2018 so far: A Poem in Rogue Agent, New Year Zoo Lights, Luck and Poetry Fees, and Thinking About the New Year and New Poetry Blogs!

The new year surprised me on January 1 with a new issue of Rogue Agent, which had one of my poems from my new manuscript in it called “Self-Portrait as Radioactive Girl.” It’s a wonderful issue if you check out the whole thing.

So far in the new year, I’ve received two rejections and an acceptance already! I also bought Powerball tickets, something we only do one time a year. This made me muse of the subject of luck, money, and poetry. (My theory was, I had so much bad luck health-wise in the last year, that perhaps the universe would let me win the lottery? I mean, not the whole thing, but a couple of million, enough to pay off student loans, start a poetry charity, and buy my retired parents a house in WA state?) And here’s a sign, lucky or not – today the sun shone bright over Mt. Rainier, and I saw a coyote in the middle of a field, running in a circle, stopping, and running in the other direction. This was under the giant white mountain and bright blue sky in a field of green. If I were a painter…

The Millions had an interesting essay on the “pay to play” model of poetry submissions: https://themillions.com/2018/01/paying-to-play-on-solvency-and-submissions-fees-in-poetry-publishing.html. I also keep an Excel spreadsheet noting financial costs and gains from poetry – submission fees, of course, royalties, literary magazine payments, getting paid for the occasional class or reading. When I make money from poetry, I try to put money back into poetry. I want to support the literary community as much as I can.  I spent some time at the end of the year subscribing to a few journals, as I do every year – I try to rotate the journals so I can support as many as possible. I buy a LOT of poetry books (although I get a decent number as review copies) because 1. I want to support my local stores that carry poetry and 2. I want to support small presses that publish poetry. But I do also support the idea of literary publishers, organizations and journals trying to raise money outside the small circle of poets that want to publish – by reaching out more, trying more ways to gain subscribers, maybe advertising? What do you think? I remember being poor enough that every book contest fee hurt. I feel that fees have gone way up since I started trying to publish work waaay back in 2001-2.

We also decided to take a brief spur of energy to go out on the last day of the Woodland Park Zoo Lights show under the supermoon on New Year’s Day. It was very cold – I had on earmuffs, gloves, and a heavy coat, Ugg boots and I was still freezing after about thirty minutes (I know you Northeasterners are having killer storms, but thirty degrees is very cold for Seattle!)

The poetry blogs are rolling again, and it’s a wonderful way to get to know more about some of your favorite writers! Donna Vorreyer has a wonderful list of poets who have joined up and proposed at least weekly blog posts here. Reading poetry blogs will definitely make you feel better than reading the news (oh my God, are we going to die in a nuclear war? No, don’t read the news…) and maybe think about participating!