A Week of Wildfire Smoke and the First Week of Breadloaf: Late Summer Edition, Plus, the Sealey Challenge Continues

Pink Dahlia

A Week of Wildfire Smoke And Heat Waves

So this last week we had temperatures in the nineties plus a wave of wildfire smoke came in, it seemed, from every direction – there are fires in Canada above, Eastern Washington, California, and Oregon – so for a few days I couldn’t even open a window or walk outside without getting dizzy and my eyes watering.

We’re hoping for some rain to come in, and looking further, I’m just really excited about fall happening again. I got news I’ll be eligible for a booster covid shot, due to my multiple immune system problems, so that’s something. I just recovered from my tetanus shot of last week! With Delta coming around, I haven’t been getting out and about too much. It’s a good thing I’ve had virtual Breadloaf this week to distract me from the heat, the smoke, and the virus (plus my sore arm from the TDAP shot – man, that was way worse than the covid shot, for those who were wondering!)

Immature Rufous in flight

The First Week of Breadloaf: Late Summer Edition

So, during the first week of Breadloaf, I mostly went to lectures, plus I had me editor/publisher “pitch” sessions, which are fifteen minute Zoom meetings with either lit mag editors or book publishing people. I got Graywolf and Four Way, which were both lovely, but I was so nervous about them! I can’t believe I was so nervous about pitching poetry! This was also my first time at any Breadloaf, because they offered a Virtual option. I wish all the big conferences offered this, because I got to meet writers from both coasts, but also France and Australia, which I think makes the whole conference more interesting. It also seemed that the conference faculty and attendees were more diverse than at least I was expecting.

In the pitches, I also asked some questions about the publishing world in general right now (hard! Libraries and bookstores are buying fewer books, and without readings it’s been tougher to sell books – but the good news was, people like me – disabled and unable to travel as much – may benefit in the long-term from the new structures in publishing – relying more on social media and Zoom readings.) So, interesting stuff. Now I wish I could just schedule fifteen minutes with all the publishers of my choice, because it’s much easier to get a handle on what a press is about this way. I also wish MFA programs included meetings like this – mine did not.

Apples on the tree

One thing that surprised me about the lectures – the ones with the “superstars” were only okay, and the ones with writers that were new to me were the most thought-and-poem inspiring. I wonder if expectation factored into this – or as another Breadloaf attendee observed, prose writers are just better at prose presentations, or less well-known writers work harder on their talks? Two of the best lectures this week so far at (Virtual) Breadloaf were by Jess Row and Tania James, two writers I didn’t know about before the conference. My loss! Jess talked about writing the political and economic within scenarios of apocalypses and Tania about writing surprise (including example short stories about transforming into a deer or eating children.) Both were brilliant.

I thought I’d be writing way more (I’ve only written one poem this week) but I feel like thinking about ways to write after each lecture was good and the pitches were good, but everything online seems to take way more energy than in person and I ended up napping way more than I expected (this could also be related to the heat.) All this staring at screens did motivate me last week to go get an overdue eye exam which resulted in two new pairs of glasses, including readers – prescriptions plus some magnification for computer reading. Both pairs were pink – one sparkly, one neon. It seems metaphorical – looking at life through literally a new lens. I’m looking forward to next week, when I’ll be really immersed with hours of workshop AND lectures. And then it will almost be September!

Prometeo by C. Dale Young with Red Sunflowers

The Sealey Challenge Continues

So, I have not been able to do a book of poetry a day in August, which is sort of the goal, but I haven’t totally abandoned it either. I ordered a bunch of books before Breadloaf started, which have sort of tricked in nicely, giving me time to appreciate each book.

New this week: C. Dale Young’s Prometeo from Four Way Books, about love/sex/death/identity/faith/palm trees (also it made me cry within 15 minutes.) Also, Sally Rosen Kindred’s When the Wolf from Diode Editions, and Kelly Cressio-Moeller’s Shade of Blue Trees from Two Sylvias Books.

Since I’m already reading a ton of books for Breadloaf, I’m only doing a little extra reading, but I figure the point of the Sealey Challenge is to get us to read a few more poetry books in August, and help us purchase some books during a notoriously slow time for poetry book sales. It’s been good for me to get so many different points of view at the conference and through reading so many poets, known and unknown, friends and strangers. Also, I can feel virtuous supporting small presses, indie bookstores and/or buying directly from poets! 100 percent recommend if you are feeling the August doldrums.