I Submit

New Year's News

2012-01-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012!

You guys...2011 was an exceptional year. I saw a lot of my dreams come true: I graduated from my MFA, got a visiting professor position teaching poetry, completed and submitted my full-length manuscript. I'm excited to see what 2012 has in store!

First up--I had the honor of interviewing Saeed Jones about his chapbook, When the Only Light is Fire, over at Eclectica Magazine.

Also, I realize I'm really, really hard on myself. I don't think I'm productive enough, don't think I read or write enough so I was just doing a mental inventory and I realize I'm no less productive than I was in previous years. I may even be more productive! I'm involved in a monthly poetry book club/workshop online. Another friend of mine asked me to be a part of a bi-weekly poetry workshop. And I've written about 12 poems in the last 4 months while teaching 3 college courses. I'm not saying any of this to brag. I'm saying it to say to my Self...shut up!

Right now I'm pulling individual poems from my manuscript that I feel uneasy about and revising them. I need to spend more time on this manuscript before I send it out again in mid-January, so that's my new year's project for now. I think I may be feeling uneasy about the new stuff I'm trying to write because I'm not actually ready to move on from this manuscript yet. So I'm going to focus less on trying to generate new work for awhile.

My resolution: be more self-aware.

More submissions to come!

@UnderPoList

2011-12-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

I'm tweeting opportunities for undergraduate poets at https://twitter.com/#!/UnderPoList

Follow @UnderPoList on Twitter for updates.

Non-traditional undergrads included! I got my first publication as a non-traditional undergrad in a nationwide undergrad publication--North Central Review!

See you on Twitter!

More Manuscript Rejections

2011-12-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

Got a letter from U. of Wisconsin Press for their 2 prizes. The editor wrote "Sorry" on the note. That makes it feel like they understand how rejection feels. Nice touch, U of Wisconsin!

Also, finally realized the Robert Dana Prize for Anhinga Press was decided. They didn't post it in an obvious part of their website.

So I'm still out there at 17 places!

NEA Goal

2011-12-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

Ummmm...they updated the guidelines to apply for the NEA Lit fellowship (see my sidebar) and it looks like I may have already reached my goal!

http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/Lit/eligibility.html

I'd like to highlight this portion of the eligibility criteria: Twenty or more different poems or pages of poetry in five or more literary journals, anthologies, or publications which regularly include poetry as a portion of their format.

Ummmm...if it's 20 pages of poetry, I've had that! And it doesn't look like half of the poems need to be in print pubs anymore either. The app is due by March 2012. Fingers crossed for a few more pubs by then. I sent 3 poems in to Callaloo. They rejected one and the other two are sitting tight, so hopefully that's a good sign!

Did you know that I've sent my full-length manuscript out to 23 different places so far? I've been rejected by 3, for sure, so far.

That's all for now.

November Updates

2011-11-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

Had a poem accepted by Cell Poems today! I like that a short poem found a great home. And I'm two poems away from my NEA goal! Gonna make it. Gonna do the extensive application lol.

Okay, Expecting Magic is also out to a few more places:

Elixer Press, Omnidawn (which I got a book from their catalog for entering. nice!), Perugia Press, University of North Texas Press, Yale Younger Poets, Crab Orchard Review, BOA Editions, and the Academy of American Poets/Walt Whitman award.

All I can do is my part, which is to put it out there. The rest is up to the screeners and judges.

Glad I could stop stalking submission managers long enough to finally update my blog.

Peace to your poems in the piles, poets!

More October Submissions

2011-10-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

A leaner version of Expecting Magic is sitting in some new slush piles:

Lena-Miles Wever Todd Poetry Book Prize

Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize

I'll probably do my last October submits by Friday.

I've also been submitting for academic jobs/fellowships. It's hard out here for a poet without a book. I'm hoping to snag a visiting position/fellowship that lasts longer than a year next time. It's actually not been decided if I can stay at my current position for one more year, but since they won't be able to tell me that until January, I've gotta keep putting myself out there. I'm through with the anxiety about it and I've settled comfortably into just doing what I have to do mode. It's nice.

Eh, that's all I have.

Kiss, kiss, poets!

Lit Mag Love: Prime Mincer

2011-10-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

So I was one of the winners in the Writer's Relief Lit Mag Love Contest! So now I get a free subscription to Prime Mincer in addition to the subscriptions to Tin House and Poetry that I purchased in order to enter the contest.

Yay for literary citizenship!

I got my manuscript sent out for two more contests:

Silverfish Review's Gerald Cable Book Award

Fordham University

Both of these were online/email submits which excites me more than it probably should.

I also got a postcard from Sarabande Books saying they received my sample poems. It was handwritten, which also excites me more than it should.

Oh! And I submitted a few poems to Callaloo. They don't do simultaneous submits, so we'll wait and see if I can finally get something in there. We shall see!

Peace to your poems in the piles, poets!

THEthePoetry

2011-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

My poem, "To Women Waiting at the Gynecologist," is Poem of the Week over on THEthePoetry.

Literary Citizenship

2011-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about literary citizenship lately. I collect random samples of the feedback my students are giving each other. I know from my own experiences in workshops that the amount of time and effort some students give to their classmates work will not be reciprocated. I hate that. The only thing I can do is lecture them on how giving feedback is as valuable, if not more, than receiving it on your work, and then grade their feedback accordingly.

I've been thinking about how I can be a better literary citizen. I think I do small things like tweeting in support of others' works, attending readings, and purchasing books. I support online lit mags by sharing their links on Twitter and Facebook as well. But, if you look in the sidebar, print mags are just as important to me as online mags and I don't feel like I do enough to support them even though I send them my work hoping to get it published. My subscription to Rattle just ended, but I got that from entering their contest. I believe I just subscribed to Crab Orchard that same way. That's all well and good but I wouldn' t have subscribed had I not been submitting my work.

So I was excited to see a link to the Writer's Relief Lit Mag Love Contest. This is a contest that you enter by getting 2 new subscriptions to lit mags and then sharing the link to the contest with others. I subscribed to Tin House and Poetry because I've had it in my mind to do it and I could also subscribe online. I was surprised that the first few mags I tried to subscribe to didn't have an online option. If I have to mail something in, I won't do it right away. Sad, but true.

Anyway, I'm excited. I honestly forget that I can spend a little money again. I got used to being a broke student. My next step is to buy some of my friends'/acquaintances' books that I couldn't afford as a student. I feel like once you write a bunch of stuff and send it out, you've got to do something to sustain the literary community you hope to be part of.

News from the Rear of the Contest Front

2011-10-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how the judge chose a manuscript that was not mine, I got my first rejection for a first book contest via the Crab Orchard Review's website. They posted the results like a month early! That's cool....the posting of the results early part. lol

I'm also assuming rejection for the CC prize. I feel like if they are going to announce the winner this week (like twitter says), then the winner has already been notified. Not that I know how these things work, but that's what I'm assuming.

I imagine I have to amass a number of no's before I get a yes, so it looks like I'm on my way lol. But there are tons of opportunities to submit and get closer to yes this month!

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up...It's the end of the month!

2011-09-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

(that title is a play on a song by Bone Thugs in Harmony. What's that? Crickets?)

So the 15th and the 30/31 of every month are usually where these book contest deadlines seem to be falling so I found myself formatting and packaging my manuscript once again. "Expecting Magic" is now on its way to the following slush piles:

Juniper Prize

The Ohio State University Press/The Journal Prize

Brittingham and Pollak Prizes (I like this one. For one entry fee of $25, you get entered into two contests. Last year both of the prizes went to recent UVA MFA Alums!)

I also sent a query/sample of 10 poems to Sarabande Books. Hopefully, they'll request a full manuscript for review! Their response time is under three months. That's cool.

Also, here's a list of small presses that read poetry manuscripts outside of contests.

Peace to your poems, poets!

*update*went through that list and saw that Milkweed has an open reading period that ends in hours! So I sent my manuscript in through their electronic submission manager. No fee! I love it! And I like what's in their catalog.

Creative Writing Pedagogy, Twitter, and Me

2011-09-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

I wrote an essay about creative writing pedagogy and it's up on HTML giant: http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/starting-with-no/

Oh, this is my testament to the usefulness of Twitter. Roxane Gay tweeted about interest in discussing CW pedagogy and I responded, wrote the essay and shot it over to her.

Plus, as a single parent, I wouldn't have much of a connection to a writing community if not for the internet. Check out these hashtags:

#poetparty (Sundays at 9pm EST, poets discuss various topics and it's a good time--if talking to a bunch of poets all over the world is a good time to you)

#52poetry- take the challenge to read 52 poetry books this year (the equivalent of 1 poetry collection a week). See what others are reading and add to your reading list! I need to calculate what I've read so far so I can catch up if need be!

That's all I have for now.

*imagining my manuscript hugging your manuscript in the slush pile*

Poem Fodder

2011-09-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

I finally got a Tumblr site: www.jonterri.tumblr.com

I'm using it to track where I get inspiration for new poems I've been writing.

See you there. And still here. Tons of submission deadlines at the end of September!

Peace to your poems.

Best of Issue: Muzzle

2011-09-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've got poetry in Muzzle's Best of Issue for their first year!

Updates

2011-09-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Alright...I've been submitting. Not individual poems, but my manuscript to book contests.

To my previous three contest submissions I've added:

Crab Orchard Review Series in Poetry First Book Award

A Room of Her Own: To the Lighthouse Poetry Publication Prize

Red Hen Press: Benjamin Saltman Award

I've had a new pub:

PANK

PANK blog interview

And I've got a new pub coming out in October I'm excited about. I'll link it here when it's time.

I've been writing consistently. Finished a few poems. Nothing I'm ready to send out, but it will come. I've been writing 750 words (the equivalent of 3 pages) daily on 750words.com. I'm in love with that site! You get fun little achievement awards and stuff. It's like playing a game with writing.

Teaching at Drake is going great. I teach 3 classes:

Reading & Writing Poetry (2 sections)

Slave Narratives: Past & Present

I'm in love with these courses. The students in my slave narratives course are all over that material! The discussions go great. It's the class that I was most unsure about since I hadn't taught it yet and things are going better than I anticipated with it.

Since this is a one-year appointment, I'm on the academic job market again. So, as always, my submissions continue!

Peace to your poems in the piles around the world!

love.

First Book State of Mind

2011-05-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

Look at these post-thesis defense smiles:

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm cheesing authentically hard!

No more thesis. I'm in a first book state of mind.

--

I have a poem up at Vinyl. I'm right next to Anna Journey, whom I love!!

Mission(s) Accomplished

2011-04-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

Alright, so, none of the post-MFA fellowships came through for me. But, I GOT A JOB!!!!

I'll be the Visiting Assistant Professor of Poetry at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The interview process was no joke, but I learned a lot about myself and my teaching philosophy and I'm more confident than ever that teaching is the career I want to pursue while I poet.

There was a phone interview and then two days of campus interviewing which consisted of giving a lecture and a reading to the English department faculty followed by an intense Q&A and then a breakfast interview with the faculty the following morning.

Interviewing like that felt so much like dating! I was falling in love with each faculty member as different sets of them took me to different meals or walked me from one meeting to the next and I had to really hold out on loving them until they were ready to make a commitment to me. And they did. Right now, we're in a long distance relationship, but I'm working on moving closer. :)

I defend my thesis tomorrow.

I graduate from my MFA program on May 22. I almost cry every time I read this blog's bio. In 2007 I didn't even know how I was going to get my Bachelor's degree. That was 4 years ago and in the fall I'll be Professor Gadson.

Dream BIG, whomever you are and from wherever you are reading this!

My goal when I entered an MFA program was to come out with a first book manuscript.

Yesterday, I sent my manuscript out to three first book contests!

Cave Canem Poetry Prize
Agnes Lynch Starret Poetry Prize (University of Pittsburgh)
Robert Dana Prize (Anhinga Press)

I Submit continues!

I am seriously leading a poem-led life. I thought it was possible, now I know.

Peace to your pieces in the piles, poets and other writers!

Waiting...

2011-02-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

There's no mystery. I'm waiting to see if any of the post-MFA fellowships will come through for me. My kind of waiting means that I search the internet daily to see if anyone has posted any new info. I do not recommend this method of waiting. It's not healthy.

Right now, Fall 2011 going forward is a question mark for me; an exciting question mark, because no matter what, something will happen. It's just a matter of what.

I got my first "no" for my first teaching job application. I can't believe I was even qualified to apply and be taken seriously. lol

Summer fell into place nicely. This summer I'll be the Creative Writing Instructor for Duke's Talent Identification Program at Texas A&M. I'll be teaching poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to academically gifted 8-10th graders. Basically, they'll be taught at an undergraduate level. This should be tons of fun. Intense, for all of us, but tons of fun.

On the submissions front, the deadline for the first first book contest I want to enter is April 30th. My thesis is my manuscript. A good (no, great) friend just volunteered to give it her golden review prior to the contest, which means I've got to have it ready for her by March 1. So when I'm not tweeting or posting or reading student poems or reading essays on poetic form, I'll be working on getting my thesis into 1st book form. That's another whole level of submitting to the life of a poet. But I'm ready for it!

Positive vibes to your pieces in the piles!

#52Poetry

2011-01-31T05:34:00.000-08:00

@TheAmericanPoet on Twitter started the challenge of reading 52 poetry collections this year. It's Jan. 31 and here's what I read this month:

1. Lighthead by Terrance Hayes
2. To Repel Ghosts by Kevin Young (which at 316 pages should be counted as 3 collections)
3. Brutal Imagination by Cornelius Eady
4. Triumph of Achilles by Louise Glück
5. 10 Mississippi by Steve Healey

plus 2 of my classmates' poetry manuscripts. But I'll just count the officially published stuff.

So there...I got 5 this month.

I started, but did not finish, Through the Stonecutter's Window and One Small Thing.

So did reading effect my writing?

I wrote one poem after Louise Glück.
I wrote one poem in a voice inspired by Terrance Hayes and Steve Healey.
And Kevin Young renewed my faith in using short lines and sparse language.

First up in February...Raptus by Joanna Klink.

Happy reading and writing, everyone!

Poetry Quarterly (2 Poems)

2011-01-29T11:37:00.001-08:00

Hi,

You can view my poems on pgs. 28-29 of Poetry Quarterly.

More soon.

Acceptance: Vinyl Poetry

2011-01-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

This was a kind of interesting process toward acceptance. Vinyl Poetry has pretty innovative submissions guidelines. Instead of sending them a submission packet of new work, they ask that you send links to some of your online work. Then they review your published work and decide if they'd like you to submit unpublished work. That's pretty cool for a lot of reasons. I bet it makes things easier for them as far as not having a huge slush pile built up.

So they ended up requesting that I send 6-8 poems so they could decide which poems might be the best fit. I did that and then my lucky streak hit and only 1 of the poems was left available. So I emailed the editor to notify her and sent along a new poem that I had written that I hadn't sent out yet. She liked the new poem but had questions about a part of it, which was extremely helpful because I hadn't shown the poem to anyone else so I didn't recognize that it was confusing. I fixed it and she took the poem!

Katherine, the editor, is a great example of what an editor can do for a poem. I'm so glad she worked with me instead of rejecting the poem outright.

I recommend sending along some links to Vinyl. I found them because a few Cave Canem fellows were in Volume 2 and the work they posted up was AMAZING!! So yeah...go read Vinyl.

And just like that...they're gone!

2011-01-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

Acceptance: Tidal Basin Review (1 poem)
Acceptance: PANK (2 poems accepted for online & 1 for print)
Acceptance: Poetry Quarterly (2 poems)

And I have no more poems left to submit.

That's crazy. And I feel really blessed that these editors received my work well this time.

I'm posting all of this because I want people (especially poets) to know what it's like to put yourself out there if you don't already, that it isn't impossible to get published, that rejection happens and though it sucks, acceptance feels amazing.

But you have to keep pressing send (I do a lot of electronic subs lol). Or you have to keep licking, stamping, and mailing them out because your voice matters.

In rejection news, Anti- gave me a no today.

Now to go through the process of withdrawing my work from all over the lit mag kingdom.

Kisses to the poems in the slush piles!

Acceptance: Poetry Quarterly

2011-01-16T13:40:00.001-08:00

The only drawback I see now to submitting to a lot of places at once is that if you get an acceptance you have to notify all of those places! So I just spent the last hour updating submissions in submissions managers and emailing editors.

But I'm not complaining! I've got 2 poems forthcoming in Poetry Quarterly and +2 on my print publication NEA goal. The issue will be available online as well so I'll post a link when it's up. Also, this will be my first paid poetry publication...looks like I'm getting $2!

In rejection news: Anderbo gave me a quick no. I love quick responses regardless of the outcome.

Blowing kisses to your pieces in the slush piles!

I'm Baaaaack...with (old) good news!

2011-01-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

I didn't submit to any journals in Fall 2010. I needed to write new stuff. Plus I was teaching my first undergraduate poetry workshop so giving feedback on poems was taking up a majority of my time. I've been applying to post-MFA fellowships just like I said I would. Now I have a week left before school starts so I'm back to submitting again. I honestly miss anxiously checking my email. It sucks not to be hoping for good news when I check my email because I haven't been giving myself the opportunity to get any since I haven't been submitting.

Oh some exciting things happened when I did submit though. I got an acceptance from Muzzle and a nomination for the Dzanc Books Best of the Web 2011 Anthology.

New submissions out today to:
Callaloo
Indiana Review
Linebreak
jubilat
Mythium
Vinyl Poetry
Agni
Black Warrior Review
Crazyhorse
Pank
Blackbird
Cream City Review
The Journal
Poetry Quarterly
Anti-
The Louisville Review
The Minnesota Review
Pebble Lake Review
Phoebe
Solstice
The Southeast Review
Sycamore Review

Now when I get rejected, I won't have to be afraid to press send again because I've sent to (almost) everywhere I wanted to send.

Peace to your poems in the slush piles, poets!

Acceptance: Milk Money

2010-08-19T18:01:00.001-07:00

Thank you for your patience during the selection process. We had an overwhelming response to this last call for submissions and we're happy to inform you that "Patricide," "Instructions for Staying Out All Night" and "Father" have all been selected to be included in the upcoming Milk Money, Volume Eight: When Jeff Goldblum Speaks, We Listen.

They took three poems and they are a both a print and an online publication so that bumps up my print pubs for the NEA tracking thing I have going on in the sidebar. I'm happy.

I also submitted 3 new poems to the Rattle poetry prize. They judge pretty quickly so those poems will be tied up until Sept. 15. I have nothing else out there right now because it's all been taken!

I'll be submitting to the Naugatuck River Review's Narrative Poetry Contest if I can scrounge together some other narrative pieces I haven't submitted yet by Sept. 1.

Blowing kisses to your pieces waiting patiently in the slush piles!

New Acceptance!!...and all of the rejections surrounding it...

2010-07-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here's an update: Sugar House Review took my poem, "Horizons." This is significant because it's the first in my series of "daddy issues" poems to get published. Also, it's a print publication, so that's +1 for my NEA goal thing in the sidebar. I tried really hard to avoid being sentimental, so this acceptance gave me the confidence to keep going with the heart stuff in my poems which I'm always unsure about. I'm just never quite sure how much of the poem relies on the interesting nature of trauma and how much is whatever makes a poem good lol. My brain isn't interested in self-doubt right now apparently, because I can't whine as coherently as I'd like to in this paragraph about acceptance. So I'll move on.

Recent rejections from: Everywhere else. lol No, not really, but I did still have the opportunity to withdraw it from 3 places.

More specifically, rejections in from: Gulf Coast, MisFit, The Meadowland Review, Linebreak, Indiana Review, Caketrain, Boxcar Poetry Review, Diagram.

I still have poems out there in the slush piles. So we'll see!

How I Submit: MFA Programs

2010-07-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

It's like having a baby, you don't have a baby and become an expert on everybody's baby, but you do become an expert on your own. I'll be all dissociative and just jump right in to the process I used for applying to MFA programs and let your mind make that metaphor work.

Choosing Where to Apply

I read through The Creative Writing Handbook by Tom Kealey and highlighted every program, regardless of location, that even sounded remotely interesting to me. I probably had highlighted about 36 programs. Then I considered location and went back through the schools I highlighted and got my list down to about 22 schools that I was interested in applying to. I also considered where poets I admire were teaching and included those schools on my list if I felt I would just kill to study with them.

Next, I took to the internet and researched each school's website looking for information on funding. I got rid of most of the schools that didn't guarantee full-funding or near full-funding to every student. Also, since I'm a single parent, I checked out the family housing options offered by the schools and dropped a few from my list that way.

By October of my application year, I ended up with a list of 16 schools to apply to. My first deadline was December 1 (I believe). It was time to get my recommenders lined up.

Recommendations
Almost all programs require that you have 3 letters of recommendation sent in. I was finishing up my undergrad degree in a non-traditional fashion so I had easy access to recommenders. I asked one creative writing professor and two English professors to write my recommendations.

Since I was applying to 16 schools, I wanted to make the process as simple as possible. I didn't want to bog my recommenders down and I also wanted control of my letters so I addressed the envelopes to the schools and printed out the recommendation forms that some schools require the recommenders to fill out and delivered this packet of envelopes and forms to each professor. All the professors had to do was insert the letters into the envelopes, sign the seals, and let me know when to pick them up. If I had to do it again, I would do it this way. It pretty much went off without a hitch and I had the letters back before Thanksgiving break.

I got my recommenders thoughtful gifts. One of my professors wore great scarves, so I bought her a scarf. One liked Toni Morrison so I bought her Morrison's newly released book. Another liked Jane Austen so I bought her a DVD I thought she could show in class about Jane Austen. It only took paying attention in class to figure out gifts I thought would be appropriate. They all seemed really pleased and gift giving is fun.

GRE
I hated this test. I took it in October. I spent months with flash cards studying vocabulary words. I didn't refresh on the Math because I'd recently taken a math class.

I didn't excel at the test but I think I scored on the high-end of average. I don't believe this test is important, but I do recommend taking it so you can have more schools to apply to.

Sending the Apps Out

I kept a spreadsheet that listed all of the programs I was applying to, the supplemental materials requested, application fees, and deadlines. I also had slots to check off if I'd sent off different parts of the applications (liking having official transcripts and GRE scores sent). I color coded the spreadsheet using red, green, and yellow. Red meant I hadn't started on the app, green meant it was in the mail and done, and yellow meant there was some hiccup (like a department not receiving my GRE scores).

I pressed submit online or dropped envelopes in the mailbox and waited by bonding online with people on the Poets & Writer's MFA message board; Seth Abramson's blog; and the Creative Writing MFA Handbook blog.

I ended up getting accepted outright into 6 programs; waitlisted at 2; rejected by 8. I chose UVA.

What I Would Have Done Differently

I think I did well by having the programs ranked according to my preference so that when acceptance calls started coming, I was able to know if I'd already gotten into somewhere I'd rather go. I got an acceptance in January that was ranked in the middle of my list and there were still a few apps I hadn't sent out that were ranked below it. I should have saved some app fees and not applied to those 1 or 2 programs that I knew I wouldn't go to. I think I was just deadset on carrying out my plan of applying to 16 schools.

That's all I have. Hit me up in the comments if you have any specific questions about applying to programs.

How I Submit

2010-05-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

At vizionheiry's request...

Finding Listings

1. Allison Joseph's CRWROPPS Listings- All but one of my publications came from the calls for submissions that Allison Joseph so graciously sends out daily. A lot of newer publications seem to list with her and new mags seem to be more open to publishing less established poets. I get the emails sent to me but that's not a requirement, you can just go check the website daily. There usually ends up being about 5-6 emails daily which include calls for submissions, contest info, and jobs in academia. I can usually find something to submit to a few times a week. I just save the emails and then hit them all at once during a submission frenzy.

2. Duotrope- Duotrope is a database of lit mags and journals, both on and offline. I love to use the search feature. Say I've got a narrative poem, I can search the keyword "narrative" and journals that have the word "narrative" in their descriptions will come up. I also like to search by journals that accept electronic submissions.

3. Other poets- If I hear another poet got a poem accepted or rejected from somewhere, I'm going to check that place out and send there too.

Cover Letter
Allison Joseph and her husband actually gave a publishing workshop at FIU when I was there. I got the idea to keep the cover letter simple from them. Here's the cover letter I send:

Hello ,

I am pleased to submit my poems, "poem title 1," "poem title 2," "etc." for your review.

I am currently a 2nd year poet in the Creative Writing MFA program at the University of Virginia. My poetry has previously been published in Torch, Conte, Assisi, and Diverse Voices Quarterly.

(contact info or any other info the submissions guidelines say you should include).

Thank you for your consideration!

When I had no publication credits or anything, I just listed the poems I was sending, thanked them, and signed off. One of my professor's joked that an editor might be tricked into thinking you were a well-known poet who doesn't need to list publication credits if you did it this way.

Picking the Poems

I've consistently been in poetry workshops since 2007 so I tend to send the best poems that I've workshopped. I don't intend to send poems w/a similar theme but that seems to happen because I'm usually sending poems I've written in the same time frame. Most journals seem to want you to send between 3-5 poems but this varies so you have to read the submission guidelines. The guidelines are often very specific and even include instructions on how they want the subject line of your submission email to read.

In my Summer 2010 submission packet of 5 poems, I've actually got two poems that use a similar line. I couldn't decide which poem should own the line so I just sent them both. One starts the packet and one is at the end. I don't know how this will go over but I doubt any one place will want both so this could work out lol. I'll keep you posted!

I just try to send what I feel like is my best at the time.

Sending Them Off

Right now I'm really focusing on electronic submissions. I hate mailing things. I especially hate mailing things and getting rejected lol. If I have a 93% chance of being rejected, for now, I like the effortlessness of email submissions.

I think unless someone specifically says not to, always send that brief cover letter. That way it doesn't appear that you are just sending your poems out as quickly as possible to whomever will read them, even though you really are, but at least you took the time to include a letter!

That's all I have. If anyone has any other good submission tips...leave them in the comments please!

Beating June Deadlines

2010-05-27T05:26:00.000-07:00

I got some more submissions out, trying to beat the June 1-15 deadlines. Submissions out to: Milk Money, MisFit, The Meadowland Review, Poemeleon, The Nashville Review, New Plains Review, storySouth.

There's a few print mag submits in there, so I'm happy about that.

Los Angeles Review gave me a quick no already lol.

Sending love to everyone's poems in the slush piles!

Acceptance: Cave Canem

2010-05-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

After three applications (1, 2, the charm) I was accepted to Cave Canem. That's the most exciting poetry news I've gotten since getting into an MFA program. So I'll be headed to the University of Pittsburgh from June 20-27 for my first retreat. I don't know what to expect, which is exciting. For me, this serves as a testament to the reason I started this blog--to force myself to keep submitting through all the rejection. This time it paid off.

Another goal I have as far as submitting is to qualify to apply for an NEA grant once I graduate from my MFA program. Here's what that takes:

You are eligible to apply in Poetry if, between January 1, 2003, and March 4, 2010, you have had published:

•A volume of 48 or more pages of poetry; or
•Twenty or more different poems or pages of poetry in five or more literary journals, anthologies, or publications which regularly include poetry as a portion of their format. Up to 16 poems may be in a single volume of poetry of fewer than 48 pages. This volume, however, may count as only one of the required five places of publication.

Applicants may use online publications to establish up to fifty percent of their eligibility, provided that such publications have competitive selection processes and stated editorial policies.

I'm going to track the number of publications I get in the sidebar and how many are print and online. The NEA awards grants to poets every other year so the next application season will be in 2012 for the 2013 award year. So I've got 2 years to try to rack up some pubs. This goal will definitely keep me submitting!

So I have the sidebar setup now. I realize that my one print publication was in a journal that only publishes undergraduate students. So I think that fits into this:

The following may not be used to establish eligibility:
•Student publications and publications which primarily print work by persons who are affiliated with a particular academic institution.

I'm talking about North Central Review. Here's the description: The North Central Review is one of only a handful of literary journals publishing exclusively the writings and works of undergraduate students.

So now I know I need to focus on beefing up my print pubs!

First Year MFA: Done. New Submissions/Rejections

2010-05-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'll do a wrap-up post on The MFA Chronicles. I just wanted to mention a few submissions I just did after tweeting with a bunch of people who were so motivated and submitted to Best New Poets (which UVA students can't submit to).

Tonight I submitted to: Diagram, The Boxcar Poetry Review, The Los Angeles Review, Sugar House Review, Caketrain, The Collagist,
Indiana Review, Linebreak

I was recently rejected by: Rattle, Ninth Letter, New York Quarterly. All form-letter rejections.

I'll admit that I was a little shaken by the rejections. But that only spurred me into revision and I'm much happier with the new batch I just sent out.

Gotta keep my poems out in the world!

More later...

Revision and Submission

2010-03-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Today, on a caffeine high, I revised some poems. Then I submitted them for the grad student poetry contest at UVA and also to a few journals: Mid-American Review, Gulf Coast, Rattle, New York Quarterly, The Minnesota Review, and Ninth Letter.

Feels good to submit again! I have about 9 other places to submit to. The ones I did today all had submission managers (love those!). I'll have the other submissions in the mail tomorrow.

I suck as a blogger. I realize this. I have nothing to say lol. School is going well. I'm trying not to obsess over post-mfa plans just yet. But I'll at least have some rejections to report on a regular basis in a few months lol.

I hope everyone is getting their work out there!

Cool stuff

2010-02-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have a poem in the new journal, Assisi.

--
Also, I got my first solicitation last week! A new journal emailed me and referred to my piece in Conte (sidebar) because they are looking for long poems (over 60 lines). That poem was like 90 something lines. Luckily they also want poems that are 7 lines or less because that's been more my speed these days lol. But I thought that was cool. So while I haven't been published in any place that is too well-known yet, it's nice to know my poems still get read by people who care about poetry enough to have a journal of their own. :)

Oh Shoot!...Recent Pubs

2010-02-05T15:27:00.001-08:00

Totally forgot to mention my recent publications.

My poems are up on TORCH.

I also reviewed Tara Betts "Arc & Hue" in the most recent Meridian.

New Semester + Cave Canem Submission

2010-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

I hope the third time is the charm because I just submitted my poems for the Cave Canem retreat...again. Again, again that is. We'll see.

--
A new semester started. We workshop at Rita Dove's house every Monday. We also have the option of weekly one-on-one's with her. I love the one-on-one thing. I had one with her last week and it went really well. She gave me some reading recommendations and some good suggestions are overcoming some of the worries that stifle my writing at times. Good stuff.
--
I hate the snow. Every time it snows here we have to get like 10 inches. So I'm supposed to be shoveling my car out right now and I'm just not up for that right now lol. I'm not really feeling Charlottesville as far as cultural activities go either. So I'm really looking to move close to family when my program is over. Or if something with TV writing can work out, I'd love to be in Southern California. Can't believe I just said that out loud.

That's what's up with me.

Submission: Center for Book Arts Chapbook Competition

2009-11-30T19:51:00.001-08:00

YAY! Shit. Sorry. This is a curse-worthy moment. Got it done. Before the deadline. 15 pages of poems, a table of contents, an acknowledgements page, two title pages, and an entry fee. In the mail. The things you can do every night after a child's bedtime....

The whole reason I even entered this chapbook competition was because I saw that Terrance Hayes is judging it this year and reading his stuff played such a pivotal role in my development as poet. I just want him to read my stuff! I hope it makes the cut that gets forwarded to him for review.

So I'm excited about this because I feel like I really made something of my first semester. I still ended up with some stuff to submit and I wasn't expecting myself to. I don't really have a submission schedule other than once I have 3-5 new poems I'm feeling confident about I start submitting them like crazy lol. Having been in workshops consistently over the past 3 years keeps me stocked with poems. My next submission storm is gonna happen in January. Also, I get Allison Joseph's emails with daily calls for submissions and weekly emails from UVA's Creative Writing dept. with places to submit so it's always on my mind. Hopefully, I can start getting myself into some more established publications this next go around. We shall see.

Vizionheiry also brought up some good points in previous comments about ordering the poems and themes. I just so happened to have developed an obsession with thematically similar things for the last 6 months so I used the best of that stuff for this chapbook. It's kind of an examination of relationships with a mother, as a parent, and with a father. I ended up calling it "The Temperature of Blood." I hope it works well together.

Beer time. I'm talking to Tony Hoagland about my poems tomorrow and then taking him to lunch. I'm more nervous about going to lunch than I am about him talking about my poetry. I'm never worried about the right thing. lol

What I'm Working On

2009-11-16T05:02:00.000-08:00

So just a quick update on what I'm working on. In my brain, I'm preparing to send a chapbook to at least one contest with a deadline of December 1. I'm shooting for entering the Center for Book Arts contest. I have enough poems for this, so I just need to get the idea out of my head and into manuscript form and sent off. I'll do that this week. My words are now marked.

Good luck on everything you've all got floating around in the slush piles! Or in your head lol.

Rejection: Rougarou

2009-11-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget that I even submitted and then I get a rejection as a reminder lol. I don't have anymore submissions out there right now. Hopefully, I'll get to submitting again in January after the semester is over.

Carrying on....

Acceptance: TORCH

2009-10-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

Just checked my email and got this:

Thank you for submitting to TORCH: poetry, prose, and short stories by African American Women. Your poems “Compensation” and “Phenomenon: Little Black Girls in Circles” have been selected for publication in the Fall/Winter 2009 issue.

Shut. Up. TORCH! I haven't gotten to the point where I can quietly announce an acceptance, like as a sidenote on a longer more meaningful post. I think they call that humility or something lol. I don't know that I ever want to get that way about this particular thing. I hope acceptance always makes me wanna shout!

This is the first time I've had multiple poems taken and these were the first pieces I wrote in my MFA program...and I really wanted in TORCH. So that's how I'll remember this publication.

This is the part where I call my mom.

Bye!

This is my hard time.

2009-10-08T05:26:00.001-07:00

I should say something here. That's the thought I've had for a few weeks. Well, I'm having significant personal struggles outside of my program. My son is having major issues adjusting. I breathe a deep sigh of relief every time I make it to class because just getting there is hard a lot of days. I'm so thankful, please don't get me wrong. But like Roethke says, "This is my hard time."

It's funny because even when things are outrageously difficult and I start to feel like maybe this thing is the thing that will be more than I can bear, I still stop and think (often lol), "I know there's a poem in this." It may come years from now, but it's definitely coming. And that is a sustaining hope.

So I still haven't reached the point of anything being more than I can bear, though I can't believe I'm still smiling, talking really loudly to people I love on the phone, milking my own corny jokes, and laughing from deep in my gut with my head thrown back and my mouth open wide. Either I'm magic or God is real (issues which are always up for contention in my world lol).

I really appreciate the love, support, understanding, and comraderie from all of you on the internet. You know how people say be nice because you could be entertaining angels or something like that. That's not what I'm saying lol. What I'm saying is that many of you don't realize you've been angels for me. Thank you.

Getting to know Roethke

2009-09-02T19:43:00.001-07:00

Of course I've started with wikipedia, because I want the most accurate and scholarly info. First thing that catches my eye is this:
"an American poet, who published several volumes of poetry characterized by its rhythm and natural imagery."

*gasp*

I want to be an American poet who publishes volumes of poetry characterized by rhythm and imagery! lol So I think I'm headed in the right direction by choosing to look more closely into Roethke's work after being exposed to a few of his pieces in workshop this week.

His bio on PBS.org states that his influences were Blake, Yeats, and Auden so I could look more into those poets as well. My professor had a great family tree analogy about poets and I can see it at work here. Just pick a poet, find their influences, and go from there. Then your own work becomes influenced by their work and you become the newest extension on the family tree.

So now I'm reading his Collected Poems which has the full text of all of his books. UVA has it for free on e-text! Yay!

First impressions: His first book "Open House" has some rhyming, sing-songy, dare I say even emo stuff so far lol. The poems the professor handed out in class were all from his second volume, "Lost Son," and did not rhyme like the few I've read so far.

We'll see where this goes.

Submission: Torch

2009-08-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add this submission here. I don't typically submit to places that don't allow simultaneous submissions but I really like Torch and would love for my stuff to appear there. So we shall see!

FADE OUT!

2009-08-12T16:08:00.001-07:00

I finished the first draft of my first screenplay today on page 96! It could probably be titled "Fresh Poop" instead of "The Greater Force," but I'm happy to have followed it through to the end and before my MFA program in poetry starts.

This is all a part of my going all out (balls to the walls, if you will) approach to my writing. No more dreaming. Action is what it's about.

Writing Goals

2009-08-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

I just did a post on my MFA Goals on The MFA Chronicles. Three happy little goals. :)
*insert lightning strikes, sinister laughter, and doom in general here*

I'm keeping a list in my google docs of major, life-changing, career-creating goals and when I need to apply to them. These are for poetry and tv/screenwriting. View my neuroticism here:

Write the best poems- always
Publish a full length poetry collection- however long it takes
Earn MFA- Spring 2011
Secure fellowship/job for- Summer/Fall 2011

Creative Writing
Apply for Axton Fellowship (University of Louisville) - Fall 2010 for Fall 2011
Apply for Stegner- September 2010 to start August 2011
Apply for Exeter Fellowship- December 2010 for September 2011
Apply for Southern Review Resident Scholar- December 2010 for August 2011
Apply for Gaius Charles Bolin Fellowship- December 2010 for Fall 2011
Apply for Emory Creative Writing Fellowship- by Feb. 2011 to start Fall 2011
Apply for Hodder Fellowship (Princeton)- November 2011 to start February 2012

TV/Screenwriting
Apply for Nickelodeon Fellowship- Jan/Feb 2011 to start Oct 2011
complete TV spec script by Jan/Feb 2011
Apply for Nicholls Fellowship- by May 2011 to start Jan 2012
Apply for Disney Fellowship- July 2011 to start Jan 2012
complete TV spec script by July 2011

I submit indeed.

Welcome to my mind. In real life, I am notoriously unorganized. But for things I am passionate about, I start planning 2 years in advance. A few of those fellowships will probably fall off of the list. I don't think I'd want to move for only 1 year. I took off the pre-medical school plans I was considering. I realized that it was only fear motivating me to do something other than write, so there's no med school in my future.

I wish I was passionate about at least one thing that did not have a less than 1% chance of actually happening.

The MFA Chronicles & Diverse Voices Quarterly

2009-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

I must be very excited about www.mfachronicles.blogspot.com because I'm actually taking the time now to post on my own blog!

The MFA Chronicles is a collaborative blog by writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) who are entering Creative Writing MFA programs in the Fall 2009 (which is basically now!)

I mentioned to someone awhile ago that I feel like all the people I went through MFA application season with on blogs and forums are like my old buddies from the war so it was great to be reunited with them on Twitter and now on The MFA Chronicles.

Also, Diverse Voices Quarterly came out! They combined their first and second issues so there's a lot of material there. My "Ode to a Microphone" is on page 50.

Ooooh, I can talk about my fear of sharing here. I've been really nervous about sharing this poem. Mostly because I've always hated the second stanza! lol And I'm afraid if I share one poem that people will look at it and think that this poem represents all that I am and all that I write. It's stupid. I know this. But I'm about sharing authentic feelings with you right now, alright? :)

So I'm also scared of sharing the piece that is scheduled to be up on Assisi in October. This is terrible! I am the one submitting things for publication, I choose which poems to submit, I know the personal nature of some of my pieces, so who am I to freak out when someone actually decides to publish them?! I'm human. That's who I am and exposure is scary. But that's part of the reason why I write--so that my scary parts can connect with your scary parts.

Man, I'm glad I finally remembered I have a personal blog so I can get this stuff out. Everytime I've had a conversation or gotten any feedback on the DVQ piece I've wanted to say these things. But who wants to be emotionally dumped upon when all they wanted to say was, "nice poem"?

*dump complete*

Carrying on...

ACCEPTANCE: Assisi

2009-07-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

YAY!

I am pleased to tell you that "A Foster Mother's Child" has been accepted for publication in the inaugural issue of Assisi, which will appear in early October 2009.

These most recent pieces are ones I've been trying to get published since I started submitting like 2 years ago! This is a new online journal run by St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY.

I heard about this one from Allison Joseph's creative writing opportunities list she puts out.

Things like this make it easier to push send again and again.

YAY!

ACCEPTANCE: Diverse Voices Quarterly

2009-06-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations! We'd like to accept your piece "Ode to a Microphone" for our premiere issue of Diverse Voices Quarterly (to be published as a PDF this summer).

I can't stop freaking smiling! lol

I'm just now getting caught up on everyone's blogs. I have a new computer on the way in the next few weeks and then I should be in everyone's business on a regular basis once again.

Whew...

2009-05-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I don't know if it's the double shot of espresso from this morning that has me feeling exhilirated or if it's the fact that I just, seconds ago, finished reading Against Which by Ross Gay. First words that came to mind after reading the first section: masculinity and rage. Masculine rage. I felt like I'd been given an IV of masculine rage after reading the first section. This could also be the espresso lol. But the word rage actually shows up a few times in the poems. These poems were muscles with bulging veins, if I had to lend an image. There was also this awareness of the reader that was nice. Well, it was more like an awareness that someone was listening. Reading these poems felt more like listening, actually listening, to someone who was passionate about what they had to tell me. You know how when someone stands up in front of you and their arms are bent at the elbows, hands curled into fists, and they look like they could drop to their knees at any moment all from the shear exhiliration (it's confirmed, it's the book) of sharing..that's what I felt like I bore witness to while reading this book.

That's just a quick first impression upon first reading. I'll leave it pure like that since my internal editor keeps erasing anything else I have to say about it lol. I'm weary about just leaving it at masculine & rage because there were many more descriptive words to use, tender being the first one that comes to mind. Definitely a shift to internal strength in the later sections. Tender masculine rage. There's no all-inclusive term that I can think of, I just wanted to put those words together lol.

Anyway...I'm either reading Terrance Hayes Hip Logic next or re-reading Lisa Glatt's A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That. I think I'll be posting my thoughts on my reading for awhile. Probably until I leave Idaho in a few months and my life starts happening again lol.

Rejection: Cave Canem

2009-04-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

I regret to write that you were not selected for admission to Cave Canem’s 2009 retreat. As you know, this year we received an unprecedented number of applications. You may be aware that most fellows attend three retreats; therefore, the number of first-year fellows we can invite is, unfortunately, very small.

I’m sorry to convey disappointing news this year, but hope that your having reached the finalist stage of the invitation process will encourage you to reapply in 2010. Historically, due to limited space, many Cave Canem fellows are accepted only after applying several times.

There are worse things. Carrying on.

Bone

2009-04-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

I can't figure out if the use of the word "bone" in poetry is becoming cliche or if "bone" just jumps off the page every time I see it. It gives me pause (I love that phrase) every time I see the word. And it's never "bones" (plural), almost always bone. Not "bones locked with bones" but "bone locked with bone" or something like that. It's also not usually preceded by an article, never "touch a bone," but "touch bone". It's almost musical that way I think, how it just drops like a low note. The word is so clean and full of connotations too. I wish I could remember the most recent sighting of bone in a poem so I could provide an example. The fact that I see bone used that way so much makes part of me feel like I need to get bone in a poem lol. But then it makes me want to avoid it because what if bone is a well-known poetry cliche or something. I don't know. I guess if bone becomes the perfect word for one of my pieces, then bone it will be.

Actually, I may just have my own fascination with bones though. Well, I DO have a fascination with bones. I took a fiction workshop about 2 years ago and I wrote a short story that had a character that used to sell her jewelry in the marketplace. The tourists thought it was so exotic and the woman delighted in telling them, "I made them from bones." No, I'm no fiction writer lol. Of course she wasn't the main character and the class liked her more than the main character. Ah, fiction. So after writing that story I read Edwidge Danticat's The Farming of Bones. WHOA! Loved that book. Loved her writing. Again, I'm given pause. lol I love when prose is poetry. So that gave me the idea to give my bone lady her own story. I think bones stand out to me due to my concern for my own bone character.

I don't know that having my own reasons for noticing the word bone takes away from the idea that poets might use bone a lot. Really, it just explains why I notice it so much. Eh, this post doesn't have a point, just something that came out when I was journaling yesterday.

Rejection: Waccamaw

2009-04-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Big day on the notification front, I guess:

Thank you for your submission to Waccamaw. We have read your work
carefully, but have decided against publication. We want you to know, however,
that we were very interested in your work and hope that you will consider
Waccamaw for a future submission. Please see our homepage for announcements of
upcoming reading periods and submission guidelines. Thank you very much for your
interest in Waccamaw.

Alright, Waccamaw, so I guess you didn't want the privilege of causing me to scream and jump for joy today. There may have even been little tears of joy on your behalf. I'll give you another chance, Waccamaw. One day...

Cave Canem Finalist!

2009-04-21T11:54:00.001-07:00

Dear Retreat Applicant, Thank you for applying to the 2009 Cave Canem
retreat. I am writing to inform you that have been selected as one of 67
finalists. Due to an unprecedented number of applications this year—over
230—we’ve extended the evaluation period in order to give each submission the
careful consideration it deserves. We will notify you of the final outcome
by April 30, 2009, at which time 18 participants will be invited. We appreciate
your patience!

Getting closer on this one. Last year I was just rejected. This year I'm one of 67 finalists out of 230 applicants! Must everything I want to do have an "unprecendented" amount of applicants this year? Seriously poets, cut all that submitting and applying out. Focus strictly on craft or something. Forget the po' biz lol.

Palm Tree

2009-04-20T17:11:00.001-07:00

OMG...I feel like writing! I have been thinking about this all day though and I have to get it out before I can do anything else.

Origins

Before I decided to go back to school and complete my bachelor's degree (well before I could pay off Emory and get my transcripts to transfer) I lived with my ex-boyfriend in a run down apartment complex in Miami. I was forced to get over my fear of roaches by living there because otherwise I would have spent those years cowering in the corner and crying constantly. But that's not the point.

So I'd moved to Miami to be with my boyfriend and he was the only person I knew there. So when we broke up and he moved out I was totally alone in the city. I was a telecommuter so I worked from home and didn't even have co-workers I could call friends for at least part of the day. Still, I didn't spend much time crying and cowering in the corner, I sat on the back porch instead and stared at a palm tree.

I would get so frustrated because I couldn't think of a poetic way to describe this tree. I would stare at it in silence and beat myself up inside because I thought REAL poets wrote about trees lol. This was only 3-4 years ago! So I'm staring at this tree everyday, thinking I'd have to write a poem about this particular tree if I was ever going to be a poet while the 600 (exaggeration) kids that lived in the apartment above mine were hungry, dirty, and obviously neglected. Their mother was never home and when she was she was either drunk/high and yelling, getting in fist fights with her various boyfriends, and screaming obscenities at her kids. I heard it all from my chair on the patio in front of that damn tree.

They weren't allowed to go outside when their mother wasn't home (so they were hardly ever outside) so they had their fun by throwing trash down off of the balcony and fighting with any neighbors (including me) who dared to reprimand them. In my first workshop after returning to school, I wrote a bad poem about those kids. I scrapped the palm tree poems when my professor destroyed all my misconceptions about poetry. Crazy how disillusioned I was and still might be.

One of the poems in my MFA writing sample featured the roaches though. They "break dance in the blink and the buzz of dying fluorescent lights"...those bastards.

So lately I've been scared, suffering a litte from imposter syndrome, worried that maybe I'd given all I have to give in my writing sample and that I have nothing else to say.

Fear is my palm tree now.

(and scene!)
--
Yeah, so, I have a fresh notebook and a sack of new pens so I'm going to see what comes out. Maybe I'll write a good ole palm tree poem just to get the juices flowing again lol. "Fresh Notebook and a Sack of New Pens" sounds like a rap song to me. Well, the hook to a rap song. For nerds. The hook to a rap song for nerds.

But oh! I can't get Jericho Brown's poems from Please out of my head. When I visited IU one of the students let me borrow the book so I could know what was going on in class the next day. I read it in like an hour and didn't breathe until the end of it I think. So I need to buy my own copy because my memory is not doing those poems justice.

I Vow

2009-04-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

I vow that I will no longer worry/obsess/daydream/e-stalk plans for after the MFA until after I have completed the 1st year of my MFA program. For this entire 1st year, I will focus on my writing. I already know what I'm doing after the 1st year...a 2nd year, so now is the perfect time not to worry.

I truly believe in Order. I believe this Order dictates that if I focus on my writing as a craft, if I work hard, I will be in the perfect position for whatever my next step will be. I will know the next step when I see it.

So I'm done planning my life 2-3 years in advance, at least for one year. This is the gift that an MFA program has given me and I will take it.

Starting now.

And then there was UVA...

2009-04-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

So now that last post about my visit to IU looks foolish. Everything I said was true, I really was looking forward to starting at IU in the fall, the program really is great, I still love those students I met, and Bloomington is pretty cool too...then Rita D.ove called and informed me I was accepted to UVA for poetry. At some point during this call I must have stopped breathing because she felt it necessary to instruct me to breathe. I was not expecting this call. After getting rejected by all the other majors (Michigan, Iowa, Cornell etc.) I just figured UVA wasn't an option for me so I thought I was basically done with notifications. I actually said, "OH NO!" to Rita D.ove because I really was content/ecstatic with my IU decision.

So now, I'm actually headed to UVA in the fall. I just keep telling myself about that poet on Indiana's waitlist who is going to be as happy as I was to get that call.

Visit to Indiana University- Bloomington

2009-03-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting in the Indianapolis airport, waiting to catch a flight home after my trip to visit IU and Bloomington. I LOVED IT THERE!

The people: In previous workshops, I usually tended to vibe with a few people who seemed to be as passionate about their writing as I was. I would end up really vibing with 2, maybe 3 people each time and I was satisfied with that. Sitting in on the IU poetry workshop was like being in a room filled with only those kinds of people I would vibe with. So that's like 11 other people that are on the same page as me and share a similar passion. Maybe every MFA program is like that...maybe not...but I felt like I was in my element at Indiana. And it felt good.

The faculty: First, they rotate directors every three years, switching between a poet and a fiction writer. I definitely didn't get the sense that this school favors one genre over the other, which was nice. They do the same with the editor of the Indiana Review. This program really cares to be diverse in every way. The current director, Samrat, is really easy to talk to and he has a welcoming personality. I loved the feedback that Catherine Bowman was giving in workshop. She had wonderful suggestions and she also paid attention to how students were critiquing one another and seemed to make a point to make encouraging comments about particulary good criticisms. I was really impressed with that and I'm excited to have her take a look at some of my work! I actually can't wait to see what the students will say either. Their responses had depth and passion behind them. I could see myself really caring to know what they thought and believing that what they have to say matters. I sat in on a lit class taught by Ross Gay and I was a little awe struck (can you be just a little awe struck?) by his insights and the way he engaged the class in discussion in a relaxed but impassioned way. So that was exciting.

The city: I love downtown Bloomington! I ate Tibetan food (there's a lot of Tibetan things..who knew?) and pancakes with strawberries baked into them. I want to live within walking distance of downtown which pretty much means being within walking distance of IU too. There are coffee shops, book stores, bars, yoga spots, and tons of ethnic food places. It's just right as far as size. I mean, it's not Miami, but it definitely isn't Idaho either (I'm an authority on both lol).

So, I definitely made the right choice. I can't wait to get started in the Fall!

Ka-Ching!

2009-03-26T01:44:00.000-07:00

MY (and I mean to capitalize "my" in that ultra-possessive, I'm so glad to have encountered this person's light in my life sort of way)...MY poetry professor's new book is out and I just posted a review of it on Amazon.com because I loved the book. It made me laugh, freakin' cry on an airplane, and it kinda became one of my newest and closest friends. I don't know about anyone else, but tears are my criteria for a Pulitzer Prize. Besides that, I genuinely love Denise Duhamel and I love Ka-Ching!. Buy it!!

I wish I could do so much more after all that she's done to help move me forward (16 letters of recommendation being only one of those things). She's everywhere...no, seriously...everywhere. I often browse blogs and I happen to run across someone interviewing her or just generally spewing Duhamel love (as I often do in real life lol). I've even been blog browsing and someone posts up interviews with her from years ago. That's because that light of hers I mentioned is real. That's the best way to describe her and I've heard others describe her the same way. All of that light is present in her newest collection, Ka-Ching! by the way.

In fact, I bought this other book Structure & Surprise: Engaging Poetic Turns, and I was reading it, enjoying it and of course, she's got a poem and an essay in there too! She's everywhere lol.

People ask, "Can poetry matter?" Psssssshhhhhhh..obviously, it does matter to MY professor lol.

Alright enough. I do sincerely love her and I am actually in her Facebook fan club but even if I wasn't I'd still recommend this collection. She opened my eyes to the possibilities of what poems can do; I'd hate for anyone to miss out.

Indiana bound

2009-03-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

So I've accepted at Indiana, that's where I'm headed. I'm so through with the notification process, it's not even funny lol.

So I applied to 16 schools which means I got rejected by A LOT of schools and rejections suck lol.

With only 3 schools left to hear from (NYU, UVA, Arizona State) I have been rejected by 7 schools. I have been accepted to 5 schools and waitlisted at 1. I was accepted to only 1 of the schools in my top 5 and that is the one I am going to. It was my #2 and I am happy.

I can't wait to write more so I can submit more and keep things going from here.

Yes, I feel as flat as this post. I'm ready to move forward.

The Strangest Sadness

2009-03-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

So here's where I stand:

Accepted

Alabama
Indiana
Southern Illinois

Interviewed

Virginia Tech

Waitlisted

Boise State

Rejected

Michener
Michigan
Iowa
(the big boys have no love for me lol)

I was denied a grad scholars fellowship at Indiana by the grad school (and I'm really, surprisingly down about it) so I'll get the regular tuition remission plus stipend if I go. Their stipend is equal to that of Virginia Tech whose poetry faculty seem warm and welcoming. Actually, Virginia Tech caught me totally off guard with how great they seem. There's less teaching responsibility at VT and you still get to teach creative writing...so I don't know. I say all this when I haven't been offered a spot at VT. I'm just hopeful after the interview. I ordered a copy of the new MFA handbook so maybe it will provide some insights on the programs should the choice have to be made.

I'm expecting rejections soon from: Cornell, Vanderbilt

I've still got hope for: NYU, UVA, FSU, University of Florida, Georgia State, Arizona State (though only NYU and UVA acceptances would make me think twice about Indiana)

Blah...I'm tired of talking about myself and this stuff lol.

Half of a Rejection: Michigan

2009-03-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

So I got my first rejection by snail mail today...from Michigan...severely damaged in one of those "we're sorry" packages from the post office. So I didn't get the pleasure of the full page rejection. lol

Carrying on...

Interview Scheduled: Virginia Tech

2009-03-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

So I got a call on Friday morning to set up an interview for Virginia Tech's MFA program for poetry. I have no idea what to expect. Of course I'm googling to find out how these types of interviews might go. I like their program, love their faculty, think the location is pretty cool too. Who knows how this will go...I'm ready to find out!

So I've been reading like crazy. Last week I read Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon and I just finished A Mercy. This woman can write! Oh my goodness...I literally end up breathless on the last page. I read the last page of A Mercy over and over just letting it all sink in. I don't know how she does it. I think I can appreciate her work even more since taking a 19th Century African American Lit class last semester, specifically about slave narratives. A Mercy read just like a slave narrative. Reading Morrison, even though I'm a poet, inspires me and makes Indiana's offer so appealing since I'll get to do the MA in African American Studies (focused on black lit, it seems) along with the MFA. I think if I get the Grad. Scholars fellowship at Indiana, I'm going. That's one year without teaching and up to $25,000 funding for that year. I should find out if that worked out very soon. I think that will clinch it for me. The only school offering that much funding would have been Michener and I didn't get in there. Without the fellowship...I don't know and I'll be doing a lot of traveling trying to figure it out, I think.

UGH...Toni Morrison writes so smart. I want to write smart too. I'm going to start reading Sula as soon as I come down off of the high of her last book. I was totally not expecting to have such a reaction to her. I would love to take a class that was only about her and her works. She's got enough stuff written and enough complexity to warrant an entire course on her. She is hands down my favorite fiction writer right now.

On the poetry front...my poetry professor/mentor's new book is out and it is on the way in the mail to me right now!!!!!!!! SO excited. I love her, I love her, I love her! I'm thinking of flying back to where I did school to catch one of her readings.

Rejection: Michener

2009-02-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

First official rejection via the website:

Your application has been given careful consideration by the committee on Graduate Studies. On the basis of their recommendation, your application has been denied. If you have questions, please write directly to the Committee in your major department.

Last night it was still under review, this morning, rejected.

Carrying on...

Submission: Rougarou

2009-02-25T09:42:00.000-08:00

I just submitted 4 pieces here. They rejected my stuff last year but I'm sending new stuff that I like better this time so I hope that makes a difference. I read the poetry submissions that made it last year and....whoa! Imagery and lyricism is key here. Beautiful stuff.

I think I'm ready to do some more revising now. When I read and see that someone got the perfect combination of imagery and lyricism in a piece, it just makes me want to go back and make my poems flow better. Submitting makes me really look at what I'm sending out. I get so self-conscious that I let go of the idea that my pieces are "done". I think that's good. So this is my last submission for awhile.

We shall see!

Submission: Diverse Voices Quarterly

2009-02-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

This is a new online journal that comes out this Spring/Summer. We shall see...

Submission: Assisi

2009-02-24T11:21:00.001-08:00

Looks like St. Francis College in Brooklyn is putting out this new journal. Their first issue will come out in Spring 2009. I have no idea what they are looking for (as if I ever do anyway) but I submitted.

We shall see!

Submission: Cave Canem Retreat

2009-02-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

I submitted here last year and was not selected. It's a week long retreat geared toward black poets. I sent some new stuff this time. I hadn't written my sonnet crown yet so I sent that this time. I looked at what I sent last year and it's a little embarrassing. Eh, we shall see.... It's a long shot, like everything else. I'd love to go though.

REJECTION: Rattle

2009-02-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

This was a quick rejection! I submitted on Jan. 14. But like this post said, I wasn't expecting to be accepted lol. Here's my rejection letter:

Thank you for letting us consider some of your work, but unfortunately we’ve decided not to publish any of these pieces. I want to assure you that your work has been taken under careful consideration—at least two editors read each submission, and I’m always one of them.

With so many poems coming in—thousands each month—the decisions are hard, and often subjective. There’s only room for about 100 poems in each issue, meaning we’re only able to accept less than 1% of the material we receive. However, we enjoy reading poems as much as you enjoy writing them, and we don’t solicit work, so your submissions truly are our lifeblood; we hope you’ll keep sending new work as it’s ready.

Best Wishes,

So...thanks for letting us read some, we don't want any. Something about the way that was worded makes me laugh. And it isn't comforting that multiple editors passed on it! lol Actually, I prefer wordy rejections like this over the one liners I've gotten in the past. I think I'll submit here in the future. That's an experience I haven't had yet and hope to have...sending work to a place that previously rejected me and getting accepted. Then I'll feel like I've grown or something or they changed all the editors lol. Either way...Rattle will hear from me again probably at the end of this year.

And subjective is one of my least favorite words now. This confirms it lol.

Carrying on....

Acceptance: Southern Illinois- Carbondale

2009-02-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

So I got an email this morning from SIUC...I'm in for Poetry! This one was kind of personal for me because I published my first poem after attending a publishing workshop by two of their faculty. So they've already done a lot for me as far as I'm concerned. Funny that Crab Orchard Review didn't take the poems in my portfolio though LOL

I recognize that I have been very fortunate to receive these notifications early and to have them be good news. I can't wait until schools really start notifying because there are a lot of people in limbo! There's still anxiety that comes along with knowing something though. Now I'm researching the schools again and re-thinking my personal ranking of the programs.

UGH...UNCG sent a poet a letter!

2009-02-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

I did not apply to UNCG, but I've got a notification buddy who did and so I'm doing my obligatory somebody else got notified post in her honor.

Obviously this poet who was notified already is awesome. My buddy has got some good schools on her list and it's way early in the notification season. She's alright. What will be, will be, regardless.

:)

Acceptance: I'm in at Indiana!

2009-02-05T16:10:00.000-08:00

So the universe responded to my whining about Indiana and I got a call today. I'm in for the joint mfa/ma in African American and African Diaspora Studies. Very excited and shocked.

A poet got called from Indiana!

2009-01-31T08:32:00.000-08:00

UGH...I saw someone post that they'd been called this morning and I immediately went and got my cell phone (which will again be glued to my side). So I had a voice mail on there and it was from a number I didn't recognize. The stupid voicemail was like someone called me on accident lol. It was a bunch of background noise, like in a mall or something. So I looked up the area code and it was from New Jersey. I didn't apply to any school in Jersey so there's no need for alarm. Only disgust, there is room for disgust with that voice mail.

I'm alright though. What will be will be regardless. Indiana is very high on my list though. Like #2. It's above even Iowa. It is my Iowa. Cornell is Cornell and Indiana is my Iowa. lol Now I sound crazy.

So I Was Wrong...

2009-01-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

Florida State called a poet on 1/24. I'm assuming this person was awarded one of those university wide fellowships the FSU rep on the MFA blog mentioned since those people are accepted first, I think.

I'm developing a pattern of making assumptions about people who get notified from my schools. At least they are good assumptions. I just assume that they are awesome.

My guess...

2009-01-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

on the next one of my schools to start notifying: Indiana. Followed by Cornell. Let's see if I'm right. Oh, I think Boise State will notify soon too.

This is crazy! So many notifications are going on right now and so early: Memphis, Minnesota for fiction and poetry! It's crazy being caught up in the madness this year instead of lurking and wondering how everyone must be feeling like I did the last 2 years.

Acceptance: Alabama!

2009-01-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

I received a call from the director of the creative writing program today. He said a lot of nice things. I'll try to cover what he said because I've always wondered what those calls were like.

So the call came in from a 205 area code. He introduced himself and what program he was calling from then said they'd like to accept me. I swear he almost sounded like he was calling to talk about something else because his pauses seemed to last forever. My mom was sitting across the room and I started waving at her frantically saying, this is it! lol She comes over and kneels down next to me trying to hear through the cell phone too lol.

He said that they really liked my sample, that I was doing a lot of different things with the poems and they liked that, he made a comment about one of my poems and how someone on the committee could hear it being read out loud, they really liked my sonnet crown. Then he said that it was a great packet...my letters were great, he mentioned my poetry professor's letter specifically, he said my SOP was great (which totally surprised me lol). Then he thanked me for sending a great packet.

I asked him, "What should I be asking you?" and he laughed. He said that we don't have to rush and he sent me an email as soon as we got off the phone with all the details and contact information and all that. There is an opportunity for them to assist with a campus visit but I may be in Egypt so I may not be able to do that. Hmmmmm....I have to sort that out.

I just got done sending my poetry professor a mushy email about how she changed my life LOL. Maybe I should have waited until I calmed down to give her the news lol.

Special shout-out to M.! Thanks again!

UGH- Alabama called someone!

2009-01-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

Alright, so someone reported that they got a call for poetry from Alabama today. That's one of my schools! I received no such call. lol I'm actually alright. I've decided that this person is a Wunderkind whose sample shined so brightly they got called waaaaay early. lol Now my cell phone seems abnormally still. It's just a little black box doing nothing right now.

Well, today I found out my security clearance went through so I'm now preparing to leave for Egypt! I almost don't want to go. Which means that I almost just want to sit looking at the phone and stalking the mail box instead.

I Imagine

2009-01-15T07:51:00.001-08:00

You know what I love to read? The Welcome message in literary journals. I love when they list who they previously published. My hope is that one day a journal that took my poems will be proud to be able to say, "Hey, we published (me) back in the day" and then announce it in the list of other respected poets. God, that will be hard to accomplish. Fame or even respect lol isn't my ultimate reason for writing, I just have a need to express myself or I find myself extremely unhappy. But I don't just want to express myself, I want to express myself in the best way possible so as to be understood. That's why I've chosen to study creative writing, I guess.

It feels good to be submitting again.

Submission: Waccamaw

2009-01-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

The good thing about submitting to journals online is that I can read previous issues instead of just using a mission statement or submission guidelines to try to guess how I'd fit. So WOW. The writing in Waccamaw is so image rich! I really like this journal. So I sent 4 poems. We shall see.

Submission: RATTLE

2009-01-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

They are having a special African-American edition in June 2009. So we'll see.

It's funny. I haven't had any acceptances to anything soliciting African-Americans. That's not the funny part lol. That's fine...there is stiff competition. But the 2 pieces that I have had accepted dealt with race (among other things) but the publications weren't focused on that subject. So that's nice (and possibly the funny part I was mentioning). I used to be afraid to talk about race, thinking that I would be declared a stereotypical black poet. My poetry professor (who is not black) must have sensed that and she started just lending me books out of the blue. The one that woke me up the most was Hip Logic by Terrance Hayes. The skill with which he dealt with race and all his politically oriented subjects amazed me. I knew I was only hurting myself by not allowing my poetry to represent me in my truest form. I'll be forever grateful to that professor because my poetry changed for the better and those pieces, my truest pieces, are the ones that are being accepted.

So yeah, I said all of that to say, odds are I won't get accepted for this one lol.

Submission: Naugatuck River Review

2009-01-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

They're looking for narrative poetry. I had good luck with a narrative submission in the past so we'll see if this one works out for me!

Submission: Spillway 14

2009-01-14T13:41:00.001-08:00

Sent 3 poems just now.

We shall see...

Doot-doot-do <---That's Waiting's Soundtrack

2009-01-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

I am totally and completely in limbo now. But you know what the omnipotent "they" says about "the best-laid plans of mice and men" and all that. So I was hoping to be doing my waiting for MFA notifications while overseas on an internship. The security clearance process is taking a long time so who knows when I'll be leaving. So instead of alleviating waiting stress, this internship added itself to the list of things I'm waiting to find out about!

All things considered, I'm extremely blessed. I didn't consider that some people weren't able to apply to as many MFA programs as they would have liked for financial reasons. I'm not rich or even middle-class anymore after going back to school full-time, but I was able to pull it off. Let me try to add up what I spent:

GRE: $140
Sending GRE Scores: $160
Transcripts: $320
Application Fees: $660
Total: $1280

They say(there's the omnipotent they again) that you get what you put out back ten-fold or something like that. So hopefully I'll get a fellowship or stipend worth at least $12,800 lol. I'll report back here with how that turns out, of course. Wait for it.

16/16- FINISHED!!!!

2009-01-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

WHOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Can someone please tell me why Boise State's application was the worst of them all. The TA app required me to critique a student paper and suggest improvements and answer essay questions! I just wasn't in the mood but I got it done. I'm glad I got it done because I miscalculated their application deadline and today I realized their deadline is actually January 15. So I did end up getting all my apps done on time. One of my biggest motivators was the fact that my recommenders had taken the time to prepare 16 letters for me so I couldn't back out of applying to any schools (out of laziness) because I didn't want their letters to go to waste. Seriously, the last 4 applications I considered not doing just because I was tired of doing applications and I saved my lower ranked schools for last. Watch...my only acceptance will come from one of those schools lol. Well, all I need is one yes. At least I've given myself 16 chances to hear it.

I plan to get back to submitting my poems for publication...even though I'm sick of looking at them. I'm interested in doing some character development for a short story or a screenplay or something. I don't know, I just know I'm feeling like creating a character. I think it was Claudia Emerson who previously wrote poetry books in different personas (I'm sure many others have done it but I heard her talk about it at a reading, I think). I think one was an old farmer or something. I plan to write about a drag queen. Different strokes for different folks, I guess lol. So I'll do this whole character thing and see if it ends up in poetry or prose. Who knows? At least I'm getting back to writing!

14/16- Almost Done!

2009-01-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

I have sent out 14 out of 16 of my applications. All I have left are Boise State's and Georgia State's applications. I totally lost steam in regards to completing the last 9 of my applications.

I got an email from U of Alabama stating they were missing transcripts from one of my undergrad schools. So I called them this morning and the wonderful woman with the best southern accent ever (I have a thing for accents since I don't have one...at all) looked through the pile and found that it just hadn't been entered into the system. PHEW! So she made my day.

Alright...these last 2 will be out tomorrow. 16 is a lot of applications. A lot.

Smooch!

2008-12-23T07:36:00.001-08:00

I could just KISS Vanderbilt for having a free application!!!!!!!

I love you, Vanderbilt...please, love me too.

9/16

2008-12-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

So here's an update.

Apps Outta My Hands:
Cornell
NYU
Michener
Michigan
Indiana
UVA
Vanderbilt
Florida State
Iowa

Apps to go:
Alabama
Southern Illinois
Arizona State
Univ of Florida
Georgia State
Boise State
Virginia Tech

I'm doing good. I think the next deadline for apps I don't have out is Alabama for Jan. 10. I got that.

I hate reading my personal statement to send out apps and I can't look at my writing sample either. I hate teaching philosophies. I sound like Grouchy Smurf. "I hate sounding like Grouchy Smurf" LOL.

Impossible

2008-12-10T23:27:00.000-08:00

Short post at 2:26am to express the impossibility of getting MFA apps out during finals week while working 40 hours a week. My life hurts a little bit because of this. So now instead of getting them all done I'm doing it in tiers. I've got the ones out that were due by Dec 15-18 so I'm 4 for 16. I have to make a cross-country drive starting Saturday. So on or around Dec. 20th I'll finish the rest of my apps. I'm just disappointed because I want this over already. I hate school right now and my biggest issue is trying to get into schools...for more school. Thank goodness I won't start until the fall if they take me. I have my last final tomorrow and an essay due by Friday...then I have to load my car and drive 2300 miles before I can do my apps. Do you see? Do you see why I feel crazy!? Please just let me get them all done in time. That's all I ask.

All will be well when this is over.

On another note...I graduate on Monday. HUGE accomplishment that I promise to celebrate thoroughly once all of my apps are out.

My name is Me and I have a problem...

2008-11-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

So I've been wasting time doing two things:

1) Reading the "Damn, I didn't get in!" thread on the Poets & Writers message board. I started reading it to keep myself grounded and preparing myself for inevitable rejections. I've read all 47 pages a few times. I don't know what's up with that but I vow to stop. I get it. Everyone doesn't get in everywhere. I need to cut this out.

2) Reading the "I'm In!" thread on Poets & Writers. I read this to get all excited about this process that is quickly becoming mentally draining to me. So I'm on my second time through this lengthy thread and vowing to quit this addiction too.

Here you have my admission that I have a problem. I guess I'm feeling like it's possible to actually prepare to go through a life-changing process such as the MFA application process so I'm doing ridiculous things in the name of it. I'm stopping.

So yeah, I would think that just reading this, my own blog, would be enough to remind me of the possibility of rejection and acceptance. That's what this blog has been all about! I'm an idiot.

Yeah so, my apps will be all done this week as soon as I get my check and can pay the fees. I've got final exams, papers, and short stories to write over the next 2 weeks and then I've got a glorious cross-country drive to make...alone.

Onward.

(I had the strongest desire to end this post with "onward bitches!" I have no idea where that came from lol)

I Submit: GRE Scores

2008-11-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

YAY! I finally just bit the bullet and submitted my GRE scores tonight. So the big push to finish my applications over Thanksgiving weekend has successfully begun!

Sending out the transcripts and score reports was really the easy part. My writing sample is done so now I need to make packets for each school. Which I will do...now.

Opinions expressed at 3:14 am are those of a sleepless MFA applicant and do not necessarily reflect the position of this blog's author.

2008-11-25T23:58:00.000-08:00

So I just googled myself on a whim and came across this comment on the blog of the journal that published one of my pieces:

"I just wanted to say how much I liked both Rapture, by (ME!!!)…….(for its length and complexity and effective way of dealing about race and childhood …..and..."

Thanks wonderful person who just made my sleepless night. Cyber kisses and best wishes to you.

*All rhymes are unintentional at this hour and should not reflect upon my poetic talent*

Pardon the legal disclaimers. Prior to finding this comment I was researching law schools...just in case I suck. lol

Renegade Reference Writer

2008-11-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

I'm mailing 2 out of 3 sets of recommendation letters tomorrow. My last recommender is the renegade. I should have known when she asked me when's the latest she could return them to me. Did I ever ask her when's the latest I could return an assignment to her? LOL Like, "I know you said this is the due date but really, what's the latest I can actually turn this bad boy in?"

I've gifted the 2 recommenders who've completed their letters. I wonder if word getting back to her about the gifts will make her get a move on so she can get her thoughtful gift. To gift her now before she finishes the letters would seem like bribery. Maybe I should gift her now.

GRE scores

2008-11-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

So I got my official scores in the mail. Let me just say that I hated that test more than anything in the world. The last I have to deal with regarding it is paying $20 a pop to send out the scores to schools. I'm thinking about starting a campaign against MFA applicants having to take the GRE. Seriously thinking about it. The sad thing is I plan on going for a PhD in the future which means I could be required to take the GRE Lit Subject test. At any rate:

Analytical Essay score: 4 out of 6.

All the test proved to me is that I'm not as smart as I thought I was. Did I need to know that? Maybe. Regardless, I know it now lol.

So this made me laugh until I cried today:

MFA App Update

2008-11-14T19:35:00.001-08:00

It's coming along.

I submitted all of my transcripts from the 2 schools I attended undergrad. Nice chunk of change too. I'm mad at the schools that wanted 2 copies of official transcripts. They should repay me by accepting me and giving me a fellowship.

I'm waiting on my GRE scores, then those will go out too.

I have to fill out and pay for online apps. Yes, I am only working to support my application habit.

2 out of 3 recommenders will have my letters done by Monday.

My writing sample is finished.

I need to write up a personal statement.

I need to come up with a teaching philosophy for some TA apps.

I'd love to be able to use Thanksgiving weekend to finish everything up and that's looking like a possibility. I am a highly disorganized person but this is going so well! Could be the 2 years of research and preparation. It's going to feel so good to finish the apps and know that I've done my part. That's what I love about anything--knowing I did what I could do and the rest is up to someone else. Well, that's a little unsettling but yeah...whatever lol. We'll see how I sound around February when I'm waiting for responses. My stomach just turned.

GRE Results

2008-11-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

Blah...

V: 540
Q: 620

Essays are pending.

On another note...

MFA App Update

2008-10-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I take the GRE on Friday. Here's my updated list and even in something like an order of preference:

Cornell
Indiana
Iowa
University of Michigan
Michener
NYU
UVA
Univ. of Alabama
Southern Illinois, Carbondale
Virginia Tech
Florida State
Vanderbilt
Univ. of Florida
McNeese
Boise State (for family)
Georgia State (for family)
Arizona State (for family)

So that's 17. The list is pretty final, ASU might fall off and maybe GSU...I don't know. It's not like my family is paying for the apps so I can be nearer to them! lol

Why do I keep having dreams where I get into schools that I don't even plan on applying to? Last night I dreamt that I got accepted to Oregon. No, Oregon is not on my list. It was at one point but Dorianne Laux leaving and the weather were the eliminating factors. This is the second dream I've had like that, I can't remember the other school. Crazy, huh? I suspect it will only get crazier. Luckily, I'll be in Egypt when acceptances/rejections start going out in the spring. I'm almost regretting taking that internship because I'll have to have my mother read me letters over the phone and field phone calls for me from the states. UGH! That's months away. For now, I just need to finish the GRE and finish the apps.

MFA Programs

2008-06-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

So my goal is to get into MFA Programs in the Fall of 2009. I've got a list of prospective schools. My personal ranking of each school and how sure I am that I am going to apply to the school changes.

Definitely Applying Here:

Cornell
Florida State
Indiana
NYU
Michener
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Southern Illinois Carbondale
Virginia Tech
McNeese
USC (MPW)

More Than Likely Applying Here:

Vanderbilt
Boise State
University of Oregon
University of Virginia
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Houston
Arizona State, Tempe

Also Considering:

Iowa
Notre Dame
University of Florida
University of Washington
UC Irvine
--
Yeah so that list fluctuates, meaning my maybes and definites switch places daily and my also considerings have all done time and may be repeat offenders of the other two lists. So that's 22 programs. My goal is to apply to about 15. So I have to get rid of around 7 of those. I must start in the Fall!!!

We shall see.

Gushing!

2008-06-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

So I don't know why but the experience of being published online was more exciting than being published in print. Actually, I think I am gushing because the online journal wrote up a little blurb about their interpretation of the poem in the foreword. That excited me to the point of breathlessness! I don't know why. Could be vanity? Or just pure joy from the confirmation that I was understood!!! Exhale...Inhale...

For forever reference:

http://www.conteonline.net/issue0401/splash.html

Life is excessively good...

Rejection: Rougarou

2008-06-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Got an emailed rejection today from them. Keepin' it movin'...

ACCEPTANCE!!! Conte!!

2008-06-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

YAY!!!!!

Just got in from vacation and in my inbox was this acceptance from Conte:

Thank you for your poetry submission to Conte. We are pleased to accept your poem "Rapture" for our summer 2008 issue, which is currently slated for release on June 15th.

In order to help us meet this deadline, please submit any final revisions and/or an updated bio to this email address by Monday, June 9th.

We thank you for your contribution, and feel free to respond if you have any questions or concerns. We hope you'll share this new issue of Conte with your friends and fellow writers.

--
Yours,

Poetry Editor
www.conteonline.net

Whoo!! Hoo!!!

Needed that.

Right on time!

YES!

Rejection: Dylan Days

2008-05-23T13:22:00.001-07:00

Okay so I didn't receive a rejection notice from this one but I checked the website and I wasn't selected. That's cool. Keepin' it movin'.

I Submit

New Year's News

@UnderPoList

More Manuscript Rejections

NEA Goal

November Updates

More October Submissions

Lit Mag Love: Prime Mincer

THEthePoetry

Literary Citizenship

News from the Rear of the Contest Front

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up...It's the end of the month!

Creative Writing Pedagogy, Twitter, and Me

Poem Fodder

Best of Issue: Muzzle

Updates

First Book State of Mind

Mission(s) Accomplished

Waiting...

#52Poetry

Poetry Quarterly (2 Poems)

Acceptance: Vinyl Poetry

And just like that...they're gone!

Acceptance: Poetry Quarterly

I'm Baaaaack...with (old) good news!

Acceptance: Milk Money

New Acceptance!!...and all of the rejections surrounding it...

How I Submit: MFA Programs

How I Submit

Beating June Deadlines

Acceptance: Cave Canem

First Year MFA: Done. New Submissions/Rejections

Revision and Submission

Cool stuff

Oh Shoot!...Recent Pubs

New Semester + Cave Canem Submission

Submission: Center for Book Arts Chapbook Competition

What I'm Working On

Rejection: Rougarou

Acceptance: TORCH

This is my hard time.

Suggested Readings

Getting to know Roethke

Submission: Torch

FADE OUT!

Writing Goals

The MFA Chronicles & Diverse Voices Quarterly

ACCEPTANCE: Assisi

ACCEPTANCE: Diverse Voices Quarterly

Whew...

Rejection: Cave Canem

Bone

Rejection: Waccamaw

Cave Canem Finalist!

Palm Tree

I Vow

And then there was UVA...

Visit to Indiana University- Bloomington

Ka-Ching!

Indiana bound

The Strangest Sadness

Half of a Rejection: Michigan

Interview Scheduled: Virginia Tech

Rejection: Michener

Submission: Rougarou

Submission: Diverse Voices Quarterly

Submission: Assisi

Submission: Cave Canem Retreat

REJECTION: Rattle

Acceptance: Southern Illinois- Carbondale

UGH...UNCG sent a poet a letter!

Acceptance: I'm in at Indiana!

A poet got called from Indiana!

So I Was Wrong...

My guess...

Acceptance: Alabama!

UGH- Alabama called someone!

I Imagine

Submission: Waccamaw

Submission: RATTLE