Publication and Baby Updates

So it's been a hectic three months since my last post about appearing in an upcoming anthology and expecting my first child in a matter of days.

To our delight, the child did appear in a matter of days, healthy and happy (or as happy as a newborn can be, I guess), and pretty darn cute, if I may say so from my biased vantage point, and now the anthology is out as well, and it's lovely.  I just received my copy yesterday.  There is an Amazon link on the press's website, if you're interested in purchasing it.

Reckless Writing:  The Modernization of Poetry by Emerging Writers of the 21st Century by Chatter House Press, edited by Penny Dunning

So now I'll get back to all the things I need to cram into the few hours when baby is sleeping and mommy is not yet about to crash as well from exhaustion.  Some days those things just include the essentials.  I mean, the bare, bare essentials.  Cleaning the house is pretty much a luxury, but then I never was much of a house-cleaner on a good day.  I'm not sure how I'm going to find the time to go back to work, even part-time, but I guess I'll figure that out in a month or so.  I'm working on imposing some sort of schedule on our days so that maybe I can get a bit more done.  There are so many projects on my calendar, like starting work on the new issue of Melusine, book ideas, website ideas, that keep getting kicked like the proverbial can down the road.  I have to admit I can't even imagine the luxury of sitting down to write a new poem yet, although I'm sort of hoping one will come to me one day despite myself, as poems sometimes do, happily for the lazy among us.  But at least I've begun to send out my full-length manuscript.

For someone prone to the winter blues even in easier years, though, I have to say I'm finding life relatively good, all in all, this chilly November.  The child is a handful, but she's also pretty awesome.

December

It's been a really tough couple of weeks, but one of a handful of bright moments came when I received two literary goodie-packages in the same day:  the new issue of Tiger's Eye with three of my poems in it, and The Medulla Review anthology featuring one of my poems.

I feel a strong need to write something in the way of poetry to help me work through some really sad recent news, and I did start on a piece last week, but I know you can't rush these things.  In the meantime, I'm working on the new issue of Melusine, hoping to launch it by Sunday night.  This one has a photo essay and some fun cover art by a promising new photographer, so I'm looking forward to seeing it take shape soon.

March Mirth

Yesterday my copy of the new Tiger's Eye arrived containing my poems "Sunday Blue" and "Mountain Bird."  Beautiful issue with some really nice stuff, from what I've read so far.  Looking forward to reading more tonight.

In other news, so glad it's March.  I just realized that March is possibly my favorite month.  It's not that I enjoy the weather and landscape of this end of the month -- the snow's usually gone and not much is left but the accumulated dreary -- but I do like the sweet anticipation of April.

By the time April actually hits, the daffodils in front of our house have shot up, the cherry blossoms are out in full force downtown and so Spring in D.C. has essentially hit its peak, always leaving me feeling that I've missed something.

On this side of the month, it's all about the waiting.  All the good parts of the year, while not here quite yet, are swiftly on their way, and that always gets me to feeling giddy, yet still somewhat serene, because we're not there yet.  There's still time to be reflective.  Maybe this time of year has even prompted a few (mostly harmless) bouts of hypomania some years, but I'm no psychologist, so we'll just call them "happy spells."  And wish a happy March to you.

Update:  Less than an hour after posting this, I learned that the new issue of The Medulla Review had launched, featuring three poems of mine.  Read the whole awesome issue here, or my poems here.  March is coming in mirthfully indeed.

A Happy Mailbox

It has been a good month for my mailbox.  Today the Arsenic Lobster anthology arrived, and I've really been enjoying the selections.  (Having two of my poems in there is pretty nice, too ;)
You can pick one up here if you're interested.

My Gargoyle Arrived!

I wasn't expecting it so early in the summer, so this was a wonderful surprise, and the issue looks awesome, thick and chock full of literary goodness.
(And I was pretty happy to see my poem on page 92.)
Again, I think my mood was a bit dark when I wrote it, but my mood was not dark when I opened that package.  This is my first publication in a print journal other than an anthology or college/grad thesis publication, so it's kind of an exciting thing.
I also learned recently that two of my poems from Arsenic Lobster would be published in their anthology for this year, so one particular lonely shelf of my bookcase is starting to feel a bit less lonely.

Yay, I'm on the Kindle (Prick of the Spindle's Poetry Open Edition)

I don't own a Kindle, but I'm still very pleased by this!  Well, I was pleased just to be listed among the honorable mentions in PotS's Poetry Open, and then double-pleased to hear the contest's finalists would be featured in a special edition.  And I guess there's a touch of sheer vanity at the thought of infiltrating a new medium... in the same way, I suppose, that I'm pleased to see my name on Amazon for the first time beside the word "author."  Yeah, I never claimed not to be pretty silly.

If you have a Kindle or the equivalent, check it out:

Prick of the Spindle Poetry Open Competition No. 1

Maybe I'll get myself a Kindle one of these days, sooner rather than later, although I'm partial to the thought of an iPad, which looks like it would make a pretty good reader.  (Dreams.)