First Book State of Mind

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.

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

Mission(s) Accomplished

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. :)

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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!

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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...

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!