“Birds of a Feather” Podcast by Nosleep!

I am thrilled that my story, “Birds of a Feather,” first published in Tales from the Canyons of the Damned 27, has been podcast by Nosleep Podcast! It is in a podcast called “Suddenly Shocking, Volume 9,” which is only available to Season 11 subscribers, but then Season 11 is available on the Nosleep website for a mere $19.99. For that price, you get a ton of stories, and your money goes to support the authors, voice actors, and other elements of Nosleep‘s fantastic production values.

I liked my story before, but the dark intro, voice acting, sound effects, music, and even cover art for Volume 9 all add immeasurably to the original written piece. It is exciting to hear it in this medium, and I can’t wait to hear all the other stories, too. So if you are at all horrifically inclined, check out Nosleep. I can’t guarantee you’ll be glad you did, but your nightmares should be vivid and interesting.  

 

Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Coriolan, Harpie. Monstrorum historia d’Ulisse Androvandi, p. 337, 1642. Wikimedia Commons.  PD.

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Pushcart Prize Nomination!

Unattended pushcart advertising “frankfurts” with sauerkraut or onions, ice-cold soft drinks, and pies for 5 cents on a rain-soaked wharf

If you remember, my poem, “Etheree for Heather Heyer,” was accepted by Poetry South and will be out this month.

I am still reeling from the news that Poetry South has nominated me, along with five other poets, for a Pushcart Prize! This is the first time I have been nominated, and I am deeply grateful. The murder of Heather Heyer,  who was extraordinary yet unassuming in her kindness, is tragic both in itself and when viewed as a synecdoche for all the needless suffering under our country’s current regime. I hope this recognition of my small tribute will lead to a few more people reading it, and perhaps feeling afresh all we have lost.

 

Photo credit: Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Overseas Operations Branch. New York Office. News and Features Bureau. Picture Division. Exhibit Section. (1942 – 1945). Unattended pushcart advertising “frankfurts” with sauerkraut or onions, ice-cold soft drinks, and pies for 5 cents on a rain-soaked wharf. Ca. 1939.  PD. Wikimedia Commons.

 

Three Poems Accepted by M58

Graphic I created for my poem, Can #10: spindrift Sparkling Water

I’m very happy to report that my poems, “Can #10: spindrift Sparkling Water,” “Can #13: Progresso Bread Crumbs, Italian Style,” and “Trending Facebook Feed Senryu,” have been accepted by M58. I’m grateful to Editor Andrew Taylor for accepting these, and for his work publishing avant-garde poetry in diverse forms.

I do not love work that is experimental to the point of being utterly random and obscurant, but I do like adventure, surprise, and being asked to bring an active imagination to texts. Unfortunately, I have found journals dedicated or even open to such poetry to be few and far between, and as I mentioned, I was essentially trolled by an editor for presuming to submit such material.

So again, especially grateful to Andrew Taylor, and looking forward to reading more of what M58 has to offer.  

“From Candy to Courage” Accepted by Scarlet Leaf Review

The house I grew up in. It was all white then, and instead of a picket fence there was a tumble-down, detached garage. The maple tree in front was spindly but climbable.

If you want to know more about my unusually intellectual childhood, you will soon have the opportunity. My essay, “From Candy to Courage,”  has been accepted by the Scarlet Leaf Review.  According to their About page, the review has an interest in global identities and cultures. My essay fits with this because it is about the formation of my political consciousness through education about and contact with different cultures and both national and international issues. I look forward to becoming part of this publication’s contribution to the conversation around global issues today. 

Photo credit: My former house, taken by me. 23 March, 2015.

“Birds of a Feather” Out in Tales from the Canyons of the Damned

I am thrilled to have my flash horror story, “Birds of a Feather,” out in Tales from the Canyons of the Damned 27. It is flattering to be referred to as a “master of speculative fiction” by best-selling author Daniel Arthur Smith. He and Editor Jessica West were great to work with, and I love the consistent pulp fun underlying the chills and thrills of the stories in Canyons. It’s also exciting that issue 27 was a Top 20 Hot New Release on Amazon.  I can’t wait to read the whole issue!

Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Coriolan, Harpie. Monstrorum historia d’Ulisse Androvandi, p. 337, 1642. Wikimedia Commons.  PD.

 

Monstrous Flash Forthcoming at Canyons of the Damned

After a bit of a dry spell (OK I was panicking), my flash horror story, “Birds of a Feather,” has been accepted by Canyons of the Damned, where it will appear in ebook and paperback, and possibly be podcast as well. I am thrilled that best-selling author Daniel Arthur Smith accepted my work for this publication, and I look forward to familiarizing myself further with the magazine and podcast.

The story involves a starving woman sharing an island with a harpy. It does not end well.

Cheers!

Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Coriolan, Harpie. Monstrorum historia d’Ulisse Androvandi, p. 337, 1642. Wikimedia Commons.  PD.

More Can Poems to Appear in Clockwise Cat

It has been some time since I have had anything to report, but I am happy to say that a reprint of my Can poem #6, the one about pride, in the shape of an American flag, and a new poem, “Can #11: Clabber Girl Double Acting Baking Powder,” will be out in the fall at Clockwise Cat, a politically progressive and aesthetically experimental venue. 

I am especially happy that Clockwise Cat‘s editor, Alison Ross, saw merit in these works because I had, before submitting to her, an extremely unpleasant experience with James K Beach, editor of Woodcoin, who, in four separate emails, called my can poems “derivative commercialism” and plagiarism, impugned my credentials, and ended by suggesting that I should be grateful for his “honesty.”

I mention this to warn anyone who may be considering submitting to Woodcoin. Had I not, by now, had some success, even a little serious success, with my writing, I might have been devastated by Beach’s responses.

To his credit, Beach did make me think about copyright more thoroughly. Although my can poems are not plagiarism because they use fragments of material in a transformative context, I realized that some of my media use was dubious, so I took the questionable ones off this site and resolved to be more careful in the future. I do thank Beach for that. 

But in contrast with him, Clockwise Cat editor Alison Ross was interested enough in my submission  to ask for more, which led me to write yet another poem (Can #11–take that, Beach) and acquire another publication credit. I am grateful to her and look forward to getting to know Clockwise Cat and eventually appearing there. 

 

Photo credit: Giftgarden Black Cat Wall Clock Home Decoration for Pets Gifts. 27 Feb. 2017, Flickr Commons. PD. 

Fun Times at the Florida Loquat Festival

The Florida Loquat Festival is a celebration of the loquat in all forms, from cultivar to fruit, set in the neighborhood open space of Frances Park. But unlike most such community celebrations, the Florida Loquat Festival includes a literary component.

This year’s Loquat Literary Festival, which I first posted about  here, included a poetry contest with cash prizes. Two of the judges, Ryan Cheng and Annalise Mabe, met my travel companion, the third-prize winner, and me at the festival for a photo op and some poetry chat, and then the reading began, with a song and some enjoyable verse tributes to the loquat from community members. Ryan read the winning poem, by Jan Ball, and introduced first my new acquaintance (who may prefer me not to mention her name) the third-place contestant, who read her poem, and then me, who read mine.

The whole occasion was relaxed. Though unorthodox, the poetry reading seemed a natural and perfect ending to the loquat celebration. Everyone was friendly and congratulatory, and the weather, in accord with the pathetic fallacy, was sunny and pleasantly warm. Thanks to everyone who made it possible, especially Annalise, Ryan, and Dell De Chant. Special thanks to Dell for getting us t-shirts, last year’s Leaves of Loquat chapbook, and a little extra money in light of how far we’d traveled. 

I look forward to the release of this year’s chapbook, so I can see the poems that weren’t read and peruse the winning poems at more leisure. Maybe I will also be able to return to New Port Richey for the occasion. But even if I can’t, I will at least have fond memories of this welcoming, friendly community.

 

Photo credit: Oldie~commonswiki, Eriobotrya japonica. Wikimedia Commons. GDSL 1.2 or later.

  

Second Prize in the Loquat Literary Festival Contest!

I have just been notified that I have won second prize in this year’s Literary Loquat Festival for my poem, “Loquats in Vienna”! The literary festival is part of the larger Florida Loquat Festival, which you can read about here. In addition to being read at the festival, my poem will be published in the chapbook, Leaves of Loquat IV, this fall. Many thanks to Ryan Cheng, who is in charge of the contest and chapbook, for his work.

The call for submissions for this festival asked for poems in which the loquat was a central image. This spoke to me because, although my sole encounter with the loquat was at a restaurant, Steirereck, in Vienna’s Stadtpark, and although the loquat was merely one small part of my husband’s dessert, the meal was unforgettable, and so was the trip.  So I researched loquats and used them as a central metaphor for us and our relationship in Vienna.

It will be hectic getting to the festival and back between violin lessons and my Palm Sunday gig, but I am looking forward to reading the poem there and will let you know how it went. If you are in the Port Richey, Florida, area on March 24th, please stop by, experience loquats, and say hello. 

 

Photo credit: Oldie~commonswiki, Eriobotrya japonica. Wikimedia Commons. GDSL 1.2 or later.

 

“Can #8 . . .” Up On Five:2:One’s #thesideshow

Screen shot from Creature from the Haunted Sea. PD.

The poem I wrote about here is up here, at Five:2:One, #thesideshow, complete with my reading, to a weird slideshow with sound effects. I had fun doing it, and I hope you have fun devoting thirty-one seconds of your life to it.

While you’re there, poke around among the other oddities and brevities. You will experience frequent and salutary jolts of the unexpected.

Cheers.