I’m honored to bits that two of my poems were published in Villain Era this past Friday!
There’s something so special about being included in a brand new publication, and I could not be more delighted about this revenge-themed magazine edited by Charlie Jensen. The concept and the editor are brilliant!
I mentioned in my last post that January had been intensely difficult, but the weeks since then became even more harrowing. My dad had a heart attack and has been sedated in the ICU with all sorts of tubes keeping him alive. This week, I had the scariest asthma attack of my life and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Yesterday, my son injured his foot in PE and is now on crutches. And, of course, the entire political situation in the US gets more absurd and awful each day.
But just yesterday, my dad was finally able to wake up enough to nod in response to questions and squeeze hands when asked. That feels like a miracle.
I’ve had to miss or cancel many poetry-related things so far this year, but I’ve also had several lovely poetry-related things happen: I had two poems each accepted in the new journals Villain Era and Jackdaw Review, and I was invited to contribute to a really cool project called The Creative Process. Today, I get to read at the first event for the MAW Reading Series, which is run by students in our new M.A. in Writing program. I’ve been writing new things alongside my students during exercises in my writing classes.
Somehow, in the midst of so much bad, there is still creativity, newness, and good.
The past month has been intensely difficult for a variety of reasons, including the sudden loss of my youngest aunt. It’s hard to feel like updating a website is important in the face of grief and political upheaval, but sometimes poets and poetry keep me going through the dark, so reminding myself of good poetry-related things isn’t a waste of time.
One of the best poetry things this winter has been the release and virtual reading events for the anthology Invisible Strings: 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift. Editor Kristie Frederick Daugherty has made the whole process a joy, and I’m so honored to have my poem “1993” included alongside some of my poetry rockstars and friends.
In December, I was the featured poet for A Dozen Nothing. In addition to publishing a few of my poems, Pete and Jeff interviewed me and shared my answers on social media throughout the entire month. It was so lovely to have my work celebrated like that!
In the last few weeks, I’ve been a finalist for the San Diego Poet Laureate position and a finalist for the McMath Book Award. Although I’ve joked that I’m getting an “always a bridesmaid” complex, I do feel deeply honored by both of these finalist nods.
And now, back to wrapping up decisions and responses from the December reading period of Whale Road Review!
I have a couple new publications to share! First, Mothman Was Here: Tales of the Uncanny is a fantastic cryptid-themed anthology edited by William Woolfitt and published by Tenpenny Books. I would love this anthology even if my poem weren’t included, but I’m extra delighted that a reprint of my poem “Baba Yaga’s Answer” is in such excellent company.
Last week, my poem “When My Spouse Was Hot” was published in the first issue of Little Free Lit Mag, and I’m so happy to be part of this new journal’s launch! The idea is that you can read (and listen to) the issues online and also print out copies to leave in little free libraries near you. So clever! I’m especially honored that they wanted to share this poem, which blends some playfulness with some flashbacks to cancer/chemo.
These past few months have been busy with travel and new class preps, but I’m finally taking a moment to share good poetry news here!
My poem “On the Night We Met, My Father Gave Me Icarus” was chosen as a finalist for The Lascaux Review Poetry Prize! The finalist award also included a monetary prize and publication. I’m thrilled that this poem found a home in such good company. Congrats to Nafisa Iqbal and my fellow finalists!
I also learned that my poem “At the Bird Rehab Facility in Vermont” was chosen by Kelli Russell Agodon as a runner-up for the Desert Rat Poetry Prize! Again, my work keeps some great company.
Coming soon… an update about the readings I’ve done recently!
I was commissioned to write a poem in response to a specific Taylor Swift song, and my poem is going to be in this anthology alongside some ROCKSTAR poets! Kristie Frederick Daugherty has made something magical. Get yourself a copy in pre-sale from Penguin Random House now! 🎉
I have two new poems in this week’s issue of The Point: “How to Be Pure” (a true story from a past AWP conference) and “After Reminiscing with a Friend about 90s Purity Culture, I Make a Found Poem from Snow Blower Instructions” (which just told you what it is). Here are screenshots of the beginning of each poem to entice you to read more…
I’m so honored to have my poem “Bloody Country, Bloody Country, Bloody Country” in the new issue of West Trestle Review. Check out their whole Jan/Feb issue. It’s fantastic!
I subscribe to Tangle, this great news source that deep dives into a major story each day and aggregates a spectrum of perspectives on it. They just started a new Sunday Edition and called for reader op-ed pitches, and they chose mine to print first!
They’ve reprinted my “Con Pane” poem (first published in Limp Wrist) along with a short essay about the importance of Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe in my life (and I could’ve said so much more…). ❤️
Note: You do have to be a subscriber to read the op-ed in full on the Tangle site.
I’m so thrilled to share that we’ve published Issue 1 of Last Syllable, the new online literary journal created and run by the students in PLNU’s M.A. in Writing program!
My Editing & Publishing class created this journal from scratch this semester—everything from choosing the name to designing the website to reading over 500 submissions to curating, setting up, and promoting this first issue and more! They did an incredible amount of work, and this gorgeous issue that they’ve produced is such a great way to bring this new journal to life.
I knew there was a gap in publishing venues for longform writing (which is why that’s our focus!), but I never dreamed that over 500 people would give Last Syllable a chance during this first reading period. I’m so proud of my grad students, who are not only incredible writers themselves, but also such thoughtful and engaged editors who are so fun to be with each week. And I’m grateful for all of the writers—those published in this issue and not—who trusted our new journal with their work! I hope many readers let themselves get lost in this first issue for awhile.