Presale Now Open for "And the Monster Swallows You Whole"

I am thrilled to announce that the preorders for my upcoming book, "And the Monster Swallows You Whole," are now open. This book has been a labor of love – writing it was what kept me semi-sane during the pandemic - so I am excited to share it with readers. Big thanks to Stillhouse Press and all of the wonderful folks over there who remain strong supporters of my writing!

Overview: “Adrian S. Potter's newest collection nimbly weaves poems, short prose pieces, checklists, film synopses, and diary entries into an arresting portrait of pandemic-era life as a Black American. Honest, funny, and hard-edged, his writings act as concentrated doses of a bracing and necessary tonic in the face of everyday acts of ignorance and indifference—monsters of all shapes and sizes held in check by Potter's clear and brilliant voice.”

Presale Details: The book is set to be released in May 2023, but you can secure your copy today by preordering it on the Stillhouse Press website.

https://www.stillhousepress.org/stillhouse-store/and-the-monster-swallows-you-whole

Thank you for your support, and I cannot wait for you to join me on this journey. If you are a fan of poetry, flash fiction, experimental hybrid literature, and a bit of snarkiness, "And the Monster Swallows You Whole" is a book you will not want to miss. Preorder your copy today and be one of the first to experience this unique book.

"The Half-Life of Human Memory" published at The Maine Review

I am happy to mention that my fiction piece “The Half-Life of Human Memory” has been published in the latest edition of The Maine Review. This is a special one for me - it deals with aging and memory issues told via a series of very short flash fiction tidbits that all come together as a sum of their parts.

Big thanks to The Maine Review for giving my work a chance. Check out all the awesome writers who contributed to Issue 8.1!

https://mainereview.com/the-half-life-of-human-memory/

My flash fiction piece "Marlboro Reds" published by Brilliant Flash Fiction in their latest anthology

Many thanks to Brilliant Flash Fiction and editor Dawn Lowe for publishing my flash fiction piece Marlboro Reds as part of their new anthology Branching Out: International Tales of Brilliant Flash Fiction. 

All the stories in this varied collection are 300 words or less and amazing. I am honored to be published alongside incredible writers.

To order a copy, donate $12 on the Brilliant Flash Fiction website Home Page by clicking the Donate button on the right-hand side.

https://brilliantflashfiction.com/2021/07/08/the-wait-is-over/

Three Pieces in A Quiet Courage & Stepping Outside of My Skin.

I’m excited to announce that I have three new microfiction pieces featured in A Quiet Courage, an online literary journal that publishes compelling, poignant, memorable, and well-written microfiction and poetry in 100 words or less.

Deadbeat: https://aquietcourage.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/deadbeat/

Role Model: https://aquietcourage.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/role-model/

Appearances: https://aquietcourage.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/appearances/

Thanks to the editors who deemed my work worthy – much appreciated.

What these pieces have in common: focused, emotional description told in first or second person using the voices of characters that are absolutely nothing like me. This is what I love about writing – it gives you a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes (pardon the cliché). And I believe you have to completely sell out to that concept of what a character is all about in order to make a story seem genuine. I think I was all in with these three pieces – and that is something I need to do more often in my writing in order to make it resonate.

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

(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 9^th 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.”