Dreaming in Iambic Pentameter

Tomorrow at 6.30 a.m. Becky and I leave for Michigan State University, where she will be competing with her 7th Grade Talented and Gifted team in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals.

Leaving my life for five days, even with one child in tow, is clearly a hugely stressful undertaking, and planning for it has been time-consuming, so I apologize to anyone who is overdue a response on a TBM submission. (Q and I are relatively up to date on TRR.) Oh, and somewhat belatedly, the new issue of TRR is out!!

I have also now taught two of my three workshops at the Elizabeth Haddon school. The kids are adorable–one little boy ran over to me from the swing set today as I was leaving just to give me a hug–although today I really earned my money: I was ad-hoc’ing limericks on my knees on asphalt using 3d sidewalk chalk for almost an hour!

Actually I’d like to get in a quick call for submissions while I’m still on the clock, as it were. And by submissions, I mean quality submissions, please! We’re still getting as many actual submissions as ever–we’ve received over 600 poems so far this reading period. Unfortunately, most of them have been terrible and/or in free verse. Sigh! On the plus side, now I have my wonderful Assistant Editor, I don’t have to read all of them. On the negative side, the only way I can put together a high quality journal is if I get high quality poems! Look, people, I know how hard it is to get formal poetry published, so I know all you formalists out there are sitting on a bunch of unpublished metrical verse. Send some of it our way, please! (And remember: editors often choose the poems YOU like the least…) (more…)

Today is TRR day. I’ve caught up on correspondence and subs and updated the website. Of course, I really need to write the editorial and consider the questions for an upcoming interview feature, but I don’t really have time for either of those before the kids get home so I WILL blog!

For my local readers, I’d like to draw attention to the new Medford Arts Center, which I toured on Tuesday. I’ve been advising the Medford Cultural Arts Commission on their Literary Program since last Fall, and in June the Commission opened the new Arts Center, conveniently located on Medford High St. Plans are afoot to began a Reading Series and put together a schedule of workshops and seminars for 2010. But for now, Burlington County residents might be interested to learn that the MCAC is sponsoring a local poetry contest for the second year running. Entry is free for up to 3 poems–simply visit the Medford Township website and download the entry form. (Please note: I will be judging, so please do NOT enter if you are a close personal friend or previous student of mine.) (more…)

According to my new schedule, Tuesday afternoon is my day to work on the Barefoot Muse. So, I have caught up on submissions (a much easier job now I have my wonderful Assistant Editor, Nick Friedman) and added a new page to the website on which I will list all copies of books received for review. (There were two in the rather full Post Office box when I swung by last week.)

New rule: on days when my allotted task does not fill the time I have available before the kids get home from school, I WILL blog! (more…)

…but no Swine Flu, thank goodness! It was all just a tempest in an espresso cup, much as I predicted.

Paul Stevens’ latest editorial achievement, The Flea, is now online–worth perusing as much for the idiosyncratic house style as for the excellent poetry contained within by such luminaries as Rhina Espaillat, Rose Kelleher, Tim Murphy, and, of course, yours truly.

As a not particularly reformed Trekkie I can’t find enough good things to say about the new Star Trek Movie. Chris Pine is perfect as a James T. Kirk who is different from the original in ways that the plot justifies completely, and Simon Pegg brings a new feistiness to a faithful interpretation of Scottie. Go see it!

I am 75% of the way through my draft Emily Bronte essay for West Chester, which means I have covered her life and discussed one of her trademark poems, with one more to go.

The submission deadline of May 15th is coming up for the June 1st issue of The Barefoot Muse. I have read 720 poems so far for this issue, and have accepted 6 with 20 on hold. Meanwhile the June issue of The Raintown Review is in production, and we are reading for the Winter issue.

Busy, busy. Don’t close the school on me again, please!

I promised my friend Rachel that I would update this blog tonight, and I find time running away from me as usual, so it’s going to be a quick one, bullet pointed for maximum streamlining.

• Rachel is running a really cool photo theme on her blog for every day of National Poetry Month. Yesterday it was me (I’m the neck…)
• Yesterday was also the Schuykill Valley Journal New Issue Launch party, and I delivered a condensed version of my essay on formal poetry from it, which went down well (although how some poets at these things develop the monster egos which permit them to take up over double their allotted time, I really don’t know.)
• I’m 6 for 6 on the poem a day (though a couple of them REALLY suck.)
• We leave for a visit back to the UK tomorrow! Or at least I hope we do–my US passport has not arrived so I am going to have to wing it on my British one…
• And finally a big thank you to Waccamaw for taking my poem “Cornered!”

Regular readers will be familiar with these thumbnail sketches of my daughters: Becky, fearless eleven year old Level 8 Competitive Gymnast, and Lorna, gentle nine year old Girl Scout. Which of these two would you think would be the most likely to fracture a wrist? Me too!

However on Tuesday night, little Lornie was ill-advisedly standing on a child’s plastic chair in her bedroom, in order to reach something on the top shelf in her closet, when it gave way beneath her. When I reached the shrieking child, she was cradling her left wrist in a nest of plastic shards. We weren’t initially sure it was broken (and she did NOT want to go to the ER, which was handy, because Becky was AT gymnastics, and Mr E. currently away on business) so we bound it with Becky’s Gymnastics tape and I gave her some Moitrin.

Next morning it was swollen, necessitating a trip to the Pediatrician’s, followed by an X Ray (hairline fracture), followed by a visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon, where she acquired a pretty bright pink cast that will need to stay on for 4 weeks. Ah well!

In unrelated, but clearly more welcome, news, 32 Poems have accepted “Anchors.” Just when I was bemoaning the impossibility of escaping the formalist ghetto! Of course, Editor John Poch is no enemy of form, and 32 Poems have published plenty of poems with formal leanings (”Anchors” is a Lowellian blank verse sonnet with a final rhyming couplet), but it’s still a mainstream journal (and one with a excellent–and well-deserved–reputation) so I’m happy!

Well, that was a great way to spend four days!

Not only did I get to hang out with literary people, listen to invigorating panels and inspiring readings, and spend quality time with my husband, but I also managed to visit a new city (Chicago) in a state, nay a whole region of the US, that I had previously only known from literature–a fitting juxtaposition.

A few highlights: the panel on Multiformalism with Annie Finch, where violence was invoked so often as a metaphor it almost seemed as if audience and panel members were about to come to blows; the reading by Mary Jo Bang (whose beautiful book Elegy I had finished only days before) and Frank Bidart; the West Chester reading, where I had the opportunity to chat with Director Mike Peich and broach my idea for a panel in 2010; the Tribute to Gwendolyn Brooks; the VIP party Major Jackson snuck us into, where I hung out (a little) with Kim Addonizio; the Tribute to Jason Shinder, which was unexpectedly uplifting.

Shout out to: my Bennington buddies both from my own graduating class (Maureen D., Susan M-S., Laura N., Jenn S-K., David S., Shubha) and from other classes (Amy J., Leigh J., Ralph., Ann., Jan., Dara-Lyn, Did I miss anyone?) and of course faculty etc. (Victoria and Elaine); my Bread Loaf buddies (Dan–sorry we didn’t manage more than a quick hello, Steve W.) and other people I’d known previously either online or from other events (Tess T., Dick A.–get yourself that Facebook profile!) Also, once again to Rachel and Donna for moving into my house and providing onsite child and dog care for the four day period.

Things I’m Glad I Did: left the conference to actually see a bit of Chi-town, for which I have to thank my husband, whose patience for literary gatherings could only go so far. The view of Lake Michigan from the 96th Floor Lounge of the Hancock Tower was breathtaking, and Jilly’s Piano Bar fun-fun-fun!

Things I’d Do Differently: walk around the Book Fair earlier and for longer–I didn’t get there until Saturday afternoon by which time many exhibitors had packed up; not go to so many panels on electronic publishing–they really didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know.

Future Plans: AWP 2010 for sure! I don’t think I’ll get a table for The Raintown Review, but I would like to come up with an idea for a Panel that will promote Raintown, plus there’s a bunch of literary websites and journals I need to look up.

First though: LAUNDRY!!