Latif Harris and David Meltzer — two poets with deep, deep roots — hold the stage. Each is in his 70s, each dedicated to poetry since the 1950s, each with children dear to them all along the way.

At David’s first reading in the store, we urged him to read his poem “The Red Shoes,” that has him nimbly skittering over his kids’ scattered debris in a mad acrobatic dash of language.

And Latif’s first reading here, sweet and profound, actually took place on Fathers Day 15 years ago, and was a moment of reunion with his son Raphael.

We’re more than pleased to host Latif and David together on this occasion! It’s no small matter that both are important poets in a much larger sense.