Publications

The Talking Stick Volume 24

in

I wanted to mention that my poem "On the Occasion of My Untimely Demise" has been published in this year’s volume of The Talking Stick. I was also blessed that this piece won first prize in the poetry category this year. Many thanks to the staff of The Talking Stick and also to judge Laura Hansen for this treasured opportunity.

Published by The Jackpine Writers’ Bloc, The Talking Stick is a Minnesotan collaboration of poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction and awards a cash prize in each category. It is written and entirely produced by writers who at least have close ties to Minnesota.

Also included in this volume of The Talking Stick is my short story called "Brandy and Merlot." I'm proud of this piece because it's a big departure from what I usually do in fiction. The story is primarily dialogue driven and is much quirkier than my usual...especially since it features a talking pet as a major character.

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend The Talking Stick 24 book release party on September 19, 2015 near Park Rapids, MN. I enjoyed the energy of the sixty or so people there and the chance to read my prizewinning poem, as well as listen to all the great work of the diverse contributors to the journal.

It doesn’t look like Volume 24 is available yet for purchase online, but it will likely be soon. If you are looking for a good read, it would be worth checking out.

http://thetalkingstick.com/

http://www.jackpinewriters.com/

The (Bleak) Future of University Quarterlies.

in , ,

This is something of interest for writers of all genres who are looking for venues for publication. Check out this informative essay on the future of university based quarterly lit mags on the Inside Higher Ed site. Warning - this is not the most uplifting take on this subject.

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/02/16/essay-future-university-based-literary-quarterlies

burntdistrict - Volume 3, Issue 2

in

burntdistrict is a journal of contemporary poetry published by the editors of Spark Wheel Press.

Volume 3, Issue 2 features work from Julie Brooks Barbour, Jackson Burgess, Adriana Cloud, Rebecca Connors, Thomas Cook, Tim Craven, Sage Curtis, Nandini Dhar, Katherine Frain, Natalie Giarratano, Charles Harper Webb, Lydia Havens, Matthew Huff, Cindy Hunter Morgan, Lillian Kwok, Diane Lockward, Adam Love, Greg Mahrer, Bill Neumire, Angelina Oberdan, Simon Perchik, Amy Plettner, Adrian Potter, Richard Prins, Kim Roberts, Todd Robinson, Steven D. Schroeder, Leah Sewell, Molly Sutton Kiefer, and William Trowbridge.

I’m blessed to have two prose poems in this issue, both pieces from The Alter Ego Handbook chapbook manuscript that I’ve been tinkering with incessantly. This is my third time appearing in burntdistrict and I appreciate the support and exposure this publication has provided. I’m only partway through reading this issue, but so far it has been an enjoyable read.

If I blogged more often, then I wouldn't need to do these long catch up posts...

in , , , ,

So long time no update and I’ve been a bad, bad blogger.

But much has been afoot in the sea beneath the blog, the current under the silence. For instance:

  • Several chapbooks are nearly ready for submission. One may have enough momentum to become a full-length manuscript, depending on my attention span.
  • Two prose poems from one of the aforementioned chapbooks (tentatively titled The Alter Ego Handbook) were published in 2014 at burntdistrict. burntdistrict is a journal of contemporary poetry published by the editors of Spark Wheel Press. This is the 3rd time I’ve had work published by the journal, and Volume 3, Issue 2 is awesome – and I’m not saying that because my two trivial poems are in there. It’s truly a great read.
  • Three poems were finalists for 2014 Atlantis Award at the poet’s billow. You can read them here. No money, but it was great to be in the running for the award and to have my writing published on the poet’s billow website. Thanks to all involved with this award.
  • My poem Only the Moon Knows You’re Signing the Blues won first place in the 2014 Lebanon Poets’ Society Free Verse Poetry Contest.
  • I have many short stories in various states of construction. I’ll be finishing and revising them soon to get them ready for submittal. I have caught the fiction bug again. Who knows, maybe a novel is rattling inside of me?
  • I haven’t given up on my poetry manuscript The Blues Almanac. But I’m no longer letting that book not being published (yet) subliminally cause me to be creatively constipated. I’m partway into writing what will be my next poetry book, although the concept hasn’t fully bloomed yet. I’m looking forward to seeing where 2015 takes this potential book and the rest of my writing.

Broken record, but I’m going to be better at blogging and updates in the new year. If anything, it is another extension of my writing…and I definitely need the practice.

Happy New Year!

Siren.

in

 

The Fall/Winter 2013 issue of Siren has appeared online. It contains my prose poems Damage Control and Signs of the Impending Apocalypse.

Siren is a new online zine for artists of all genres who create edgy and experimental work. They seek work that pushes boundaries, that surprises in terms of structure and content, that provokes a visceral response.

I truly appreciate the opportunity to reach Siren’s audience. Thanks again to the staff who found my work worthy. 

 

Some things I forgot to blog about…

in ,

(1) I will have two prose poems in “World’s End”, which will be the inaugural edition of The End Times. The End Times is a student run publication from the University of Illinois Springfield. Per their mission statement, it’s a literary magazine with a focus on distributing literature in a post-apocalyptic Midwest; a collection of poetry and prose signifying the challenges of maintaining humanity in the end of the world. I’m excited to contribute– thanks to the editors for choosing my work.

(2) The results of the 2013 Annual Whispering Prairie Press Writers’ Contest came out in early August 2013, and I was ecstatic to find out my poem Bad Luck Sings the Blues took third place. No publication, but cash and encouragement are positive things. Big thanks to the judges for deeming my work worthy of commendation.

(3) I’ve got a lot of love for Whispering Prairie Press this year.  In addition to the aforementioned 3rd place contest finish, their periodical Kansas City Voices published my poem How to Sing Under the Influence. Kansas City Voices’ mission is to discover, encourage, and promote creativity and communication through literature, art, and other forms of cultural expression. I am happy to be a part of Issue 11 of Kansas City Voices. If you get a chance to check out this periodical, I’d suggest it – the poetry, pictures, and fiction are all very engaging.

(4) Since I am behind in mentioning publications, I will play catch up on my year in print by mentioning that I had poetry and fiction included in Talking Stick Volume 22, two poems in the Vermillion Literary Project, and a prose poem featured in the Bare Root Review.

That’s all for now. Be good.

A Blues Primer.

in

burntdistrict is a literary journal dedicated to elevating public awareness of contemporary poetry and to the promotion of writers.  Volume 2 Issue 1 of burntdistrict will be out soon. It contains contributions from some amazing writers, including Dan Nowak, Francesca Bell, CM Burroughs, and others. This issue also includes my prose poem A Blues Primer. But I’m not just being biased when I say this issue is a great read from cover to cover. I’m keeping it real.

Thanks to the staff at burntdistrict who found my work worthy of publication. I appreciate the chance to contribute.

That silence you hear…

in , , , ,

…is the sound of me working. Seriously. The lack of posts on this blog is not an indication of a lack of writing activity, for sure.

I will have upcoming work in publications that I failed to previously mention on here, in print in burntdistrict and online in the Bare Root Review.

In addition, I earned third place finishes in both the Art Affair Poetry Contest and the Burning the Midnight Oil Poetry Contest – no publication, but a little cash always soothes the soul.

I wrestled my inner procrastination demons in a cage match. I won and am now back on pace with a decent writing work rate in the past month. This has been partially sponsored by a new manuscript idea that I hope will lead to the promised land of publication and not another dead end.

I also have big plans to revamp this blog.

All I need to do is execute. Which means not more hiatuses, no more wandering focus.

That’s all for now. Be good.

I-70 Review

in

The Summer/Fall 2012 issue of the I-70 Review just arrived in my mailbox. It contains contributions from Louie Crew, Kenneth Pobo, Shoshauna Sky, George Held, and Alex Stolis, among many others.

This issue of I-70 Review also includes my prose poem Anarchy. It is my second time being published in the I-70 Review and I truly appreciate the opportunity to again reach its audience. Thanks again to the staff who found my work worthy.

Why Sarah Left Her Husband

in

Despite the seemingly eternal blog silence, yeah, I am still breathing. Which means I am still writing.

My prose poem Why Sarah Left Her Husband appears in the latest edition of The Poet’s Touchstone (Volume 55, Number 3, Summer 2012), a publication of the Poetry Society of New Hampshire. In addition, Why Sarah Left Her Husband also earned fourth place honors in the Poetry Society of New Hampshire’s National Poetry Contest for Summer 2012.

Judge Barbara Benoit said of the poem, “…an understated quality hovers in the darkness of this poem. We never see the room of images yet the reader is told everything.”

I am flattered; big thanks to the judge and the contest organizers.

burntdistrict

in

The inaugural issue of burntdistrict is now out. It contains contributions from 40 writers, including Vikas Menon, Steve Langan, Francesca Bell, William Trowbridge, Jim Peterson, Sheila Black, Teri Grimm, Alex Lemon, Amy Hassinger, and John Stanizzi. This issue of burntdistrict also includes my prose poem Epiphany. Thanks again to the staff at burntdistrict who found my work worthy.

Four things I want to blog about…

in ,

(1) I’m trying to post more on this site in 2012. Two posts in three days is a relative uptick in blog activity, or blogtivity (if I have permission to create another brainless web-based word like everyone else seems to do). I’m writing more in order to work my way out of a funk. Even though it’s not exactly creative writing, blog posts are a form of textual healing that might get me to the doorstep of where I need to be in terms of inspiration. At least that’s my theory.

(2) My prose poem The Inherent Discontent of Objects made a fashionable appearance in Clare Literary Journal Volume 12, Fall 2011. Clareis publication that is a joint effort between students and faculty in the Visual Art and English Departments at Cardinal Stritch University. I am happy to have the chance to contribute to this issue, alongside a host of talented writers and poets.

(3) My poem Bad Luck Sings the Blues took second place in the 2011 Burning the Midnight Oil Poetry Contest.No publication, but cash and encouragement are positive things. A big thanks to Amy Harke-Moore over at The Write Helper for deeming my work worthy of commendation.

(4) My prose-poem chapbook manuscript A Condensed History of Anger, with Footnotes was a finalist for the Gold Line Press poetry chapbook contest, but did not win the big prize and will not be published. Nonetheless, I am encouraged that it made it to the final round, and I’m determined to find a home for this manuscript in the New Year.

That’s all for now. Be good.

Apropos Literary Journal.

in

Apropos Literary Journal’s second edition is now live and can be viewed at www.aproposthearts.com.

Apropos Literary Journal aims to dispel the commonly held notion that an online journal is less “literary” than a printed one. Through the use of an online environment, Apropos serves to elevate and facilitate the relationship between art and our digital culture by displaying artistic genres traditionally incompatible with the standard print journal.

My prose poem Memoir is in this issue and can be found at http://volume2issue1.aproposthearts.com/memoir/. Thanks again to the staff at Apropos who found my work worthy of publication.

Switched-on Gutenberg.

in

Switched-on Gutenberg has announced the release of Issue 17, on the theme Accidental, which is online at http://www.switched-ongutenberg.org.

Poets in this issue include: Christianne Balk, Paul Barclay, Jessica Barksdale, Kate Bernardette Benedict, Larry Blazek, Laura Eklund, Kim Goldberg, Christine Hamm, Louisa Howerow, Elizabeth Kerlikowske, Naomi krupitsky, Mercedes Lawry, Sara Lier, Robin Lindley, Katharyn Machan, Kevin Miller, Julie L. Moore, Kathy Nelson, Geoff Pope, Adrian S. Potter, Charles Rammelkamp, Lorraine S Schein, Dave Seter, Emily Severance, Lynne Shapiro, Judith Skillman, Matina Stamatakis, Jeanne Wagner, Florence Weinberger, Mike White, Scott Wiggerman, Deborah Woodard, Melissa Scholes Young, Mary Zeppa, Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

My prose poem Accident Prone is in this issue and can be found at http://www.switched-ongutenberg.org/current/Potter.htm.

It’s been awhile since I posted, or 5 things that I want you to know

in , , ,

(1) My poem Excerpts from the Guide to Modern Survival has gathered some praise. It was a runner-up in the 2010 Princemere Poetry Contest, and earned honorable mention in the 9th Annual Saturday Writers One Page Poem Contest. I appreciate the love.

(2) My flash fiction piece Hush and poems Waning and Life is a Series of One-Hit Wonders will appear in Talking Stick 20. The Talking Stickis a Minnesotan collaboration of poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction, and is a publication of the nonprofit organization, The Jackpine Writers' Bloc. You can go to their website to find out more about how the Talking Stick started and what the group does. In addition, Hush received an honorable mention nod amongst the fiction entries this year, and Waning earned first place honors in poetry. I am flattered by all this; big thanks to the judges and editors.

(3) So far my full-length poetry manuscript, The Blues Almanac, has been rejected by no less than twenty publishers. I am hopeful though. This is a good book & I believe in it.

(4) I wrote two prose poems last week, and created some random scribbled thoughts this week. I think my writer’s block might be over. My work rate was almost nil since mid-January, so my creative side was struggling. Glad to be back on the horse.

(5) The weather in Minnesota stinks, except for today, but I am working too hard at the day job to enjoy the rare occurrence of sunshine outside. My inner Florida Evans is screaming, “Damn, damn, damn.”

Poem on Salamander Cove.

in

First published in the Foliate Oak Literary Journal, my poem Undone is now up on the poetry blog Salamander Cove.  This is my third appearance on Salamander Cove, and I am so happy to appear on there again. Take a sec and read Undone…along with all the other fine works on the blog – I promise that you can lose a couple hours reading these poems without feeling like you wasted a single minute.



Update.

in

Still on my grind.

My poem Innovations in Violence earned Honorable Mention in the August 2010 Poetry Society of New Hampshire National Contest. Big thanks to Betsy Snider and all involved in this contest.

My poem The Intervention Soliloquy appears in the nineteenth edition of The Talking Stick, a Minnesota based literary journal that has been published yearly since 1995.

Finally, the online .pdf literary journal A Handful of Dust has published my poem Hello, My Name Is in its latest issue. You can check out the issue, which includes work by Louie Crew, Doug Holder, Michael Lee Johnson, and many other talented writers by clicking here.

Two poems in The Tidal Basin Review.

in

The Summer 2010 edition of The Tidal Basin Review is out, and it is full of diverse creative voices.

The mission of TBR is "to provide a space for inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches to the creative arts. We expressively and fiscally support artists who represent the rich American landscape by publishing high-quality, well-crafted literature, visual and media art through our annual contest, readings, and print and online journals. Our vision is to amplify the voice of the human experience through art that is intimate, engaging, and audacious. We seek work that propels the present artistic landscape." 

Contributors include: Lisa Alvarado, Lou Amyx, Beebe Barksdale-Bruner, Sarah Browning, Christine Celise, Martha Collins, Jasmon Drain, Jennifer Flescher, Gretchen Fletcher, Reginald Flood, Andy Fogle, Derrick Harriell, Kim Coleman Foote, Brian Gilmore, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Ricardo Guthrie, Carmen Gimenez Smith, Hannah Larrabee, Moira Linehan, Tamara J. Madison, Ernesto Mercer, James O'Brien, Coco Owen, Adrian S. Potter, Joseph Ross, Marian Kaplun Shapiro, Cris Staubach, Keli Stewart, Cinnamon Stuckey, Truth Thomas, Phillip B. Williams.

My poems The Blues Almanac and Education appear in the Summer 2010 edition, which is a wonderful read - and I am not just saying that because my work appears in there.

You can purchase the print edition by clicking here and buying.

You can preview the Summer 2010 edition by clicking here.