Poetry To Ponder the Universe To

Locals may recognize Nick Courtright's byline from his features work at the Austinist, where he serves as Interviews Editor and once asked Weird Al about method acting, but he considers more philosophical matters in his new collection of poetry, Punchline (Gold Wake Press).

Using quotations from Einstein, Lorca, and Carl Sagan as jumping off points, the compact but ambitiously scoped Punchline touches on religion, cityscapes, the I Ching, absent others (departed or just not picking up the phone), and the kind of the-universe-is-expanding soul-searching that's fueled insomniac nights for as long as that universe has had a name.

Courtright will be reading from Punchline, a National Poetry Series finalist, on Saturday, March 24 as part of the Lord Weary's Reading Series (500 W. 34th Street), 7pm; San Antonio-based poet Jenny Browne will also read. If you can't make this one, Courtright has upcoming events at local colleges; drop by his website for more details.