As an artist, I have been hounded by three kinds of fleas: poetry, painting and music. I have nineteen spots where the first variety has bitten me, including Agapito with Scribners (a major bite that still itches). The second variety keeps me busy with survival, and the third connects me to the birds of paradise. Temporary aid for my condition has been provided by an NEA Grant, a Bush Foundation Fellowship and a Minnesota State Arts Board.