In five days we'll be in Vestal, New York.
We got a POD instead of doing a UHaul, and the guy just left with it.
I hope nothing's destroyed, but that's the thing about just being married: You usually don't have the best stuff. Therefore, it's not hard to replace something like a lamp.
That said, I'm not looking forward to doing this again (yes, I know: Who is?), most likely in a year. We're married. I'll have at least three years left at Binghamton University after this year, so it may be time to get some equity. We're thinking a condo instead of a house. That would be easy to do in Richmond, but we haven't researched it yet in New York.
It's just so easy these days to become complacent and pay rent, especially when you keep gathering and more and more stuff fills your apartment. So I understand. That's why, in our apartment that we'll be living in together in five days, I still don't feel the need to replace a lot of the stuff we're taking with us.
We have money and gift cards from the wedding, but shouldn't that really be used for necessity? AKA: future nicer furniture for a condo living room instead of the hand-me-downs, and things like that.
Plus we have to get acclimated to much within the next year.
As always, we'll see.
*
I'm cleaning out the desk that we got from a friend a few years ago. The thing is massive. We're either going to take a sledgehammer to it or try to get someone to saw it into a bunch of pieces so we can get it in the trashcans. It's way too heavy to deal with and travel with.
I usually keep my rejections and acceptances in a pile, however, and it was interesting to see those places who haven't taken poems but have been encouraging. It's good to make that "Remember to send here in the fall" list.
Also, I decided I'm going to be a little bit more judicious in my journals I submit too. There are places that have rejected me, sans any semblance of ink, for years now, sometimes in the double digit range. Not a big deal, of course, but these are all snail-mailed submissions. A 44-cent stamp and usually around $1 to send the submission is around $1.50. Multiply it by ten over the last four years or so, and that's $15 I could've had in my pocket.
Right: I didn't know that would happen. Sometimes it takes once to send to a place to get an acceptance. Sometimes it takes six. Sometimes it takes sixteen.
But I'd rather spend the money, at this point, on past ink: encouraging editors, the "send again" or even "thanks for trying us" notes. And I found many of those I'd forgotten about. No guarantees, but it'll make me feel better to send to places where I have a more legitimate shot. Hopefully.
There's nothing like workshops and being back around writers and taking classes and whatnot that makes me want to start sending out work again. Maybe that's weird, but it's how it works.
*
Got an acceptance from Portland Review the other day, but the two poems they wanted were accepted by two different journals months ago.
I felt bad at first because apparently the email address I was using for them, when I let them know the poems were taken, was an old address. So clearly they didn't get the email.
That said, they took almost nine months to get back to me. It's fine, don't get me wrong, but that's maybe the second-longest acceptance response time I've ever had, so that seems to diminish your chances of publishing someone's poems the longer you wait.
I'll be sending again in the fall, though, and this time they have an online submissions system in the works I believe.
*
Also funny was another rejection from Controlled Burn.
They took two days to get back to me, and I noticed that the normal "Dear Writer" response that I've always received from them was not only in bold, but it was in maybe 18-point font. It seemed like it was on purpose. And I laughed more than I was taken aback, as that's the first time I think an editor has seemingly hated my work so much.
*
Back to cleaning out the desk. Soon enough I'm going to compiled my What I'll Miss About Richmond / What I Won't Miss in Richmond list.
Should be fun.
Showing posts with label magazine and journal submissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magazine and journal submissions. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Shouldn't
I shouldn't be blogging right now, but I am. I have too much other stuff I should be doing.
*
The whole Bridgeville shooting debacle is very sad and sickening and heart-dropping. I hate to say what I'm saying, but Thank God only three people died, not counting the shooter. For all the "planning" the psychopath did, it seemed like the damage could've been much worse. That still doesn't bring back the lives of the three women he shot, I realize this, which makes me feel weird, again for posting the last few sentences.
And the fact that he was blogging, or writing, or whatever you want to call it, about his upcoming shooting, is frightening in so many ways.
Yet somehow I can't stop thinking of Brad Pitt's character at the end of Se7en: "You're a movie of the week. You're a fucking t-shirt, at best." That's the case for this guy. A sad, clearly good-for-nothing "man," who, because he had no social skills or no wherewithal, decided because he could not get laid, he would shoot a bunch of women in a Latin dance class at an L.A. Fitness in a small town outside of Pittsburgh? Are you fucking serious?
I continued to be baffled why these things keep happening, and how they are allowed to happen, and unfortunately, that they will probably keep happening.
*
The above makes the whole Steve Fellner / Seth Abramson debate look like the size of a grain of sand, which is one of the reasons more people should be writing their own poems instead of starting all the debates and blog posts they've written in the last few days.
Stopping psychopaths from easily obtaining guns is much more important to me than caring about what ALC is charging to read a personal statement, which is one of the reasons why I decided not to waste my time commenting substantially on the situation.
*
And yes, switching gears, on a lighter note, I sent out my last batch of poems today before the move to 10 places. Oliver de la Paz sent an encouraging "Get it done now before you move" note on Facebook, and I decided to wise up, listen, and get them out.
If good things happen, awesome. If they're all rejections, at least the work, for now, is out there, along with many other submissions.
I'm officially stopping until at least halfway through September, I swear.
And that's not too far away.
*
The Lovely Bones trailer is up. I found it amazing that a novel that's been so popular as of late is actually very, very good. That's what happens in the age of Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult.
But it seems like it really can't miss.
Brian Eno score. Peter Jackson directed. A great supporting cast. Can it be sustained for 140 minutes? I hope so. I think so. I wish Ryan Gosling, who I think is an incredible actor, would've played the father, especially after Wahlberg's Titanic-sinking effort (can we call it that?) in The Happening, but alas.
So many good movies coming out from now until the end of the year.
Can't wait.
*
The whole Bridgeville shooting debacle is very sad and sickening and heart-dropping. I hate to say what I'm saying, but Thank God only three people died, not counting the shooter. For all the "planning" the psychopath did, it seemed like the damage could've been much worse. That still doesn't bring back the lives of the three women he shot, I realize this, which makes me feel weird, again for posting the last few sentences.
And the fact that he was blogging, or writing, or whatever you want to call it, about his upcoming shooting, is frightening in so many ways.
Yet somehow I can't stop thinking of Brad Pitt's character at the end of Se7en: "You're a movie of the week. You're a fucking t-shirt, at best." That's the case for this guy. A sad, clearly good-for-nothing "man," who, because he had no social skills or no wherewithal, decided because he could not get laid, he would shoot a bunch of women in a Latin dance class at an L.A. Fitness in a small town outside of Pittsburgh? Are you fucking serious?
I continued to be baffled why these things keep happening, and how they are allowed to happen, and unfortunately, that they will probably keep happening.
*
The above makes the whole Steve Fellner / Seth Abramson debate look like the size of a grain of sand, which is one of the reasons more people should be writing their own poems instead of starting all the debates and blog posts they've written in the last few days.
Stopping psychopaths from easily obtaining guns is much more important to me than caring about what ALC is charging to read a personal statement, which is one of the reasons why I decided not to waste my time commenting substantially on the situation.
*
And yes, switching gears, on a lighter note, I sent out my last batch of poems today before the move to 10 places. Oliver de la Paz sent an encouraging "Get it done now before you move" note on Facebook, and I decided to wise up, listen, and get them out.
If good things happen, awesome. If they're all rejections, at least the work, for now, is out there, along with many other submissions.
I'm officially stopping until at least halfway through September, I swear.
And that's not too far away.
*
The Lovely Bones trailer is up. I found it amazing that a novel that's been so popular as of late is actually very, very good. That's what happens in the age of Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult.
But it seems like it really can't miss.
Brian Eno score. Peter Jackson directed. A great supporting cast. Can it be sustained for 140 minutes? I hope so. I think so. I wish Ryan Gosling, who I think is an incredible actor, would've played the father, especially after Wahlberg's Titanic-sinking effort (can we call it that?) in The Happening, but alas.
So many good movies coming out from now until the end of the year.
Can't wait.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Flares
Upon reading "River Road" by Herbert Morris, I immediately went to Half.com and purchased his first three books, including shipping, for a total of $15.
I remember Wojahn in workshop talking about him once, and though I couldn't really get into What Was Lost, which I do own and am probably too young for it to really make an impact at this point, I need to take another crack at it, and there are other poems from AGNI you can find online by Herbert Morris also.
He was someone who I don't believe gave readings, and someone who didn't have a lot of biographical information floating around, which is both weird and admirable for the current times. He passed away in 2001.
I'm now ready to dive into his earlier work and climb up to What Was Lost.
*
About a year ago I caved and bought a Bose Sound Dock from Target for my IPod.
A few months ago the thing broke. Maybe it was a power surge, because I didn't drop it or spill anything on it. It still worked, technically, a few months ago, but there was this annoying, bass-like and pounding pulsation that clearly was due to some speaker or other part malfunction within the system.
Then about a month ago the thing collapsed to a low hum when plugged in, and I can't even charge my IPod on it, much less play a song.
I was smart, though, and basically got the 3-year Target warranty free, since it was $29 and I saved 10% with the Red Card, to only be used then and immediately shredded later.
I called a few days ago and got the return FedEx label today, so now I just have to figure out the specifics of all the confusion going on with the instructions. It's this kind of thing that makes me consider technical writing as a field that could really help folks who can actually read not take a ton of extra time to figure out the perplexing logic of some of these seemingly simple sentences.
Hopefully I can figure it out, send the thing back as they request, get a new one, and probably plug the thing into a surge protector, because I think it did indeed get fried from a power surge.
*
I lied about not sending out work until the fall.
I realized recently how many journals only take submissions from now until most other journals actually start accepting submissions for all their new reading periods, come September usually.
I have a handful of poems as ready as they're going to be, so I'm gearing up to submit.
Maybe something will slip through the cracks...
I remember Wojahn in workshop talking about him once, and though I couldn't really get into What Was Lost, which I do own and am probably too young for it to really make an impact at this point, I need to take another crack at it, and there are other poems from AGNI you can find online by Herbert Morris also.
He was someone who I don't believe gave readings, and someone who didn't have a lot of biographical information floating around, which is both weird and admirable for the current times. He passed away in 2001.
I'm now ready to dive into his earlier work and climb up to What Was Lost.
*
About a year ago I caved and bought a Bose Sound Dock from Target for my IPod.
A few months ago the thing broke. Maybe it was a power surge, because I didn't drop it or spill anything on it. It still worked, technically, a few months ago, but there was this annoying, bass-like and pounding pulsation that clearly was due to some speaker or other part malfunction within the system.
Then about a month ago the thing collapsed to a low hum when plugged in, and I can't even charge my IPod on it, much less play a song.
I was smart, though, and basically got the 3-year Target warranty free, since it was $29 and I saved 10% with the Red Card, to only be used then and immediately shredded later.
I called a few days ago and got the return FedEx label today, so now I just have to figure out the specifics of all the confusion going on with the instructions. It's this kind of thing that makes me consider technical writing as a field that could really help folks who can actually read not take a ton of extra time to figure out the perplexing logic of some of these seemingly simple sentences.
Hopefully I can figure it out, send the thing back as they request, get a new one, and probably plug the thing into a surge protector, because I think it did indeed get fried from a power surge.
*
I lied about not sending out work until the fall.
I realized recently how many journals only take submissions from now until most other journals actually start accepting submissions for all their new reading periods, come September usually.
I have a handful of poems as ready as they're going to be, so I'm gearing up to submit.
Maybe something will slip through the cracks...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Patience
Had a great time in Savannah, on Tybee Island, for Eric and Jenn's wedding.
There were family members there I haven't seen in a while, and there were pretty much no hitches. Overall it was a blast, but it went way too quickly, as good things often do.
Two brothers down. One to go.
Our official two-months-away mark is in six days.
*
This interview with David Wojahn from Gulf Coast has sparked some folks to comment, as Wojahn's words, rightfully, always do.
John Gallaher commented on it and got a whole mess of reply comments. It's interesting for me to see how many people love to fire back at Wojahn's words. I think the man's brilliant and would have preferred to learn from no other poet during my MFA years. Despite the fact that I busted my ass on Ghost Lights for the last few years, Wojahn had much to do with that as my former teacher. There's a reason so many younger poets who learned from him have books coming out maybe earlier than they should, me being one of them, and much of that has to do with his ability to make students—no matter what "school" they're writing from—work hard at perfecting where they want and need to go, not where he wants and needs to go.
That's a major difference from many other poet professors out there. Trust me on this.
But as far as the skittery poem and confessionalism and facile and trivial writing and younger poets wanting to stay away from confessionalism go, I think I'll save all my comments for the essays I'll be writing over the next four years at Binghamton, though I'm not sure these ideas will ever be within an essay.
*
I already got my TA assignment next year for Binghamton. As much as I'd be comfortable just being thrown into a composition course, I'll be TAing for a British Literature class, which meets on Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
I never had labs or anything like that in undergrad or for my MFA, but I guess I'm meeting with the students on Friday afternoon also to go over everything.
That said, it'll probably be nice to not be thrown into a composition course after trying to get used to a new place, new rules, a new school, etc.
I remember getting my TA assignment from VCU, however, about five days before classes began my first year, so it's nice to already know what's around the corner.
*
It's official: I sent my last batch of submissions out for the summer on April 28th. I have a ton of work out to a ton of places, all sent between February and April.
I hope that the rejections don't get lost since folks are slower over the summer at responding and we're moving soon.
Oh well.
And if there are anymore acceptances, I hope the editors use email.
*
Speaking of publications, on a weird note I just got a rejection from Front Porch. The thing is: they accepted poems a few months ago that are now published.
And then I checked the online submissions system, and sure enough, it says that they're declined.
A burp in the system, but one I thought was pretty funny, especially since this is the first time I've gotten accepted, published, and then rejected—all from the same batch. I don't think it happens often. Maybe I should buy some scratch-off tickets.
*
Watched a VHS screener of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh last night, and I have to say that it was pretty bad (though I do want to watch the proper DVD again to see Pittsburgh in its proper 2:35 nasty glory).
I'm all for the director / screenwriter taking liberties from the book. Look at how amazing The Shining is (and no, not the one with Steven Weber).
But Thurber just tried to do way too much with the characters, and much of it was flat all over the place. I agree with some of the reviews also about Peter Sarsgaard being typecast these days. He seems to be playing the same character in every movie.
Anyway, stick to the book instead, though the visuals are worth checking out. Then again, I'm more obsessed with cinematography mostly anyway, especially in bad movies.
*
I have a fear this summer's going to go faster than usual and it's going to completely pass me by.
I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen.
I have a lot of reading to do. Interviews to conduct. My own writing to attend to. My second manuscript to hopefully get close to finishing. Did I just say that? My aspirations are high. Why would anyone want theirs to be low? Plus, I said close to finishing...
I'm doing as much legwork as I can before our wedding, mostly for all things Binghamton (since the wedding's pretty much taken care of by now as far as dates and coordination and all of that).
Here's to productivity.
There were family members there I haven't seen in a while, and there were pretty much no hitches. Overall it was a blast, but it went way too quickly, as good things often do.
Two brothers down. One to go.
Our official two-months-away mark is in six days.
*
This interview with David Wojahn from Gulf Coast has sparked some folks to comment, as Wojahn's words, rightfully, always do.
John Gallaher commented on it and got a whole mess of reply comments. It's interesting for me to see how many people love to fire back at Wojahn's words. I think the man's brilliant and would have preferred to learn from no other poet during my MFA years. Despite the fact that I busted my ass on Ghost Lights for the last few years, Wojahn had much to do with that as my former teacher. There's a reason so many younger poets who learned from him have books coming out maybe earlier than they should, me being one of them, and much of that has to do with his ability to make students—no matter what "school" they're writing from—work hard at perfecting where they want and need to go, not where he wants and needs to go.
That's a major difference from many other poet professors out there. Trust me on this.
But as far as the skittery poem and confessionalism and facile and trivial writing and younger poets wanting to stay away from confessionalism go, I think I'll save all my comments for the essays I'll be writing over the next four years at Binghamton, though I'm not sure these ideas will ever be within an essay.
*
I already got my TA assignment next year for Binghamton. As much as I'd be comfortable just being thrown into a composition course, I'll be TAing for a British Literature class, which meets on Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
I never had labs or anything like that in undergrad or for my MFA, but I guess I'm meeting with the students on Friday afternoon also to go over everything.
That said, it'll probably be nice to not be thrown into a composition course after trying to get used to a new place, new rules, a new school, etc.
I remember getting my TA assignment from VCU, however, about five days before classes began my first year, so it's nice to already know what's around the corner.
*
It's official: I sent my last batch of submissions out for the summer on April 28th. I have a ton of work out to a ton of places, all sent between February and April.
I hope that the rejections don't get lost since folks are slower over the summer at responding and we're moving soon.
Oh well.
And if there are anymore acceptances, I hope the editors use email.
*
Speaking of publications, on a weird note I just got a rejection from Front Porch. The thing is: they accepted poems a few months ago that are now published.
And then I checked the online submissions system, and sure enough, it says that they're declined.
A burp in the system, but one I thought was pretty funny, especially since this is the first time I've gotten accepted, published, and then rejected—all from the same batch. I don't think it happens often. Maybe I should buy some scratch-off tickets.
*
Watched a VHS screener of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh last night, and I have to say that it was pretty bad (though I do want to watch the proper DVD again to see Pittsburgh in its proper 2:35 nasty glory).
I'm all for the director / screenwriter taking liberties from the book. Look at how amazing The Shining is (and no, not the one with Steven Weber).
But Thurber just tried to do way too much with the characters, and much of it was flat all over the place. I agree with some of the reviews also about Peter Sarsgaard being typecast these days. He seems to be playing the same character in every movie.
Anyway, stick to the book instead, though the visuals are worth checking out. Then again, I'm more obsessed with cinematography mostly anyway, especially in bad movies.
*
I have a fear this summer's going to go faster than usual and it's going to completely pass me by.
I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen.
I have a lot of reading to do. Interviews to conduct. My own writing to attend to. My second manuscript to hopefully get close to finishing. Did I just say that? My aspirations are high. Why would anyone want theirs to be low? Plus, I said close to finishing...
I'm doing as much legwork as I can before our wedding, mostly for all things Binghamton (since the wedding's pretty much taken care of by now as far as dates and coordination and all of that).
Here's to productivity.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
ACM Etc.
Got my contributor copies of Another Chicago Magazine the other day. I have to say that it was worth the wait. It's honestly one of the best designed journals I've ever seen, which is surprising initially because it seems so compact, which it is, if that makes sense. There's just a lot to look at too, including the art around all the reading. And there's a lot of good stuff so far. Mira Bartok's essay kicks it off amazingly well, and I'll be looking for her work wherever I can find it now. Another reason why journals are so damn good to keep reading all the time. Looking forward to reading what else is within the pages soon.
*
Right now there are only four journals who still have to publish poems from Ghost Lights (meaning the issues are still in the works for the printers), and I'm pretty sure by the fall all of the poems will be officially published and out in the world.
I'm pretty sure all the contracts were, "You retain rights after we publish the poem," but I'll probably shoot a mass email to the editors to see if I need to do anything else to have full rights to the poems. Hopefully I won't. Or should I even spend the time to go about something like this? Let me know, you folks with books...
*
I've written a good amount of poems I actually like over the past few weeks, so I decided to put what I hope will be the final push for poem submissions, mostly to journals who accept over the summer. Then again, I can probably get some work to journals who have either the end of April or May 1st as their final date for considering work.
*
Was said to see that Pebble Lake Review is going to go on hiatus after their next (online) issue. Amanda Auchter was the second editor to ever publish my work, and she actually solicited me, so it was a double confidence boost in that sense during my first MFA year.
Hopefully soon enough they can start it up again. There's been a lot of great work within those pages for years.
*
Downloading Nancy looks like it's either going to be awful or really good, with no in between. I get a little skeptical when I see something like, "This is the most controversial movie you'll see all year." I'm really not sure how many folks can make a more violent and compelling movie than Irréversible, which deserves the tag line "controversial," but does so much more in so many ways. We'll see.
*
Right now there are only four journals who still have to publish poems from Ghost Lights (meaning the issues are still in the works for the printers), and I'm pretty sure by the fall all of the poems will be officially published and out in the world.
I'm pretty sure all the contracts were, "You retain rights after we publish the poem," but I'll probably shoot a mass email to the editors to see if I need to do anything else to have full rights to the poems. Hopefully I won't. Or should I even spend the time to go about something like this? Let me know, you folks with books...
*
I've written a good amount of poems I actually like over the past few weeks, so I decided to put what I hope will be the final push for poem submissions, mostly to journals who accept over the summer. Then again, I can probably get some work to journals who have either the end of April or May 1st as their final date for considering work.
*
Was said to see that Pebble Lake Review is going to go on hiatus after their next (online) issue. Amanda Auchter was the second editor to ever publish my work, and she actually solicited me, so it was a double confidence boost in that sense during my first MFA year.
Hopefully soon enough they can start it up again. There's been a lot of great work within those pages for years.
*
Downloading Nancy looks like it's either going to be awful or really good, with no in between. I get a little skeptical when I see something like, "This is the most controversial movie you'll see all year." I'm really not sure how many folks can make a more violent and compelling movie than Irréversible, which deserves the tag line "controversial," but does so much more in so many ways. We'll see.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Decisions
So there's a bit of an update with the Ph.D stuff I suppose. After talking to the Graduate Director at Binghamton, apparently I have a (seemingly much better than usual, at least from what I can gather, which is nice) stipend for four years, out-of-state tuition taken care of for the first year, and in-state tuition taken care of for years two through four as long as I'm a New York resident.
The only thing is I haven't received anything official yet in the mail, as I've just been trading emails with the Graduate Director. So before I think about making any decision, I certainly need to see that stuff, all the paperwork etc. Especially since Nebraska sent me a huge packet of materials while also saying, "We can't give you a TA because they've been offered to everyone, but we still want you to come."
So I've been weighing Binghamton versus Oklahoma State now. I've been in touch with a few folks from Binghamton as of late, and I'm trying to keep the ball rolling and contact more folks as the weeks go on before April 15th.
But let it be known (like you really care) that I'm really considering Binghamton at this point also, now that I know the deal.
I'll let everyone know (like you really care) my final decision once the papers are signed and we're ready to start thinking about what lies ahead in our future planning.
*
I think Jess and I are both looking forward to getting out of Richmond and continuing our lives, not so much because of the city, which we both love, but because both of our jobs need to be over with at this point.
I've seen too many of my friends end up scratching together teaching jobs for peanuts and then becoming bartenders on the side. If folks can do that, more power to them. But I never want to succumb to that.
I got screwed this semester by VCU giving me only one class, and I'm still not sure why, since pretty much everyone else who I graduated with who became an adjunct got at least two. And yes, my evaluations were always stellar, quite honestly.
So I had to find another job, which has been alright at times, but it's also been soul-sucking, which regular jobs usually are, and I don't care what anyone says about that. I'm fine paying my dues, but I don't know what I would do if I had to do it for another year.
This is pretty much the perfect time to sew what we need to sew and get the hell out of here and on to bigger and better things.
We both said we could certainly see ourselves in Richmond again, because we did fall in love with the city. But for now, it's time to move on.
*
On a maybe odd note about publication, I want to thank Kyle at Blue Mesa Review for letting me kind of overhaul a poem before its publication in the next issue.
Because I know we as submitters can be a pain in the ass with such inquiries, I told him if he wanted the poem in the form he accepted, that was fine. But he let me send him the revised version, and we both agreed it was better.
The poem was one that needed to be overhauled, one that I sent out probably a bit too early for consideration, and one that I thought—after about a month or so of it being out in the world—that no one would take.
I'm glad he did take it, though, since I brought new life into it and made it into something that I'm proud of.
But yes, as submitters, we need to respect the editors more often without all these questions and inquiries into changing the poems we sent originally. I think that's important to know when you send out to journals. After all, if it ever becomes a part of a larger project, you can always change things around then if you feel the need to do so.
*
And again, speaking of publication, though I sent out to more journals about two weeks ago, I realized—after writing a few poems in the last two weeks and revising them like mad—that I should get together one big push of submissions before many journals stop reading for the spring and summer.
I'm also worried about the address change that will be happening in August, wherever we are. This way the rejections can get here faster so I can add those journals' names again to the future submissions list.
I like these poems a lot, though, which makes me nervous. Usually those are the batches where I strike out. We'll see.
*
And I've decided to go full on with full-length manuscript number two. Even if I sent it out right now as a chapbook and it miraculously won something or a press wanted to publish it, I feel like it's completely unfinished, that it is truly halfway toward another full-length manuscript.
It seems like a Richmond manuscript, one I may madly try and finish by the time we move, or try to at least get 40-50 pages worth of poems that fit within the bookends.
I'm already seeing interesting threads and a kind of arc that I could be completely wrong about. But while I have no eyes on it at this point, and no true expectations, I figure why not dive in, write my ass off, and see what I have at the end of the summer.
*
The only thing is I haven't received anything official yet in the mail, as I've just been trading emails with the Graduate Director. So before I think about making any decision, I certainly need to see that stuff, all the paperwork etc. Especially since Nebraska sent me a huge packet of materials while also saying, "We can't give you a TA because they've been offered to everyone, but we still want you to come."
So I've been weighing Binghamton versus Oklahoma State now. I've been in touch with a few folks from Binghamton as of late, and I'm trying to keep the ball rolling and contact more folks as the weeks go on before April 15th.
But let it be known (like you really care) that I'm really considering Binghamton at this point also, now that I know the deal.
I'll let everyone know (like you really care) my final decision once the papers are signed and we're ready to start thinking about what lies ahead in our future planning.
*
I think Jess and I are both looking forward to getting out of Richmond and continuing our lives, not so much because of the city, which we both love, but because both of our jobs need to be over with at this point.
I've seen too many of my friends end up scratching together teaching jobs for peanuts and then becoming bartenders on the side. If folks can do that, more power to them. But I never want to succumb to that.
I got screwed this semester by VCU giving me only one class, and I'm still not sure why, since pretty much everyone else who I graduated with who became an adjunct got at least two. And yes, my evaluations were always stellar, quite honestly.
So I had to find another job, which has been alright at times, but it's also been soul-sucking, which regular jobs usually are, and I don't care what anyone says about that. I'm fine paying my dues, but I don't know what I would do if I had to do it for another year.
This is pretty much the perfect time to sew what we need to sew and get the hell out of here and on to bigger and better things.
We both said we could certainly see ourselves in Richmond again, because we did fall in love with the city. But for now, it's time to move on.
*
On a maybe odd note about publication, I want to thank Kyle at Blue Mesa Review for letting me kind of overhaul a poem before its publication in the next issue.
Because I know we as submitters can be a pain in the ass with such inquiries, I told him if he wanted the poem in the form he accepted, that was fine. But he let me send him the revised version, and we both agreed it was better.
The poem was one that needed to be overhauled, one that I sent out probably a bit too early for consideration, and one that I thought—after about a month or so of it being out in the world—that no one would take.
I'm glad he did take it, though, since I brought new life into it and made it into something that I'm proud of.
But yes, as submitters, we need to respect the editors more often without all these questions and inquiries into changing the poems we sent originally. I think that's important to know when you send out to journals. After all, if it ever becomes a part of a larger project, you can always change things around then if you feel the need to do so.
*
And again, speaking of publication, though I sent out to more journals about two weeks ago, I realized—after writing a few poems in the last two weeks and revising them like mad—that I should get together one big push of submissions before many journals stop reading for the spring and summer.
I'm also worried about the address change that will be happening in August, wherever we are. This way the rejections can get here faster so I can add those journals' names again to the future submissions list.
I like these poems a lot, though, which makes me nervous. Usually those are the batches where I strike out. We'll see.
*
And I've decided to go full on with full-length manuscript number two. Even if I sent it out right now as a chapbook and it miraculously won something or a press wanted to publish it, I feel like it's completely unfinished, that it is truly halfway toward another full-length manuscript.
It seems like a Richmond manuscript, one I may madly try and finish by the time we move, or try to at least get 40-50 pages worth of poems that fit within the bookends.
I'm already seeing interesting threads and a kind of arc that I could be completely wrong about. But while I have no eyes on it at this point, and no true expectations, I figure why not dive in, write my ass off, and see what I have at the end of the summer.
*
Have you seen the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are? It looks like one of those movies that has the potential to be mind-blowing. With Lance Acord lensing, the visuals already look incredible in just the span of the trailer. The imagination of Spike Jonze surely will add to it also. It'll depend on the script, but I have high hopes for it.
Not to mention The Limits of Control, the new Jim Jarmusch movie, which I have no doubt will be amazing. I had no idea he was doing a new one since Broken Flowers. Not sure how I didn't know, but now I do, and I'm pretty excited about this one too.
Not to mention The Limits of Control, the new Jim Jarmusch movie, which I have no doubt will be amazing. I had no idea he was doing a new one since Broken Flowers. Not sure how I didn't know, but now I do, and I'm pretty excited about this one too.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Then
Just got my contributor copy of Lake Effect in the mail. Digging the skeletal cover.
Included within the pages: Nin Andrews, Blake Butler (let's hope it's not the last one), Michael Czyniejewski, Eugene Gloria, Tony Hoagland, Al Maginnes, Joshua Ware, and of course many others. The link above will take you to the complete table of contents.
*
I spent most of the afternoon sending out some submissions for an attempted big push before spring gets here.
I had two longer new ones from the last month or so, in addition to some others I still really like, so I figured they could use some editor eyes on them.
Since May's usually the cutoff before many journals stop reading for the summer, I'll see what I can do in the next two months, especially since the summer's going to be busier than usual for me. If poems come and I can get another one ready, I will. If not, I'll save it up for next fall, when Jess and I will be in a different place, in a different state.
*
Speaking of writing newer poems, I've decided to ditch this chapbook idea and kind of put the "working on my second manuscript" tag on the current incarnation.
I have 25 pages of actual poetry written, which was the chapbook. But I just don't even like the idea of a chapbook anymore. I don't want to short change myself, and it's also an excuse to write more poems, to see what I can do with all these new pieces that are coming onto the page.
Even if I'm fooling myself into thinking this may be a second manuscript, if it gets me writing, I can't ask for anything more.
Included within the pages: Nin Andrews, Blake Butler (let's hope it's not the last one), Michael Czyniejewski, Eugene Gloria, Tony Hoagland, Al Maginnes, Joshua Ware, and of course many others. The link above will take you to the complete table of contents.
*
I spent most of the afternoon sending out some submissions for an attempted big push before spring gets here.
I had two longer new ones from the last month or so, in addition to some others I still really like, so I figured they could use some editor eyes on them.
Since May's usually the cutoff before many journals stop reading for the summer, I'll see what I can do in the next two months, especially since the summer's going to be busier than usual for me. If poems come and I can get another one ready, I will. If not, I'll save it up for next fall, when Jess and I will be in a different place, in a different state.
*
Speaking of writing newer poems, I've decided to ditch this chapbook idea and kind of put the "working on my second manuscript" tag on the current incarnation.
I have 25 pages of actual poetry written, which was the chapbook. But I just don't even like the idea of a chapbook anymore. I don't want to short change myself, and it's also an excuse to write more poems, to see what I can do with all these new pieces that are coming onto the page.
Even if I'm fooling myself into thinking this may be a second manuscript, if it gets me writing, I can't ask for anything more.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Giants are 10-1
In the past few days I got my contributor copies of Third Coast, American Poetry Journal, and Flyway. I forgot that's usually what happens in the later part of the fall or early winter. Not only that, but I think the subscribers are the folks who get theirs first, and then the contributor copies are sent out, which is something I need to remember.
Third Coast, as always, looks great and includes a great line-up of writers.
American Poetry Journal also looks great and includes a great line-up of writers.
In both of the aforementioned journals, Nick Courtright also has poems. Not only have we been in the same journals together, but a lot of the same issues in the past year or so. I told him I'm going to immediately send to every journal who accepts his work because of this previously unknown fact. Though I'm sure now that I actually know this, the rejections would come on full force. The poetry publishing world seems to be like that much of the time.
And Flyway, which seems to be a combination of I think three issues, oddly enough, almost looks as thick as Gulf Coast, but I don't think it's quite there yet. What I like about Flyway that I didn't know about the issue until I got it was, like Black Warrior Review, there's also a chapbook at the end of the issue, on different paper, which was a cool added bonus.
And Flyway sent two copies instead of one, which was great.
Hopefully I should be getting more contributor copies soon, and then I'll be reading over the holidays to catch up on everything I should be reading while I'm not.
Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's been over a year for some of these acceptances. It seems like just yesterday. And after the fact, the writers have it easy. Sometimes I don't think about all the hard work that goes into producing these issues, when you consider every aspect before it hits the printers, and in some cases, how many people have to work together to make it happen.
*
I've said it before, but this has been one of the best years for ambient music in a while. Though that term is used broadly, I can't get into a lot of the more raucous and / or glitchy noise stuff, or haven't listened to anything that would bring repeated listens. That said, my definition of ambience is a bit different than other folks I suppose. And then what's the fine line with some of these ambient musicians and IDM or post rock? As long as it sounds good, I really don't care.
At any rate, the new Fennesz record, Black Sea, has been growing on me with every listen. I think it's his best solo work to date. There's plenty of glitch and atmosphere, but there seems to be more focus on the melodies, even if they're buried between weird guitar and computer manipulated sounds. A lot to discover with every listen. And as Venice seemed to be a summer record, Black Sea certainly seems right for the winter dreariness.
I'll probably have a separate best-of year-end list just for ambient / instrumental records, in addition to the regular list.
That's how good the year's been.
Speaking of, how about those G-MEN?
Playoffs? Certainly.
Anything more? We'll have to see what happens down the stretch...
Third Coast, as always, looks great and includes a great line-up of writers.
American Poetry Journal also looks great and includes a great line-up of writers.
In both of the aforementioned journals, Nick Courtright also has poems. Not only have we been in the same journals together, but a lot of the same issues in the past year or so. I told him I'm going to immediately send to every journal who accepts his work because of this previously unknown fact. Though I'm sure now that I actually know this, the rejections would come on full force. The poetry publishing world seems to be like that much of the time.
And Flyway, which seems to be a combination of I think three issues, oddly enough, almost looks as thick as Gulf Coast, but I don't think it's quite there yet. What I like about Flyway that I didn't know about the issue until I got it was, like Black Warrior Review, there's also a chapbook at the end of the issue, on different paper, which was a cool added bonus.
And Flyway sent two copies instead of one, which was great.
Hopefully I should be getting more contributor copies soon, and then I'll be reading over the holidays to catch up on everything I should be reading while I'm not.
Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's been over a year for some of these acceptances. It seems like just yesterday. And after the fact, the writers have it easy. Sometimes I don't think about all the hard work that goes into producing these issues, when you consider every aspect before it hits the printers, and in some cases, how many people have to work together to make it happen.
*
I've said it before, but this has been one of the best years for ambient music in a while. Though that term is used broadly, I can't get into a lot of the more raucous and / or glitchy noise stuff, or haven't listened to anything that would bring repeated listens. That said, my definition of ambience is a bit different than other folks I suppose. And then what's the fine line with some of these ambient musicians and IDM or post rock? As long as it sounds good, I really don't care.
At any rate, the new Fennesz record, Black Sea, has been growing on me with every listen. I think it's his best solo work to date. There's plenty of glitch and atmosphere, but there seems to be more focus on the melodies, even if they're buried between weird guitar and computer manipulated sounds. A lot to discover with every listen. And as Venice seemed to be a summer record, Black Sea certainly seems right for the winter dreariness.
I'll probably have a separate best-of year-end list just for ambient / instrumental records, in addition to the regular list.
That's how good the year's been.
Speaking of, how about those G-MEN?
Playoffs? Certainly.
Anything more? We'll have to see what happens down the stretch...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Another Post About Submissions and Journals
When I was looking through my poems I was working on the other day, I thought to myself, "I think these are good enough to gather into a batch to get out into the world." Clearly I could be wrong, and I could get all rejections back, and if that happens, I'm fine with it. I would be anyway, but it makes it easier to be fine with it when so many journals now are utilizing the online submissions manager.
Print journals. Magazines. Online Journals. Everyone.
It makes it so much easier on the folks submitting. Of the aforementioned batch, every submission was to a place -- some print, some online -- that either accepted email submissions or uses the online submissions manager. I didn't have to go to the post office. I didn't have to spend any money.
Think about it. If you send a batch of poems out to ten journals that accept simultaneous submissions -- as I do, and have yet to really hit places that don't accept simultaneous submissions because I don't trust their response time (meaning it's a lot easier to accept a form rejection when you know it's at more than just one place) and want to follow their rules -- it can add up.
SASE stamp costs: $4.20
Business-sized or 8 1/2 x 11 mailer (benefit of the doubt at $.75 cents to mail): $7.50
Basically it's going to be at least $10, or around $1 per submission with the SASE, which isn't a lot, but over time it can add up, not to mention all the ink and paper costs, which, again, add up.
Journals are making it easy on us. Easy to know when the rejection comes, since I think it probably hits the in box right when they reject it. Easy to upload. Everything about it's easy.
There are some things that need to be tweaked, yes, like being able to withdraw one poem in house, rather than the whole submission, which has happened to me before. You can always email each place and let them know if something's taken, but again, it would be easier for them so upon looking at the submission again you could see what's available and what's not. And Fence actually has you upload one poem at a time, which doesn't take too much extra time and does make it easier to click any poems that have been accepted elsewhere.
Gary had a post about this (about halfway down), and I think literally, if you had a batch of five poems, it was November 1st (a good bet that almost all the journals are taking submissions, but not a guarantee), and you wanted to send to 50 places -- online and print -- that accept email submissions or use the online submissions manager, you could. I'm not making a list, as you should start to make your own if you submit yourself (though Gary has a good one started), but it's just so nice to know these things. And it seems every month a journal that I really like and really want to get into starts up the submissions manager or now accepts emailed submissions.
Clearly I get very excited about the little things. But that's cool with me.
Print journals. Magazines. Online Journals. Everyone.
It makes it so much easier on the folks submitting. Of the aforementioned batch, every submission was to a place -- some print, some online -- that either accepted email submissions or uses the online submissions manager. I didn't have to go to the post office. I didn't have to spend any money.
Think about it. If you send a batch of poems out to ten journals that accept simultaneous submissions -- as I do, and have yet to really hit places that don't accept simultaneous submissions because I don't trust their response time (meaning it's a lot easier to accept a form rejection when you know it's at more than just one place) and want to follow their rules -- it can add up.
SASE stamp costs: $4.20
Business-sized or 8 1/2 x 11 mailer (benefit of the doubt at $.75 cents to mail): $7.50
Basically it's going to be at least $10, or around $1 per submission with the SASE, which isn't a lot, but over time it can add up, not to mention all the ink and paper costs, which, again, add up.
Journals are making it easy on us. Easy to know when the rejection comes, since I think it probably hits the in box right when they reject it. Easy to upload. Everything about it's easy.
There are some things that need to be tweaked, yes, like being able to withdraw one poem in house, rather than the whole submission, which has happened to me before. You can always email each place and let them know if something's taken, but again, it would be easier for them so upon looking at the submission again you could see what's available and what's not. And Fence actually has you upload one poem at a time, which doesn't take too much extra time and does make it easier to click any poems that have been accepted elsewhere.
Gary had a post about this (about halfway down), and I think literally, if you had a batch of five poems, it was November 1st (a good bet that almost all the journals are taking submissions, but not a guarantee), and you wanted to send to 50 places -- online and print -- that accept email submissions or use the online submissions manager, you could. I'm not making a list, as you should start to make your own if you submit yourself (though Gary has a good one started), but it's just so nice to know these things. And it seems every month a journal that I really like and really want to get into starts up the submissions manager or now accepts emailed submissions.
Clearly I get very excited about the little things. But that's cool with me.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Rumi Nation
I'm not really responding to this post by Nick Courtright directly, but it's certainly worth reading, and I suppose has to do somewhat with the semblance of a post I'm writing now.
Because yes, folks, it's that time again. Submission time.
I feel like I have about 6 poems ready to be out in the world. Usually my date is October 31st for the fall. With the exception of very few journals, that's usually a safe date to get your work out there. That said, I started thinking about waiting, and it seemed a bit ridiculous, especially when I have a batch that I think is ready to go out. And many journals are reading starting September 1st. Agni, Bat City Review, Puerto del Sol, and West Branch are even switching to online submission systems (the infamous Devin Emke one that everyone is using, if they're not just accepting .doc or .rtf files via email), which is great, and which I just found out yesterday. I imagine that trend probably helps journals get more and more shitty work that isn't even close to publishable ("It's free, why not?"), but then again, it probably encourages folks who are writing good stuff to go ahead instead of being lazy, which we can all be, especially since stuffing envelopes isn't the most fun thing out there.
When I send stuff out I'm always inspired to write new stuff. I may still be tinkering with them... oh no, did I just say that? "How dare you send stuff out and still work on the poems." Pretty sure everyone does it, so I got over that a while ago, especially if you're just tinkering with the mostly meaningless things. If you're changing whole stanzas or endings, maybe you shouldn't be sending your work out.
And yes, who knows if anyone will ever want "Ghost Lights," but as I said, 37 of the 39 poems are published, which means at the very least, those aren't going out anymore. It may be a fat stack of papers as just a manuscript, sitting in my desk forever or as a file on my computer, but at least I don't have to make batches of poems that have already been rejected by many places. I should mention that I don't give up on my work either, as far as trying to publish. My thing is if it's a good poem, it'll find a home. If you want to give up on your work or be lazy, that leaves more room for my work. No, I'm not obsessed with publishing. Yes, when poems are ready to go out, I send them out. Make of that what you will.
See the posts below about Stacey Lynn Brown's debacle with her book, which has also spurred many of us to really consider all the issues, especially those of us with first books we're "shopping around," since that's essentially what we're all doing by sending to contests. Open reading periods? Starting your own presses? Reb has a good response to everything (post on 8/25/08), full of thoughtful things to say, from someone who has a lot of experience on where she's coming from. But then again, I wonder why Cider Press Review even started, how and why. Maybe they felt the same way, but decided to do a fair contest system, or something like that. Who knows?
Either way, there's been a lot to think about lately with people finding out about this. Maybe it'll die its little poetry death soon enough, but I hope people are paying attention, as much as they can, for reasons I'm not sure of yet.
I don't really know where this post was meant to go, but I don't really feel like deleting it. So be it.
Because yes, folks, it's that time again. Submission time.
I feel like I have about 6 poems ready to be out in the world. Usually my date is October 31st for the fall. With the exception of very few journals, that's usually a safe date to get your work out there. That said, I started thinking about waiting, and it seemed a bit ridiculous, especially when I have a batch that I think is ready to go out. And many journals are reading starting September 1st. Agni, Bat City Review, Puerto del Sol, and West Branch are even switching to online submission systems (the infamous Devin Emke one that everyone is using, if they're not just accepting .doc or .rtf files via email), which is great, and which I just found out yesterday. I imagine that trend probably helps journals get more and more shitty work that isn't even close to publishable ("It's free, why not?"), but then again, it probably encourages folks who are writing good stuff to go ahead instead of being lazy, which we can all be, especially since stuffing envelopes isn't the most fun thing out there.
When I send stuff out I'm always inspired to write new stuff. I may still be tinkering with them... oh no, did I just say that? "How dare you send stuff out and still work on the poems." Pretty sure everyone does it, so I got over that a while ago, especially if you're just tinkering with the mostly meaningless things. If you're changing whole stanzas or endings, maybe you shouldn't be sending your work out.
And yes, who knows if anyone will ever want "Ghost Lights," but as I said, 37 of the 39 poems are published, which means at the very least, those aren't going out anymore. It may be a fat stack of papers as just a manuscript, sitting in my desk forever or as a file on my computer, but at least I don't have to make batches of poems that have already been rejected by many places. I should mention that I don't give up on my work either, as far as trying to publish. My thing is if it's a good poem, it'll find a home. If you want to give up on your work or be lazy, that leaves more room for my work. No, I'm not obsessed with publishing. Yes, when poems are ready to go out, I send them out. Make of that what you will.
See the posts below about Stacey Lynn Brown's debacle with her book, which has also spurred many of us to really consider all the issues, especially those of us with first books we're "shopping around," since that's essentially what we're all doing by sending to contests. Open reading periods? Starting your own presses? Reb has a good response to everything (post on 8/25/08), full of thoughtful things to say, from someone who has a lot of experience on where she's coming from. But then again, I wonder why Cider Press Review even started, how and why. Maybe they felt the same way, but decided to do a fair contest system, or something like that. Who knows?
Either way, there's been a lot to think about lately with people finding out about this. Maybe it'll die its little poetry death soon enough, but I hope people are paying attention, as much as they can, for reasons I'm not sure of yet.
I don't really know where this post was meant to go, but I don't really feel like deleting it. So be it.
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