new england writer: memoir * poetry * novella
I have a poem in Muddy River Poetry Review!
And one of my poems that was published in Nixes Mate Review is now in the print anthology!
Oh, by the way, Nixes Mate Books will be publishing my chapbook, Watermarks…, which is the first book of poems I’ve completed since the Tribute trilogy from my autobiographical pentalogy.
I love being a small-press publisher. Yet, being a productive writer, rather than a prolific hermit, is always rewarding!
The countdown to Halloween begins! I love Halloween. I’m back to submitting work after a frustrating 6 months or so of fighting with technology to get out two journal issues.
Tell-Tale Inklings #4 has been in limbo since CreateSpace began scaling back services. It turns out they are merging with KDP. Like a ninny, I edited Tell-Tale Inklings #3 over a few nagging typos–and ended up redoing the whole thing. It takes forever to format and upload and have page numbers bounce to the top of the next page, then format and upload and have page numbers bounce…. You get the idea.
Bitching and moaning done, I’m feeling hopeful about getting work done once the kinks are worked out. Also, it’s hard to be crabby in October. I love crunchy Autumn leaves, breathable crisp air, and all things Halloween. (Well, all silly, fun, and mind-bending things; I don’t dig extreme, gory horror. I like Poe’s tales and Stephen King’s movies (his books are to scary). September through mid-October mark some very difficult anniversaries for my family; so many relatives have died during those months, from my father when I was 16 to my grandnephew, who was only 17. So, I plow through leaves and silly my way through Halloween, in a state of semi-denial.
When I began this post, it was the first of October. Now it’s the second. I need some new material. Here is TTI #3 .
COVER IMAGE: Stephan Anstey Copyright 2017
I’m finally updating this blog.
Nothing to say. Swell! I’m submitting and writing poetry this week. Check back next month for words of wisdom. (Yes, that means Thursday.)
Yahoo! I’ve had poetry accepted by two journals. My May submissionfest was time well spent. Will post links when they are published.
Saturday. June 3rd. Still got nothin’. Watching S6 of Game of Thrones before some dumbass on FB spoils another scene.
“I’m glad the end of the world is working out well for someone.” Bwahahahaha!
It’s almost June, and I’m making an effort to post monthly. How do people do this every day? Most of my days aren’t that interesting.
Phew! We poets who were writing 30 poems in 30 days during April have made it through another National Poetry writing Month.
This is when I disappear into the small-press publisher’s world of collecting, editing, proofreading, et cetera until Autumn. I’m also trying to submit more of my own poems to journals; nobody can read my work if I never publish it. Sadly poems lack wings, so they can’t fly themselves to literary journals and squawk, “Read me! Read me!”
Both the print anthology Extra MoJo! series (Hidden Charm Press) and the print journal Tell-Tale Inklings (via Tell-Tale Chapbooks) are open to submissions this spring and summer. Please go to the web sites for details; nothing adds grief to the days of editors and publishers like submissions from writers who haven’t bothered to familiarize themselves with our Press websites, much less read the Guidelines pages.
As this craptastic year draws to a close, I mourn the loss of two family members as well as the shared public figure losses. And the country as we know it–with all its flaws but also moments when one could be proud of being a fellow citizen–will most likely end with the pens of the few signing away the next four years. May whatever greater spirits we believe in help us get through it.
I try to focus on blessings. The two brothers I grew up playing with and I have reconnected. I met my tiny grandniece for the first time. My little bro is a grandfather x 3!
Somehow I managed to publish the second issues of my presses’ anthology and literary journal. My own first collection of microfictions has also seen the light. My oldest and dearest friends are astoundingly good to me.
Yes, it has been an horrendous year. I won’t miss it. But one must grasp onto whatever life rafts are available or sink. I’m past chapter 80 of Moby-Dick and won’t jinx with specifics; however, it’s safe to predict that I will finish the first draft of my Moby-inspired poetry collection in 2017 or die trying. With six years invested in the project so far, that’s huge for me!
Happier, saner, safer New Year to all!
[Trying the old plan of posting here around the first of every month. This is my personal blog. Check out Words Happening?! for a casual Books & Arts & Links blog.]
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I’ve already voted; I’m done hearing about politics this month. This poem is all I have to say on the matter:
Making Books: Mignon Ariel King's Blog 