Submitting poetry this morning. I don’t usually blog about where I’m submitting or which journals have turned me down lately (that would be whiny beyond enduring, and a lengthy list), or even blog about acceptances unless I can link to a poem. But today I’m thinking about the process of submitting, having had a discussion on Facebook about how the proliferation of online submissions may have contributed to lengthening response times due to a deluge…
The competition for Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere, while exhibiting some of the more lamentable aspects of our poetry world — such as popularity contests and bogus distinctions that have nothing to do with the quality of writing — did introduce me to a new blogger whose writing is well worth following. Sina Queyras, blogging as Lemon Hound, eschews the more superficial aspects of the poetry community while providing us with thoughtful commentary on aspects…
I am hereby officially campaigning to be Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere in 2011. After reading the rules (always a last step for me), I discover that this requires that I post some of my own poetry to the blog. Here goes, then (they didn’t say it couldn’t be previously published poetry): Ode to My Purse The three French handbags came with lifetime warranties. Clasping heavy straps, I cinch them saddle-tight against the grasping world.…
Until midnight tonight, you can vote here. Of course, I am a little miffed not to have even been nominated, but I would guess there are something like 8,000 poets blogging — to judge from a few blogrolls like Ron Silliman’s — so really I’m only disappointed it comes down to a few bloggers I don’t follow, except Ron Slate. I’m conducting my own little poll here. If you avidly follow a poet blogger, please…
I have two poems up in the current issue of Prick of the Spindle: “Wine Under a Fig Tree” and “Things to Say to the Clouds.” If anyone’s doing a wine or cloud anthology out there, I’d love to give them a print life! Prick of the Spindle was a new zine to me, located through Facebook, which is increasingly my form of bloghopping. On Facebook, I learned of Barn Owl Review (hi, Mary!), and…
Those were the two events I most enjoyed, and wish there had been more of, less overlapping times, and more time to enjoy. The Bookfair especially was a kick — a carnival of rickety tables and hopeful staffers with displays that made me wish for a UPS packing station and drop box right there on the premises (idea for the future, guys!). I met Joyce Jenkins of Poetry Flash. She’s not twenty minutes away from…
It was, as someone quipped to me, a tornado inside a whirlwind of activity. Too many panel discussions and readings all going on at once, too many people to meet and have coffee with, many I didn’t get to and will have to catch at another conference or retreat. The Bookfair alone was a blast of meeting and greeting, not to mention picking up cheap or even free books. I just wish I could have…
I’ll be reading and talking with host Merry Gangemi on Woman-Stirred Radio, streaming live at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern on WGDR at Goddard College, VT. Visit https://racheldacus.net for more information and writing by Rachel Dacus.
I was fortunate to be able to do an interview with National Book Award nominated poet Kim Addonizio. It’s up now at Fringe Magazine. Kim’s answers are fascinating, often pithy, and sometimes wry to general questions and questions about her own writing practice. As a member of one of her current workshops, I can say that she’s a terrific teacher, giving feedback on poems and guidance on the poetic process from a depth of experience…
I’m in the middle of an eight-week poetry workshop with Kim Addonizio and wondering why I haven’t done this more often, maybe once a year. I’ve found few things more stimulating of my creativity than participating in this fun, low-key (we meet in her living room and share snacks and wine), fascinating, and informative workshop. Among the exercises we’ve considered are anaphora, odes, and syntax. Copying the syntax of another poem’s line was an exercise…