Readers, Writers, Editors

I am realizing there is a difference between the three groups above, how they respond to poetry, how willing they are to search for “something wrong.” Some students from a class on “Intro to Mythology” were assigned my chapbook, Female Comic Book Superheroes, and I get to interact with them for a few days on an online discussion board. Just reading their questions made me realize that what I do is worthwhile, that it is possible to connect with an audience, that it’s not just editors looking through their negative pince-nez glasses at sheets and sheets of my work. (Not that all editors do this, but it can feel that way to us.) Oh yes, I remember, this is why I write, why I bother with the whole publishing thing. So, if any of you Intro to Myth students are reading, thanks!

Had a wonderful visit over coffee with the lovely Jennifer Drake Thorton, who also contributed to my more positive mood about writing. Did I mention that my MFA program seems to be going through death throes and that I received a record number of MS rejections in the last two weeks? So I haven’t exactly been miss cheerful poet lately. It was great to talk about literary magazines, music, poetry and just life stuff. Among the topics: the influence of science fiction reading on the vocabulary of poetry. Thanks Jennifer!

Tomorrow I’m reading at noon at Shoreline Center for the Shoreline Arts Festival, so catch it – if you can! I’d love to see you, I even plan to dress up.

PS – Aha! I have finally mastered both links and italics in one blog entry.
PSS – I took the Tarot card quiz, and I was the Moon card, if you’re interested.