And so, we move into May, and for once the weather is on point the past couple of days. It's almost a physical thing, the looseness and unwinding in the body when you are not stepping outside into cold (or hell, freezing inside your apartment) I have triumphantly finished NAPOWRIMO--my first time ever making it past Day 10, and I am very happy with the results. I not only finished off a project that was already in the works, completed another short series for the Grimm project, and started something entirely new that looks promising. I am hoping to continue drafting new things daily..they say it takes 21 (or 66 depending on who you ask) to form a new habit, so maybe I can get into some kind of groove. Sometimes I TRY to write daily, but can never sustain it. Too much gets in the way in regard to other obligation, but I rather like prioritizing the writing earlier in the day. Maybe it's sort of like exercise (another habit I am never able to manage to make stick.) Eventually I do it enough and it will feel weird NOT doing it. While I usually spend my breakfast/brunch time reading e-mails and perusing social media, I've now just started opening the file and working on a poem. By the end of the day, no matter what else I feel like a failure on not getting done, at least there is that.
We are getting closer to the end of the semester and we've managed to wrap up most of our A of R programming and all that's left is the Grimm Anthology, which is shaping up nicely (see above). Then, we just have to prep for Zine Fest (where we will be peddling said anthology, other A of R / Crypto Society zines, as well as some of our own & library student zines. ). I'm looking forward to some down time in the summer to work on some more library-focused writing projects, as well. plus planning for fall, which already has a Focus Week mini-conference in the works--a way to bring scholars and artists together around our topic--Strange Fevers: Mass Delusions, Confusions, and Obsessions.
Since I am still playing super catch-up on press business this month, I've decided to postpone our dgp open reading period opening back to June 1st, just to make things less crazy on this end. Even though I usually don't start reading in earnest til June anyway, it will help to keep the inbox a bit less of a morass as I am working through things. As soon as June hits, I will be settling into my usual summer reprieve from chaos, so that will help.
