Apocalypses, Blurbs, and Self-Portrait Poetry
- At August 03, 2014
- By Jeannine Gailey
- In Blog
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First, thanks to Silver Birch Press for posting my self-portrait poem, “Self-Portrait at 39:”
Next, I have been starting to think about the realities of getting “The Robot Scientist’s Daughter” finished up and ready for putting together for early review copies, so I’m currently stressing out about blurbs. I have two really nice ones already, but waiting to hear on the last one…It’s the worst kind of anxiety, because you worry, not that the person didn’t have time to read it, but that they read it and they hated it, and you’re often asking people who aren’t lifelong best friends, but people you know just a little…
Also, okay, has anyone noticed the abundance of apocalypses in the comics, in the news, on HBO, even on Lifetime? (Yes, it’s woman-focused, called “The Lottery” in a futuristic dystopia where the government mandates fertility testing and no one has had a child in six years!!! But still, Lifetime is doing apocalypses!) I’ve even been putting together an apocalypse song playlist. And I’ve been working on a fifth manuscript that kind of teeters between autobiography and apocalypse. This poem (posted above) is part of the autobiography part.) I tried to write a poem today called “Apocalypse with Love Note from the Swamp Thing.” I don’t know that it will make it into the book…
Jeannine Hall Gailey served as the second Poet Laureate of Redmond, Washington and the author of Becoming the Villainess, She Returns to the Floating World, Unexplained Fevers, The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, and winner of the Moon City Press Book Prize and SFPA’s Elgin Award, Field Guide to the End of the World. Her latest, Flare, Corona from BOA Editions, was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. She’s also the author of PR for Poets, a Guidebook to Publicity and Marketing. Her work has been featured on NPR’s The Writer’s Almanac, Verse Daily and The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. Her poems have appeared in The American Poetry Review, Poetry, and JAMA.
Shawnte
I know what you mean. One of the poets I approached, agreed to at least take a look at my book. So over the next few weeks, I kept worrying that they probably hated it and were trying to forget that I ever showed it to them.
Another poet agreed right when I asked, so over the next few weeks, I was worrying about if my book was more wacko than they could have ever expected.
Fortunately, everything turned out better than I hoped. I think I’ll start posting those blurbs and why these poets have meant so much to me and my writing, throughout the week.
Jeannine Gailey
Shawnte, what a nice idea! Maybe I will do that too, with the first two blurbs. At least it will distract me from worrying about the last one!
Shawnte
Especially since it’s my first book and it was so long in the making. I am eternally grateful to these poets and I could never thank them enough.