Writing Halloween

No one tells you that the year-year and a half following grad school is full of searching and tumult.  At least that's been my experience.  I sent out to dozens of book prizes and had many near-misses, swallowed myself in teaching composition and creative writing, and wrote a handful of good poems.  It was not a prolific time and I often wondered if the fires that were so present and so bright during my time at Houston and Bennington College were waning.  However, a new schedule and yes, accolades, have helped generate new vigor, new hope, new poems, and for the first time since June 2008 I can see in the distance, beyond the own lonely shadow of my piles of papers to grade, the clickety-clack of the keyboard, the grief of my recently departed cat, Casey, and the cups and cups of dark, dark tea. 

In the past week, I've received the following poetry-related news: my manuscript, Glossolalia, has been picked up for publication by Red Hen Press.  My poem, "Tether," was chosen as runner-up for the RHINO Poetry Magazine's Founders' Prize and will appear in their next issue.  Finally, my poem "The Thundering," my "Liam" poem was chosen as the winner of Bellevue Literary Review's 2010 Marica and Jan Vilcek Prize for Poetry judged by Tony Hoagland and my poem "The Bottom Drawer" was given an honorable mention for the same prize.  Both poems will appear in their next issue as well.

I'm grateful for people loving and reading poetry, for people reading my poetry, for poetry itself.  I'm grateful for my friends and family who want to call back when they're not at work so they can squeal their support with me.  I'm grateful for my hands, my keyboard, my tea, my husband, for each set of eyes that help me along.  I'm grateful to be out of the post-MFA program funk.

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Halloween is my favorite holiday.  This year Jeff & I went to Eric & Sam's Halloween party dressed out in fratitude: me as an ADPi and Jeff in pastel pink and blue RL complete with popped collars.  I had an ADPi koozie to complete my outfit that I found for a steal on eBay.