2013: the writing year in review

Every year toward the end of it, I get sort of contemplative in terms of what I've accomplished writing-wise and what I need to do in the new year and to set some some goals.  I'm realizing as I go through my records, that this year has been a busier year than the few previous in terms of publications and productivity. In 2012 I barely submitted anything (outside of solicited work) and only published two sets of poems, one text-heavy zine project, and one e-chap. In  2013, however, I submitted to 14 journals and had 8 acceptances, released two chapbooks (one print, one electronic) and one full-length projects (well, as soon as girl show is out it will be two.) There was one anthology, four interviews, one round table, five local readings, and a smattering of reviews.  I finished several short series of work, put together a new longer manuscript, and started a couple of new poem projects that I plan on finishing in 2014.

While it seemed chaotic as it was happening, surprsingly his last year has seemed a good balance of writing-focused work and po-biz work, two things which perpetually feel at odds (ie when I'm writing I find I can't get my shit together to submit anything and when I'm gung-ho on submissions, it's usually because I'm looking for distractions while the ink isn't flowing.) There are years that have weighed heavier one way of the other. It seems my ambitions seem to take two separate paths that I have a hard time straying from one into the other.

I'm thinking the zine project series will keep me along the creative path permanently (hopefully, at least), so my submissions and business-of-writing work, may take a backseat, so I'm looking into making a list of journals the next couple of weeks so I can just look at it and send things rather than doing all the research further down the road.  With a couple of my favorite print journals aside that I love having/would love to have work in, I'm mostly interested in online venues and feel like they suit my needs a little bit more.  (bigger audiences, linkability, etc.)  I've been bookmarking journals on my laptop all afternoon through about four cups of tea and think I have a good list, so watch out 2014, I'm coming for you.
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Today is the first day that was even slightly sunny since the beginning of the week and it appears to have clouded over as soon as I noticed.  It's been a week mired in romantic drama (always) and various pre-open studio busyness, complete with library break room makeshift barbecues and boring stuff like laundry.  There are cool writing things afoot, including the e-chap release (see below) and this interview over at Prick of the Spindle with other Noctuary Press folk.  I also managed to pull together details on the zine subscription I'll be offering in 2014, which I am excited about, particularly since I've hatched a few more ideas for projects for later in the year (both visual and written.) Poems are once again flowing on the ghost landscapes front, as well, after a too long hiatus, as well as on another little series that might wind up being part of next year's subscription plan. I'll be posting teasers and promos after the beginning of the year (you will be able to subscribe at any time along the way if something strikes your fancy & individual projects will probably also be available in limited quantities.).

The final details are also coming together for girl show's release, and the final proofs have been approved from the designer and December 10th is the official release date.  I think you may still be able to get the pre-order sales rate through the weekend if you'd like to. More soon...





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apocalypse theory: a reader

 

Check out The Poetry Center at SFSU’s chapbook exchange, where you will find my little chapbook, APOCALYPSE THEORY:  A READER along with some awesome projects from a whole host of other participants…

 

http://poetrychapbooks.omeka.net/items/show/18

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So another Thanksgiving put to bed, and the usual beautiful gluttony of too much family, turkey, wine, and pie.  Today, I've been watching the squirrels outside my old bedroom window along with the cats, and in my head, contemplating a new zine-a-month project in an effort to wrap up and get underway some midstride text and image projects, including radio ocularia, ghost landscapes, and erasure project and some others I have been hatching in my brain.  Something that would be available at a discount to subscribers who would be interested in getting a whole years worth, mostly text and image projects, ala  shipwrecks of lake michigan or the Cornell project.  I'm not sure of the pricing, but it would kick in toward funding some of the fancier, more involved, ventures which are not always feasible using the usual budget of dgp projects.  Ideally, by the end of the year, it would include the box project, unusual creatures, as well, which is a bit more ambitious.  So often I carry these things from year to year, unfinished and uncertain of their release, and I'd like to make this year different with deadlines and accountability of some sort.  While this year has been all about books from other presses (Maverick Duck, Black Lawrence, Noctuary) 2014 doesn't have any releases in the works (though there may be some bigger projects on the horizon/in submission for 2015 possibilities),  so it makes a perfect year to focus on smaller limited edition things in the coming year.




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Woke up to another cold, cold morning, and spent some time lounging about until panic-mode struck regarding preparations for the big holiday open studio in a few weeks, which I am in no way prepared for in the least.  But then again, I never am.  So I baked a pie to warm up the apartment (pretty much the only reason I'd bake a pie), and then sat down with some tea to silently freak about about everything I have to do to get ready for it.  Luckily, I think I'm still pretty good in terms of soap supply and have quite a few candles.  I need to restock books, paper goods, and some jewelry things, though.  I have a list of some new things I've been working towards, but I don't know if I have time/money to pull them off.   

Otherwise, this week has been busy with lots of hours in the studio catching up from the big sale and getting author copies out on the new titles.   November is slipping away and next weekend, I'll be in Rockford and then it will be December when I come back, and then that brisk downhill slide into the new year, a year that will bring all sorts of press happenings and cross country train trips and milestone birthdays.  Poetry-wise, I'll be finishing some smaller projects and perhaps releasing them, and perhaps sending out a couple larger things in submission to presses (Major Characters in Minor Films and the manuscript I am calling Salvage). 

I'll be doing a round up soon, though of all the good writing related things that have happened this year and an evaluation/goal setting session of what needs to happen next, so more soon.. 

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So today, much storminess wooshing its way across Chicagoland, and I'm afraid I slept through most of it. I woke up at one point and thought the thunder was just this long, continuous sound and noticed that it was raining in the window I'd cracked before I went to bed.  When I got up after 2pm, I barely made it to the market before it started in again, but despite my dress blowing up around my waist a couple times, I made it home in one piece.   Pretty much all the trees have shaken off / been shaken of their leaves, so it looks a little too much like winter out there for my liking, even though the air, though blustery, has been warmer than earlier in the week. I never like this barrenness, this early dark, so I'm trying to fixate on indoor pursuits and buying boots and sweaters and plaid dresses much to the unhappiness of my wallet.  I seem to be hemoraging money anyway on hot chocolate and lunchtime margaritas and mexican food, so I suppose I should start saving for christmas gifts about now if I'm actually going to buy any.

Otherwise, there is mushroom pizza to be made later and some general housecleaning, and maybe if I'm lucky, some painting later on.  I started a potential series with a cover design for a book earlier this year, and would like to see if I can continue it.  In most cases, deciding WHAT to paint is the sticking point, which is always counterbalanced with what I can paint that doesn't look like a grade school art project.  I am well aware I am still skirting / not working on ghost landscapes but I'm still having trouble with deciding the direction. I did send off some other pieces Friday to a journal, which is more than I accomplish most weeks, so this is a win.  I've gotten incredibly lazy about sending out work unless I'm asked for it and sometimes even if I am.  I think at one time I had a pretty good grasp on what journals would be amenable to my work, and so much shifts and changes and new things crop up that I'm sort of lost these days.  I'm pretty much only interested in online journals, but so many spring up and go under in a year, it's overwhelming.


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plan B, or how to find library books during a zombie apocalypse

We are finally back in full swing in the studio with the new laptop (the chomebook was a nice temporary solution, but it was insane difficult to actually print from and manage, so I've now secured a nice Acer Aspire (the same model I had at home before I accidently ruined it) and it's humming along nicely.  There is a lot of catch up from the past couple of weeks to get underway, so I'm in early tomorrow--labels to print and ship, books to make and assemble.  It's a used one, but no older than the one I had before, so we should be good for a few years. I've spent so much on printers and computers the past two months, it's ridiculous, but it feels like every once in a while, all the technology in my life that can goes haywire.  

Back in the spring around the time I lost Sophie, the mother board went out on my work computer. In the span of two weeks, two buses I was on stalled out, my printer went kaput, and my modem at home malfunctioned (this was temporary, sadly not before I'd already invested in a new one).  This is probably why I will never get on a plane, or rely solely on e-books or GPS-- shit breaks.  And around me, it breaks a lot.  A train may break down or derail, there may be a car accident due to a blown out tire or faulty breaks, and I would probably not be surprised, but at least I'd hopefully live through it.   If your plane breaks down, you're pretty much a goner.

I guess I don't have a lot of all or nothing faith in mechanics or technology.  There have been a few times when the system has been down at work, and in a library that pretty much depends entirely on a catalogue to even know where to begin to look for something, it's always helped to know your dewey decimal system, just a little.  But with so many thousands of books, it seems to be a slender little thread of zeros and ones, chips and wires that holds it all together.   The giant, hulking card catalog seemed more solid, more permanent and immutable, but I can't even begin to conceive of the size that would be needed to hold a collection the size we have. 

When I worked at the elementary school library, my job before this, it was in those weird late 90's days when most libraries were in transition (or at least underfunded public school libraries were)  There was a still a card catalog, but it wasn't updated, so all of the new records were searchable, but on the measly two pc's that were available (and it was a temperamental  black screen system, not web-based.)  It was a job that was seriously underpaid (and a bit stressful), so there was a lot of turnover before I took the job (and a lot of turnover after I imagine.).  When I arrived, they were still charging out books old school, each student filling out their name on the cards, which were filed carefully in a wooden box by class, alphabetically, on the corner of the librarian's desk.  There was something rather re-assuring about it, the same way I'd checked out books as a grade schooler, all those copies of Beverly Cleary and Judy Bloom books. The battle over the Shel Silversteins (a battle that was still raging in 1999.)  Writing your name carefully on the card, a certain seriousness to being able to take a book HOME with you, to possess it even for a while.   I'm a library geek, probably why I ended up where I am today. We transitioned to having barcodes for the students and installing them on all the books (luckily the district did all of it's cataloguing, so it was a matter of just linking everything up and using the system).  By far it was infinitely more efficient, but it took some of my bookish joy away.  By the time I abandoned it for a liveable wage and the city I needed to return to, we were mostly digital. 

As someone who basks in the technological amenities quite often (the internet, e-mail, Netflix), I always take comfort in the back up plan..the stack of books that line my apartment, my rather archaic never-used landline, my weirdly accurate and extensive knowledge of Dewey. I always have a plan B (zombies or no).




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