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!!

Poetry Quarterly (2 Poems)

Hi,

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

More soon.

Cool stuff

I have a poem in the new journal, Assisi.

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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

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.

The MFA Chronicles & Diverse Voices Quarterly

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: Diverse Voices Quarterly

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.

Gushing!

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...