Whenever it starts to get toward the end of the year I always feel this sudden, urgent need to take stock. The same thing happens around my birthday in a similar way, but at the end of the year I like to start planning what I want to do in the next year and figure out what steps I need to take to get there…Admittedly, it’s been a pretty awesome year in the writing arena…a lot of journals I’d been knocking on doors at for awhile finally wanted to publish something. feign was released by New Michigan in February, two other chap projects out over the summer, including the four years in the making Cornell thing. Plus finishing my MFA, another four year saga. Three issues of wicked alice put out, 14 chapbooks for dgp, plus some really good exposure for the endeavor and now its own studio space with Atelier, something which I didn’t really have any long range plans for, but something that just sort of delightfully happened in the span of a couple months. Plus the expansion of our etsy store with more visual art and design stuff, which is just a lot of fun for me personally…
Next year, of course there will be more chaps, and the epistolary project, which I’m way excited about. Plus Robyn’s full-length book, the Poetry Center Juried chap, and hopefully some broadsides. Sometime in the next few months in the bird museum, will be done and available. (still working on layout logistics with Susana..) and Lauren and I plan on doing another collaborative thing which is still in the planning stages. I have a cache of new work I will be submitting after the new year. I also want to finish the new manuscript by sometime in the next year. For Atelier, I want to steadily increase the programming, both the free and tuition-based workshops, as well as the readings and events, so that space is in use as much as possible....(I tend to spend my time there working in the mornings & early afternoon, but that leaves nights & weekends free ....)
Of course, there's still so much to do before the end of this year--one more chap, the pesky print annual that is in various stages of dissaray since the move and still needs to be assembled. Plus I'd like to get a start on the January book at least. December will be busy in general with workshops and readings and sundry holiday tasks..... though come December 23, I'm taking a couple weeks off from everything, so I need to have everthing done, printed, mailed, signed, sealed, and delivered by then.....
