- At October 06, 2005
- By Jeannine Gailey
- In Blog
5
Reports from a reading:
Went to the reading on Oct 1 to celebrate Cranky’s new issue in the middle of a raging lightning/hailstorm (very unusual for Seattle,) which featured Matthew Zapruder and Olena Kalytiak Davis (one of my fave up and coming writers,) and many local writers, including Martha Silano, who was wonderful, although I missed the promised reading by Rebecca Loudon, who couldn’t make it. Matthew Zapruder was all shambling, self-deprecating charm (I liked his poetry much better when he read it than I had liked it previously on the page) and humor, and Olena…well, let’s just say afterwards I wanted to give her a hug, feed her some chocolate chip cookies and tell her life just wasn’t all that bad. She talked a lot about trangression, read poems about oral sex, said the f-word a lot, and was a little incoherent in general. I couldn’t tell if the incoherent part was due to nerves or whether she was always like that.
Reports from finishing up the first MS – Becoming the Villainess
Got another acceptance yesterday of a poem in the book, so had to update the ack pages, and had to (eek!) write an author’s note, and I could think of nothing charming or witty to write about myself, just the same old boring stuff. And I got a first draft of part of the cover art, which looked really cool. I finally finished the dedication/thank you notes/ end notes on poems, which I am still struggling with (end notes for poems share a certain something with author notes. Hey, I like to write poems, not notes!) It’s so weird that I’m still changing stuff this far along. Everything (blurbs, art, the works) must be in by November 7th. The clock is ticking away.
Meanwhile, I’m working on MS #2, still untitled, 40 pages as of now, which is vastly different, much more personal, and I’m worried about the subject matter being toooo personal, too autobiographical, which I pretty much shied away from in the first MS. I just sent a copy to a friend to read, I’ll be interested to hear her reactions. I haven’t “workshopped” many of the poems, or even shown them to anyone else.
David Vincenti
Was your “boring” bio a real wittiness failure? Or is there something about a full length collection that makes playfulness less appealing? About some mags, too; I’ve got a small stack of research reading on my desk and about half contain frequent witty briefs. The other half have poets’ names plus 3 of the same 5-7 repeating journal titles in random order.
Can’t wait to hear how your “more personal” poems make out. Just keep repeating what I always tell my mother – “Poetry is the supreme fiction”, and “It doesn’t matter if it really happened”! Then you can claim ignorance at just about any offense.
Steven D. Schroeder
So does the new issue of Cranky look good? I gotsta know before I get mine! 🙂
The Eleventh Muse’s bios run more toward the businesslike, mainly because one thing that bugs me in a journal is a mix between wacky bios and informational ones. I can’t ask or expect everyone to be wacky, so that leaves the straightforward option, though I don’t mind if people play a little.
I’d kind of like to switch to having every contributor bio be a “language poem”-style series of random words chosen by me, or maybe just require a note with no titles of any kind.
jeannine
Hey David! Yes, I appear to have some kind of brain block when it comes to writing notes and bios. Even my mother said my author note sounded too business-like(!!) I was joking with a friend that I should have a stranger write my bio – that way at least it would surprise me!
On the personal poems – I know – I just have to remember not to answer any questions like “did this really happen?”
Steve – that’s a great idea about the “language poem” note. Yes, this new issue of Cranky IS great – a lot of fun to read, and Ms. O.K. Davis is much more coherent on the page, her interview is enjoyable, and the poems in general are very lively, including yours 🙂
Kells
Hi J9–
Where was your poem accepted? CONGRATS!
I had a terrible time with my bio (and still do in cover letters). I don’t like writing them, I feel as if I’m opening the door to a room wearing a big velvet cape–woohoo look at me. I find it uncomfortable and annoying.
My goodness, I slid in hear through the Steel Toe link (nice website btw) and it was great to read all your publications! I never see your first page so I felt as if I was in a celebration!
hope you’re feeling better.
talk with you soon,
Kels.
jeannine
Hey Kels! Thanks! The acceptance was from APJ – one of the poems I sent in for their contest. And I finally am starting to feel better, finally 🙂