Myatt.  Among the 100 readings in the 3-year Suburban Gothic/ Restoration tour are a street fair in Minneapolis, Minnesota; an independent bookstore in Pueblo, Colorado;  and a bookstore in Sarasota, Florida.  Finally, the Publisher strikes a pose before the restored Tom Sawyer House in Hannibal, MO - a prelude to the release of his fourth poetry book, Restoration.  (Click on any of these photographs for larger versions.)

National Tour (2000-2002)

Sharing poetry with audiences in 48 states before turning 40:  a rare benchmark for any 21st century American poet, and a sensational opportunity to find new voices for Sensations Magazine

(Above) The Publisher enjoys a quiet moment cycling outside a cornfield in Maine,
one of 48 states passed through as part of the 40,000 mile 2000-2002 national tour

PHASE 1:  JULY 10, 2000 - JANUARY 9, 2001 (30,000 miles) -
TRAVEL ACROSS THE NATION

On July 10, 2000, David Messineo launched the six-month National Tour for Suburban Gothic and the Coney Island issue of Sensations Magazine.  Between July 10 and January 9, the Publisher drove 30,000 miles across America, with books and magazines in the back seat of a 1991 Pontiac convertible. During that time, he managed to cobble together 60 appearances in 30 states, and shared his poetry, and poems published in the Coney Island issue, with over 1000 people.

"It was a lifelong dream to see America by car. I still can't believe I was fortunate enough to do this before the age of 40," Mr. Messineo explained.  "I wanted to go on national tour only when I had two solid, well-made items to offer to the public.  When I had both the Coney Island issue and Suburban Gothic, it was time to go."

Mr. Messineo was joined by Videographer Kleber de Freitas for the six month journey.  After returning to New Jersey from a "prelude" reading in North Carolina, they went north, stopping at the new office of The Poet's Press in Providence, Rhode Island.  Then it was on to Massachusetts, where they had the highest attendance in the tour.

"I read for 80 people in Cambridge.  It was a wonderful turnout, and I thought I gave a very good reading," Mr. Messineo reminisced. "More important, I met a number of excellent poets, many of whom followed through with their promise to send material in 2001."

Between July 12 and September 1, the 2000 National Tour blasted through (in order) Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, northern Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Washington.  During September, they continued through Oregon and California.  October and November took them through the southern U.S:  Arizona, New Mexico, southern Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. In late November, there was one reading per state in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.  December was dedicated to Florida, with a shift in focus to the Coney Island issue.  The national tour went as far south as Key West, Florida (on December 20), and ended with the Publisher's first readings in Virginia, Maryland (and a pleasant low-key conclusion in Bethel, Connecticut) on January 9, 2001.

PHASE 2:  APRIL 23-28, 2001 (1,250 miles) - PENNSYLVANIA AND KENTUCKY

The second phase of the Suburban Gothic national tour included a series of successful readings in Reading, PA; Harrisburg, PA; and Barboursville, WV.  A 2-day whirlwind tour of Kentucky resulted in distribution in 5 independent bookstores, and visits to the birthplace and childhood homes of Abraham Lincoln.

PHASE 3:  AUGUST 2001 (1,875 miles) - REVISITING THE NORTHEAST

Bellows Falls, Vermont. Montpelier, Vermont. Nashua, New Hampshire. Brunswick, Maine. Providence, Rhode Island.  The National Tour journeyed through the northeastern corner of the U.S. during August 2001, expanding the audiences for both Sensations Magazine and Suburban Gothic. From an Irish bar in Bellows Falls, VT to a late-night cafe in the capitol of Vermont, from a "pop-in" on the Poets Unbound round-robin style reading at Barnes & Noble in Nashua to a guest stint in an 8-year-running open mike night in Brunswick (in the basement of a church), the process of sharing my work with audiences in all 50 states continued, along with the addition of new bookstore distribution points in these states.  My first reading in Rhode Island was a small but attentive crowd at H.P. Lovecraft's grave in Providence, hosted by Brett Rutherford of Poet's Press.  Though I was appalled by the price of hotel rooms in New Hampshire and Maine in the summer season ($120/night for a crappy room in the middle of nowhere, vs. $80/night here in New Jersey, 3 miles from New York City), I was impressed with the quality of work shared by others, and pleased to find receptive audiences for my own work.  

PHASE 4:  FEBRUARY 2002 - READING IN HAWAII
Through the kindness of Beth Dinice, David Messineo was able to coordinate a trip to Hawaii, which included a feature reading opportunity in Honolulu.  In a cafe packed with over 50 people, the Publisher gave a riveting performance, including an unrehearsed presentation of "Marvelous Coney Island" by Guy Wetmore Carroll with bongo drums and guitar as musical backup.  Two bookstores in Hawaii agreed to carry the Coney Island issue; both sold out their copies.

PHASE 5:  AUGUST 2002 - TOURING THE MIDWEST
David Messineo concluded the Suburban Gothic National Tour in August 2002, with his first readings in 9 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

SUMMARY
Between July 10, 2000 and August 10, 2002, David Messineo shared his poetry with audiences in 48 of the 50 states before turning 40, and in D.C. while 40. (Nevada and Alaska will come later.)

TO ANSWER THE FINAL QUESTION:  "WOULD YOU DO IT ALL AGAIN?"

"It was an incredible experience - but no, I don't think I'll ever drive 40,000 miles around the United States again. I met a lot of nice people - and heard some superb poetry in each state I passed through.  Any way you look at it, I really had the time of my life. I've made some great connections around the country, met some very kind people - and I hope to remain in contact with many of them in the coming years."

EPILOGUE (AS OF OCTOBER, 2006):

The Publisher's 1991 Pontiac Sunbird convertible, used for the entire national tour except Hawaii, is still in running condition - with 320,500 miles on its odometer.