Remember last week when I was talking about putting things in perspective? Well, this point has been driven home even further. I have been having a bit of a health crisis this week which has culminated in me waiting for the results of a biopsy test. You know, a kind of “trick or treat” for the soul.
In the doctor’s office I was reading this terrific but not terribly cheerful book of poetry, Marie Howe’s “What the Living Do.” This book was chosen for the NPS award by another favorite poet of mine, the Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. Howe has a real gift for communicating about the dark side with understatement but also a lot of power.
I have been reading with interest in other poet’s blogs (Kelli Agodon, Jeffery Bahr, and Victoria Chang’s) the different approaches to first book contests for poets. I perceive that it is difficult to get around the contest model, for now, but that there are also good publishers who do accept unsolicited first book manuscripts. There is a lot of talk about the “prestige” of a certain prize. I think my tactic has been to submit to a few prestige contests and to a few small contests that I have a good gut-level feeling about – for instance, the Winnow Press people just seem fantastic, as did the editor at Steel Toe Books, although these may not be considered “prestigious” in my mind they would be valuable prizes for the opportunity to work with the people. It is a tactic I’ve also taken in previous years at my approach to work – sometimes I’ve worked at “big name” companies (ie AT&T, IBM, Microsoft) and often submitted a resume just because of the prestige – but some of my most positive work experiences have been with tiny, under-50-person companies. I am happy being a freelance writer, but I think if I ever went back it would probably be to a small, flexible company full of smart, fun-to-work with people. Maybe I’ve watched the Matrix and Office Space too many times, but the idea of going back to a big corporation now gives me the willies. “You have a choice, Mr. Anderson…” etc.
I was thinking about how my life right now is okay. I’m not fabulously wealthy, internationally known for my writing, or you know, living any version of the glamorous life, but I am actually some version of happy. Winning a poetry book contest would be icing on the cake, of course (crossing fingers, knocking on wood.)
Oh, and on Paul Guest’s blog the other day he asked for poetry relating to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so if you have any, visit his blog. He posted a poem I sent there…check it out!
And think good thoughts for me this week…