Publications: Poetrypalooza

I know I'm probably not the only writer to do this, but I go through phases of both writing and submitting.  Sometimes all I want to do is buckle down and get rid of all the stories bouncing around in my head, so submitting falls to the back burner.  Sometimes it's the opposite - I realize I haven't had any publications come out in a while and I have a stockpile of unpubbed works cluttering up my computer, so I'll go on a submitting kick.

I'm in phase # 2 right now - submitting - and my focus has been poetry.  Partly, I have my friend and fellow poet Ed to thank for that - I'm currently working on getting his poetry book Irregular Images to publication in time for April poetry month, so I've spent a lot of time reading and formatting poems recently.  It inspired me to sub a few of my own, with no little success.

I had two poems published in the online magazine Down in the Dirt last week: "Shared," inspired by my lovely mother-in-law who has always been a wonderfully positive influence in my life, and "Sphinxes and Daughters."  I'm also pleased to say that both poems will be appearing in the print issue of Down in the Dirt in November/December this year.

I also had 4 poems published in Literary Yard today: "Morning Mantras," inspired by my time living in Brooklyn and taking the train to work into New York City, "Grandmother's Words," inspired by my dad's mom who, no joke, published her debut novel at age 90, "A Warning to Prometheus," and "Beyond."

Last but not least, my poem "lemures" will be published in Plum Tree Tavern in a few weeks.  I wrote it after listening to the wonderful stories and seeing the amazing photographs taken by my sister Genever after she spent 8 months in Madagascar studying and photographing lemurs.

So most of my successes recently I will lay at the feet of my amazing family, who continues to inspire my creativity.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.  Love you all!