A Weird First Week of Spring – Starting with Bright Blue Skies and Blossoms and Ending with Snow and a Bobcat, A Video from my AWP Offsite Reading and Last Picture from AWP

Spring cherry blossoms, blue sky

A Weird First Week of Spring – Starting with Bright Blue Bkies and 60 Degree Weather, and Ending with Snow (and a Bobcat Visit!)

It’s been a weird week here is Seattle, with the first days of spring bringing bright blue skies, 60-degree weather and cherry blossoms, and ending with surprise snow and an equally surprising bobcat visit.

Today I have two videos for you—one of a bobcat walking by my back door, and one from my offsite reading at AWP with BOA at the Seattle Library. I’m not an expert at YouTube yet, so forgive me for any problems. I even (at my little brother’s urging) finally made myself a channel, so you can like and follow me there, and you’ll get a mix of readings plus bobcats. And silliness.

So a few pictures here of Glenn and I posing with various cherry trees, proving that the spring really did come to the Pacific Northwest this week, even if it didn’t feel very springy today or yesterday. Photo evidence!

And here’s the Ring video at 5 AM with snow and bobcat:

A Pic from BOA: Me with Jennifer Q. Stark (whose Buffalo Girls is debuting in April!)

Video and Pic from BOA’s Offsite Reading at Seattle Library with Jennifer Q. Stark

One thing I didn’t have evidence for from AWP in the last two posts was the offsite reading. But now I do! It really happened and everything! The team at BOA Editions sent me this pic they snapped at our AWP offsite reading at Seattle Library, and Glenn found the video on his phone he took of the reading. It’s four poems from Flare, Corona, with a rather unpracticed intro, probably not my finest reading—I was tired, so I had breathing difficulties, and the light was really low so it was hard to read the pages, but it was my very first reading for the book! Looking forward to having more practice, rest and better lighting at the next couple readings! Thanks for watching.

Here’s the link to the reading on YouTube, reading “This is the Darkest Timeline,” “Irradiate,” “Calamity,” “When I Thought I Was Dying It Was Easy.” You can get a signed copy of the book from the link above or pre-order from BOA Editions. I can’t believe the first couple of Flare, Corona book launch events are only a month away – and I found out I’ll be doing a talk at a Writer’s Digest event soon too (details to come!) I better get fully recovered form AWP in a hurry! Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered the book, ordered it from me, or bought it at AWP – I appreciate the support and hope you love the book!

Still Processing/Recovering from AWP (with Pictures), Spring Begins, Beginning to Read through my AWP stack, an In-Depth Review from Flare, Corona

First cherry blossoms

Spring (Finally) Appears, and Still Recovering/Processing AWP

Spring has finally decided to peep through the clouds, as today was the first day here over 60 and the first cherry blossoms, along with jonquils, camellias, and viburnum. Today I watched a bald eagle circle lazily overhead in my yard in a blue sky, and it felt like a reward for the crappy weather we’ve had the last few months.

Three days after AWP, I got a head injury that landed me in the hospital (concussions and MS do not play well together), so I am literally and figuratively still in recovery, but I was able to get out in the sunshine a bit today, plant a few flowers. I’ve been trading e-mails, got a few rejections and acceptances, but generally feel behind. I’m very lucky to not have caught anything (knock on wood), although I was very nervous about catching covid (or pneumonia or strep or something) at AWP. I am so happy I met so many new people and saw so many old friends. Connection is really important to me – even though it’s hard at three-day conferences with 9000 people to really make those real connections with people – but I do my best.

Charlotte with AWP swag pile

I’ve also started reading through my AWP stack of lit mags and books, although not as fast as I hoped (head injury really slowed down my reading, but I did use audio books). So far, I really enjoyed Dana Levin’s essay on divination and poetry in the latest issue of American Poetry Review, listened to Sabrina Orah Mark’s book of fairy-tale theme memoir/essays, Happily, and sent two submissions to journals that asked for them at AWP.

Below are a few pics other people took of me on the last day at AWP: on the publicity panel, with Kelli Russell Agodon at the close of the bookfair, and January O’Neil’s shot of me signing after my disability panel.  I’m still processing everything, but it’s been so nice to be in communication with people who enjoyed the panels or my books or just meeting at AWP. If I found AWP personally enriching, it was also literally enriching to the city: there was an article in Seattle Times about how AWP brought in a whopping 15 million dollars to Seattle, mostly to bookstores, hotels, and bars in the “creative economy:” How the AWP writers conference in Seattle generated an estimated $15M | The Seattle Times

Pink Camellias

An In-Depth Review of a Poem from Flare, Corona, and Planning for a “Book Tour” both IRL and Virtual

Flare, Corona isn’t officially out until May (although you can get it here and you could get it at AWP), but here is a sensitive, in-depth reading of one of the poems from the book by Brian Spears from his new Substack series, Another Poem to Love.

Feeling Like a Writer Again, and Part of a Community But Also, Overwhelmed: Conferences Are Tough and What I Learned – AWP Seattle 2023 Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Day 1: Ready for AWP (?)

Big AWP Post: Feeling Like a Writer Again, Community and What I Learned from Going to Seattle AWP

I’m home from AWP and recovering, eating breakfast, and uploading photos. So, was it worth it to try to go? I had been in a pretty tight pandemic bubble for the last three years, so it was certainly a change! 9000 people attended! I saw lots of friends, both local and cross country, but I don’t think I got to say hi to half the people I wanted to! I definitely overscheduled—which I usually don’t do, but I’ve never had all my panels accepted before, and then had a new book come out at exactly the same time as AWP in my own town, so figured I had to go for it.

There were risks involved, and the conference center was under construction which made wheelchair access to the building problematic—roads were closed off, wheelchair drop-off places were blocked by construction vans. Before the event I felt very insecure about my identity as a writer and being older and yes, I walk with a cane or wheelchair. But after the first day, I felt like I was part of a community, I felt like a writer again, and I felt much less insecure. People I didn’t know came up to me to tell me about different books and how they loved them. People were enthusiastic about the panels I was on. It felt wonderful connecting with friends.

First day at the bookfair, at Two Sylvias table, with Kelli and Annette (the editors and publishers)

Day 1: A Book Signing, The Bookfair, an Offsite Reading, and System Overload

The first day, Glenn had already registered for us and got our badges the day before and we’d checked into the hotel virtually, so getting to AWP was pretty seamless. We went directly to the bookfair to say hi to people before my book signing for Flare, Corona at the BOA Editions booth. It was great to run into people at the bookfair and meeting new people. I got to talk to the editor of APR, who I don’t think I’d met before, and lots of kind literary editors who had published my work over the years.

The book signing itself went well, but what was surprising was that people didn’t just buy Flare, Corona, they brought 16-year-old copies of my older books and told me how the different books has changed their lives. I was pretty surprised and moved.  The team at BOA was really wonderful and supportive, and Glenn had made swag for me—buttons and magnets. I had to rush to the offsite without eating, showering, or resting, and the reading went an hour overtime. There was a terrible inaccessible stage (riser?) and very low light, which made it challenging. It was my first time really reading from the new book, so it was good practice, and there were lots of people in the audience, but: challenging. I tried to hang out with a friend at the bar and it was so crowded and noisy, again challenging.

Things I Learned Day 1: Here were a couple of things I learned: you never know how people and where and when they will connect with your work. Moon City Press sold out of Field Guide to the End of the World, which came out in 2016! And people I ran int0—even pretty good friends—were surprised Flare, Corona was out and available at AWP, even though I felt like I had posted too many times about it on social media (Insta, Twitter, and Facebook) and of course here on the web site. So even if you feel like you’re oversharing, even people who like you and your work probably haven’t seen anything about it. I also sold about a dozen books out-of-hand at bars, the hotel lobby, and just walking place to place—I was lucky Glenn had thought to stash a couple of copies in our bag, so he had them to sell. AWP is a strange place to sell books, because you’re just as likely to sell them sitting at a crowded bar as doing your official readings. This was also my hardest day physically: all my MS symptoms acted up and I was dizzy, breathless, unsteady, and with tremors! Just the overload of noise, light, unexpected hugs (good, but new to me since I’d been bubbling for a while) I think overwhelmed my system. And that was with a lot of prep.

With writer/artist Killian Czuba at Open Books, my happy place

Day 2 at AWP: Meetup at Open Books, Spending Time with Friends Intentionally, and Missing Friends

I took a different approach on the second day: I set up specific friend dates, some of them away from AWP. I started out meeting with Killian Czuba at one of my Seattle happy places, Open Books, the poetry-only bookstore (and very accessible!). We caught up and shopped and then went to a Japanese tea house until they closed down. Then it was back to AWP to meet with speculative writer and friend Lesley Wheeler (we ditched the bar and visited in my hotel room! Racy!), where we were able to provide snacks and a quieter milieu. Then, I raced from there to a fancy dinner I was invited to because (I think) of the featured panelist thing, and luckily, I knew a couple of people there (I was afraid I wouldn’t know anyone and would stand awkwardly around introducing myself to intimidating people), but I couldn’t eat any of the food, food allergies LOL. They did deliver me a carefully wrapped slice of gluten-free bread, which was touching, but I think most of the food would have been deadly (i.e. full of wheat).

What I Learned Day 2: Scheduling intentional offsite time was a win. Wonderful and calming way to catch up with old friends, which is as important to me as selling books at AWP. However, being in individual sessions and no wondering around the bookfair meant lots of friends tried to find me and couldn’t. So next time, I might schedule booth time ahead of time at my other publishers like Two Sylvias or Moon City, so people who want to find you can find you. This was probably my best day physical symptom-wise, though—less noise and crowds, more specific one-on-one talking, and the dinner wasn’t too strenuous.

Funny pic Glenn took: at the close of the bookfair I sat down at a random empty table to sign books, and this was the sign on the table. LOL.

Day 3 at AWP: The Featured Panel Mutant, Monster, Misfit Myself and Back-to-Back Signing and Panel on Publicity and Saying Goodbye at the Bookfair

This is the day I remember the least, probably, as I had to get up early, race to the first panel—the big, featured panel with Sandra Beasley, Rosebud Ben-Oni, and myself, with Jenn Givhan and Paul Guest attending virtually. There were more people than I expected, and things went smoothly. Hearing the stories of the wonderful writers on the panel was so moving and funny and yes, that terrible word, inspiring. A lot of us were talking publicly about our various illnesses and disabilities for the first time, and I got a lot of positive feedback afterwards. Then I stopped briefly to sign books, wheelchaired (late) all the way across two floors and endless square feet to get to my back-to-back panel on publicity, which was really fun. Everyone on the panel was more “professional” than me—there was an indie publicist, a former Graywolf Publicist and Wave Books’ current publicist (who I would have liked to have had coffee with if I didn’t have to race off again) and the lovely moderator. There were a ton of people cramped into a smaller room (the first panel had plenty of seating in the big ballroom) and the audience was really engaged. It was lovely to hear publicly from the moderator and audience members who said PR for Poets had really helped them and they loved it. Once again, sold books unexpectedly at the end of the panel. The panels went smoothly (as in, I didn’t trip or fall or curse too much or pass out, pretty much all my fears). (Folks who paid to attend the AWP conference should be able to re-watch the stream of the big panel here!)

Then I headed to the bookstore to touch base with all of my publishers who were there, grab some books that were practically being given away, and sign more books and say hi to people I didn’t get to see the first two days. This was also pretty exhausting, but we stayed ’til they closed it down a 5pm. I was glad I did though, because I sold more books, saw more wonderful writer friends, and made plans with lots of people.

What I Learned from Day 3: Probably best not to have panels back-to-back across the conference center, but what I really learned was: I really value the people I was on the panel with and felt honored to spend time with them and wished I could have stayed longer to visit with everyone. Also, I wasn’t a total disaster in my first in-person public speaking engagements in a really long time. Talking about things like disability and publicity—admittedly sometimes difficult subjects—is tremendously important, and people want to talk about those things more. Good to know. So, yes, I learned I need to pace myself, use sunglasses if there are too many lights in your face to dampen down neuro-stress, spend time with people you love as much as possible, and be brave. A note about masks: it turns out, no one can hear me with my KN95 mask on, I overheated in it, and my asthma/MS breathing problems acted up with it. I did wear a mask most of the conference but took it off to do public speaking, close speaking with friends, and for pictures. I have not tested positive for covid yet, but I know it was a risk with that many people from that many places. It was the first time I had had a hard time wearing a mask (except maybe for hospital ER visits during the pandemic, when I was having MS symptoms). Recovering this morning, I am glad I went. I had a wonderful time connecting with people, I was very proud of my new book, and I felt less insecure about my looks, age, disability, and calling myself a writer. It really is the community that is important. A friend of mine said “This is our church,” and I knew exactly what she meant. Signing-off now to go back to sleep! Time change messes up our sleep patterns, which were tough anyway. I hope this post was helpful to you and you felt like you were there yourself. Sending love and light out to you my readers!

Countdown to AWP! Six Tips for Surviving AWP Seattle! Also, Flare, Corona’s World Tour Begins, Surprise Snow, Bird Visitors, and a Visit with my Brother

Kitten Charlotte in her first snow

Surprise Snow and a Countdown to AWP Seattle

Yes, winter has decided to push spring aside a little longer, so we are having snow yet again for the next four days. Here is kitten Charlotte in her first snow. But mostly, I just want spring to be here—warmer weather, a few spring blooms, a little more light.

Besides getting ready for my book launch and AWP Seattle, I broke/sprained/bruised my right hand in two places, which slows everything down. I may have mentioned this is my busiest AWP ever, which makes the hand injury very frustrating and inconvenient. Along with some spring flowers, I’m hoping for some speedy healing in the next two weeks!

Seattle AWP is only ten days away! (My AWP appearance calander is on the right side of the page under Events.)

Rare visitor: Townsend’s Warbler in snow

AWP: First Things First

My first AWP event is Thursday’s signing at the book fair at the BOA booth at 3:30 PM, which has its own little official graphic. I hope to see you there, because I’ll be running around like a madwoman the rest of the conference. I am nervous and excited about meeting my BOA publishing people for the first time, too. I hope I make a good impression! Someone asked me, has having a big publisher (well, relatively big, for poetry) changed your life as a poet? I would say, I’m working harder than usual so I can take advantage of things like better distribution and more marketing support. But I’ll know more once the book launches officially in May. I’m so nervous!

Six Tips for Surviving AWP Seattle (From a Local)

So, I’ll go back to my week in a second, but for those of you who are going to AWP for the first time, here are six tips for surviving AWP from a seasoned pro (well, I started going to AWP in the early 2000s, when it was just a couple thousand people.) And this AWP might have a little bit of extra anxiety for those of you, like me, who haven’t attended AWP since the pandemic started.

1. If you are nervous about the pandemic, so am I! Bring masks for high interaction areas, talk to your doctor before you go about an action plan if you do get covid (hey, it happens, and being prepared when you’re away from home is safer than not) and practice things like washing your hands during breaks. If you are high risk, consider limiting your time at crowded events and try to get outside a bit in between things. That’s what I’ll be doing.
2. Speaking of which, even in non-pandemic years, I always recommend getting outside for a bit! Go meet someone for coffee (hey, we’re famous for it!), take an Uber to the Seattle Japanese Garden, Kerry Park or Pike Place Market, stop in at Open Books (our local poetry-only bookstore). If you love surreal pop art, check out the amazing Roq La Rue Gallery or take in more traditional art at the Seattle Art Museum. Check out the architecture at the downtown Seattle Library (I’ll be giving an offsite reading there Thursday evening)! I love AWP but stale conference center air and florescent lighting can make anyone feel a little less than their best, and Seattle is a beautiful city to explore, and it seems a shame to miss it. (Safety talk: Do take precautions in the downtown corridor after dark like you would in any downtown area—Seattle used to be very low in crime, but it has ticked up in recent years.)
3. Hydrate—it’s always too hard to find cold water or hot coffee inside the center, so bring your own thermos or water bottle, and don’t forget lip balm and maybe even a travel moisturizer. Washing your hands and using hand sanitizer is hard on the hands. I also keep a face spray (like Tower 28 SOS travel spray) in my purse because it feels great after wearing a mask for any length of time.
4. Arrange to see your friends! Find a time to get together so you can catch up—I see people I sometimes only see every few years, so it’s a great opportunity.to build friendships, and sometimes that’s more important.
5. Don’t feel guilty about sneaking back to your room for a nap, or just a little alone time. Especially after being pretty isolated for three years, expect to experience some sensory overload. Don’t beat yourself up for not being able to be “on” 24/7. Remember to eat and drink at appropriate intervals—this one always gets away from me.
6. Be kind to others, and to yourselves. A lot of us are feeling awkward, what with real shoes instead of slippers and getting their new glasses prescriptions updated after three years. Have you forgotten how to make small talk or remember what’s the exact right way to address your former professor/student/friend from grad school fifteen years ago? Everyone else is probably experiencing those exact same things. Relax, breathe, and try to have some fun—after all, AWP is really about connecting with other writers and people who love writing.

Thanks to John Campos for this shot of Flare, Corona in Mexico this week!

Flare, Corona on Its First Stop on Its World Tour – and a Visit to My Little Brother – with Space Needle

I got this wonderful picture from my friend John Campos who took my book on his vacation to Mexico for a little light reading. Thanks John! The adventure begins! Please send me more pics of my book in different locations if you get a chance. And cats!

Made the trip downtown this week to spend some time with my little brother, where we stopped to have coffee in the lobby of the hip hotel Citizen, gave him a copy of my book and spent some time high up getting pictures on a cold windy night with the Space Needle. I realized there is still a lot of downtown I don’t explore on a regular basis (hello strip club across from a Sephora!) and that the Convention Center has been totally redone since the last AWP Seattle so I’ll have to relearn some of the layout. Also figuring out cool hotel bars/coffee shops in walking distance to the Convention Center is important. So even though we got blown around a bit (I almost fell over the wind was so strong! I felt like Mary Poppins!) it was great to traverse the streets on foot pre-AWP. Plus, my brother is always fun to hang out with, and I was so excited to share my book with him.

Getting Ready for AWP: New Glasses, New Hair, New Book, and Getting Used to Hugs Again

Me with new glasses

Getting Ready for AWP

It’s a few weeks before AWP, and I’m trying to prep as much as possible beforehand. I was thinking that AWP for me feels like a kind of re-entry ritual. I went to the eye doctor and got a new prescription—I’d been squinting for at least a year without going in for a check, but I decided to bite the bullet, get the news that yes, my prescription had changed, and got some new frames too.

I also decided to try permanent pink at a professional’s hand—a process that took two hours compared to the twenty minutes it took to do temporary color at home. But I thought, maybe it was time. I’ve been trying on clothing, figuring out outfits, getting rid of things that are worn out or don’t fit, and making sure I had comfortable walking shoes that will work for AWP. For so long I’ve been living in fuzzy slippers! I’m throwing out old makeup and trying out new stuff—I even went inside a IRL store (Blue Mercury, which just opened near our house) to try some things on in person, instead of just ordering online and hoping things worked.

I realized at our last book club—which was a lot of fun—that I wasn’t used to things like hugs, or people talking to me too close—after several years of being extremely cautious, social distancing, etc. But a small group at a winery is pretty low-risk compared to AWP—so it’s good practice, and I left after feeling really cheered by good conversation (and a few book sales!) So, I am looking forward to social interaction, even though I’m still a little anxious about it.

Pink Hair, Kirkland sunset

And It’s Not Just AWP…Birthdays, Parent Visits, and Book Launches

I have my parents coming to visit for the first time in six years, and my 50th birthday to plan, as well as the official release of Flare, Corona. So, I have to get my house in order (carpet cleaning in the basement? Yes! Getting rid of junk in the basement? Also yes!) I haven’t even started with sending out my book cards or my e-mail book announcement yet, so it’s weird that I have a stack of books already. It’s kind of nice that my publisher is so ahead of the game.

I also have a frenetic kitten in my life—yesterday morning she decided when we let her out on our back porch, to fully jump into the birdbath, which we then had to immediately transfer her to her very first bath. This kitten is adorable and cuddly sometimes, and a bitey/scratchy machine at other times. And as far as turning 50, mostly I’ve been “celebrating” that by a ton of doctor appointments who want to check in on my thyroid, my hormones, my bleeding disorder, my liver…well, just lots of things that you have to test when you get to a certain age. My year so far has been filled with doctor appointments, which are occasionally useful, like my MS doctor who just ordered home physical therapy for me, which will be great, and some anti-fatigue medications, most of which I am nervous about taking. I have been watching a lot of friends contend with serious medical problems in themselves, their kids, and their spouses, so keeping up your network of doctors (especially post-pandemic, when so many of them have left/retired/gone on sabbatical) is actually important.

And I’ve been setting up book launches around town—one at a winery in Woodinville, one at Open Books, and now also one at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park (keep an eye on my calendar). I even have a virtual reading in New York State set up. All this, and trying not to catch covid, or break anything, or have any health crises before all these events. We don’t control everything, but I’m trying to be careful and conscious. I’m also hoping the winter ends soon as we can see spring instead of snow. I can just hope for the best, and hope I might see some of you soon.

Where I’ll Be at AWP, Almost Valentine’s, the Poetics of Wrongness, and Flare Corona Makes Its Way into the World – and a First Review

Spring books from BOA Editions

Where I’ll Be at AWP

AWP is just around the corner, and I think this must be the busiest AWP I’ve ever had! The new book is out, I’ll be doing signings at the BOA table, I’m doing an offsite reading, and two panels.

What are you doing in preparation for AWP? I just got my eye exam (needed a new prescription, thanks aging!) so I’ll have new (properly working) glasses for AWP, I’m trying on clothing and making sure things fit, I’ve booked a hotel, and am trying to get as healthy as possible beforehand.

Tulips, new book, and Antagonist wine from J. Bookwalter’s winery

Almost Valentine’s Day and the Poetics of Wrongness

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which this year will fall on a snowy Tuesday. I am ready for spring, not more snow! Glenn got me some beautiful tulips and put together a little tableau with my new book. Wine, tulips, a good book—what more could I ask for on a winter’s day?

Speaking of which, I got an advanced copy of Rachel Zucker’s The Poetics of Wrongness, which is a series of essay/lectures about things that are wrong—for instance, even the idea of a lecture! It’s thought-provoking and enjoyable reading, especially if you’ve read some of Zucker’s other prose (or follow her podcast).

The cats decided spontaneously to pose with her book and our little tableau, here:

Also upcoming this week: J. Bookwalter’s Read Between the Wines Book Club, 6 PM Wednesday the 15th, the Day after Valentine’s Day! Prepare to get cozy and discuss this literary spy thriller, The Secrets We Kept, about the origins of Dr. Zhivago! So if you don’t have any post-Valentine’s plan, come in for some wine and book talk on the 15th.

Mom with my book

The Book Makes Its Way into the World

Since I got my author copies early, I was able to send out a few copies pre-AWP, including to my parents in Ohio. You can see my mother (isn’t she cute?) holding the book to the left. A few other people let me know they received the book safely as well, so it’s making its way all over the place. Here’s a lovely early review from my friend Lesley Wheeler: Flares, small and celestial—LESLEY WHEELER!

I’m starting to book readings and things into June! I’m up for virtual class visits (or in person, in the Seattle area) as well. If you want a signed copy, I’ll be signing them at the BOA table on the Thursday afternoon of AWP! And you can order your signed copy now here: Flare, Corona @ Webbish6.

I hope you will have a good week ahead! Stay warm and take good care out there! Here’s a deer visitor to our yard to remind you – spring is ahead! Soonish!

The Early Arrival of Author Copies of Flare, Corona (!!!), Celebrations with Poet Friends, Fun Videos, Imbolc/St. Brigid’s Day/Groundhog Day and the Sun’s Slow Return

Me with box of Flare, Corona copies and Charlotte and Sylvia

Surprise! Early Arrival of Flare, Corona Author Copies!

Well, this week held a happy surprise: three boxes of books arrived at my door yesterday morning! Since the book’s official release date is several months down the line in spring, I was happy but also felt that I was suddenly behind on everything related to the book.

The book is bigger and more square and substantial feeling than all of my previous books (which should make shipping more interesting), but it felt absolutely terrific to be holding a book that was six years in the making—and contains some of my most vulnerable work, from the most challenging time in my life.

I tried my hand at making videos again (this time, a short unboxing video) and took pictures of the cats with my book. I was so overwhelmed I felt literally light-headed! If you want a copy, it’s still early, but you can get a signed copy from me here or order directly from BOA Editions here.  I’ll also be signing copies at AWP and of course there will be launches in Seattle and Woodinville later in the spring.

Celebrating with Poet Friends

I was lucky enough to be able to celebrate with my poet friend Kelli Russell Agodon. We had been meaning to get together for a while, so we also celebrated her (January) birthday along with the new book! We had champagne, strawberry cupcakes, a huge plate of veggies, and just generally had a great time catching up. I was thinking about the importance of having other writers who support and encourage you along the way—the rejections, the reviews, the acceptances and (occasionally) prizes and publications. Someone who knows exactly what you’ve been through and has gone through a lot of the same things.

The pandemic has been hard on extroverts like me, and although I’ve made efforts to keep socializing a bit, I am really looking forward to reconnecting with more writer friends, not just at the upcoming AWP in Seattle, but this spring and summer as I start reading and having parties. I am in the mood to celebrate life, and hopefully the pandemic will become less dangerous as scientists develop more effective treatment, so I can actually do that safely.

Kirkland sunset in February

Imbolc/St. Brigid’s Day/Groundhog Day and the Slow Return of the Sun

January was a rough month for me, and for many of my friends, so here’s hoping for the return of the light—celebrated symbolically on Imbolc and St. Brigid’s Day—and better things ahead.

I always look forward to the spring, and never more than this year. I just feel something is changing for the better, besides the earth’s core stopping spinning and whatnot (hey, I can’t stop paying attention to everything!), and I feel thankful—thankful—to be approaching my 50th birthday this April. Really, for someone like me, it’s a surprise and a privilege to have survived this long. The book—Flare, Corona—talks about a time that I really thought—and I had been told by prominent specialists—I wasn’t going to make it past 43. I thought about what I could be thankful for.

Pileated Woodpecker in flight

Groundhog Day is a less old and revered holiday than Imbolc or St. Brigid’s Day, and this year, the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, though he’s correct only 30 something percent of the time. I’m hoping to see flowers, and some later sunsets, and warmer weather so we can get out into nature more frequently. Hoping for less snow this winter, and fewer fires this fall.

This pileated woodpecker is a reminder that if we just pay attention, beauty is right outside our window. The birds are singing now in the morning before sunrise, and we even have tulips and daffodils poking out of the ground, although not close to flowering yet. Some years in February, we get cherry blossoms.

Anyway, let’s look towards the lengthening days, the birds and the trees for hope.

And, for fun, here’s my little 17 second unboxing video. I’ve never done one of these before!

And here’s another one with Kelli and I introducing the book.

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Sad news about a Seattle poet, Red-Winged Blackbirds and Superhero Poems, and Some Vision Boards and Kitten Pics to Cheer Us Up

Juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird

A January Post with Sad News About a Seattle Poet

I meant this to be an upbeat blog post but it’s hard to feel upbeat and I want to be authentic in this blog. I was sick all week (hence the lack of selfies) and it was cold and foggy out, absolutely the kind of weather you don’t want to go out in. I had a strange harbinger—a beautiful juvenile red-winged blackbird at my feeder, which I thought was unusual (they don’t usually visit feeders). Then tonight I learned about the death of a poet/friend/editor of Menacing Hedge, Kelly Boyker Guillemette. She was also a Seattle poet, so it impacts this community that I live in. I was sad I didn’t get to tell her how much I appreciated her, or even get to have coffee with her, just to visit. This pandemic has been so isolating, I realize, that I’ve lost touch with friends I shouldn’t have.  

The news has been pretty relentlessly terrible, too. Outside today we had some sunshine, and I had been in bed, barely leaving the house even to get the mail this week with cold, miserable fog every day, so I took a short walk, but in the end, it was too cold to stay out long. I noticed how fallow everything was—all my usual walks, usually with some flowers or greenery even in winter, looked unusually barren. January is a hard month for many reasons. Anyway, readers, hug your friends and editors, tell them you appreciate them, buy them a coffee. 

Superhero Poems and Being a Poetry Influence

A friend sent me a notice about a poem featured on the Poetry Foundation site this week he thought I would like, a poem called “Chinese Female Kung-Fu Superheroes” by Teresa Mei Chuc that bears a little resemblance to a poem of mine called “Female Comic Book Superheroes” from my first book, Becoming the Villainess. And look at the end of the poem. I was really…touched. It’s cool that a poem you wrote over sixteen years ago could inspire someone now. And it’s a really fun poem, and it was featured on Poetry Foundation’s web site. Anyway, it made me feel simultaneously old and happy that someone had found the poem and been inspired to write their own commentary on kick-ass superheroines in a completely different decade.

Kitten Charlotte with crossed paws

Vision Boards and Kitten Pictures

Remember when I said up at the top this was going to be an upbeat post? And it was supposed to be! I was going to post pictures of kitten Charlotte as she’s getting bigger and healthier and pictures of the vision board I barely squeaked into January, just under the wire for 2023. You might notice some themes in the visuals—butterflies, foxes, and typewriters, which all feature in most of my vision boards in some way. I am also hoping and hopefully manifesting more parties, more healthy days in the year, and of course, hoping the new book will connect with an audience in a positive way.

I enjoy doing these kinds of artistic/craft projects even though I am no collage artist, because it requires me to do things I don’t normally do, like wield a glue stick with poster board and scissors, to think visually instead of linguistically.

Kitten Charlotte underneath the vision board (it has her teeth marks on it already…)

I am feeling sentimental tonight and playing the song “Turn Turn Turn” by the Birds. The weather report swears the sunset will happen after 5 PM this week. My garden and trees that look bare and brown now will (hopefully) be full of color in spring. The older cat, Sylvia, in sitting on my lap as I type this, reminding me not to be too sad (she is good at picking up on emotional distress). Let’s hope February brings more love, more light, more health, and more hope to us all.

New Poems in California Quarterly, Book Galleys/ARCs, Winery Book Club Report, and Setting Goals for…Poetry Books?

January Deer Visitors

New Poems in California Quarterly

First of all, a big thank you to California Quarterly for publishing two of my poems in their latest Winter 2022 issue, including “Cassandra as Climate Scientist” and “She Learns to Become Fire.”

Here’s a sneak peek at “Cassandra as Climate Scientist:”

Sylvia and Charlotte pose with my ARC

An Exciting Milestone: The Galley/ARC of Flare, Corona is Here!

Yes, as you can see, the cats are equally excited about the new galley/ARC of Flare, Corona, which means the real book isn’t that far out anymore. Eek!

That means I need to start planning events and other things around the book launch and AWP. I’m starting to list readings and events here on the site at the right side of the page. The list will be growing!

By the way, if you want your own galley/ARC for review or academic course adoption, you can contact BOA Editions! Please send your review copy request directly to Genevieve Hartman, Director of Development & Publicity, at hartman@boaeditions.org.

Glenn with Hell of a Book and kitten in lap

Winery Book Club Report – Hell of a Book

On a cold January night, it was a pleasure to cozy up with some wine, cheese, and Glenn’s madeleines to talk about Jason Mott’s terrific book Hell of a Book. We had a great discussion, ending in a lot of laughter, and our next book is the literary spy thriller The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott, and we’ll meet the day after Valentine’s Day at J. Bookwalter’s in Woodinville at 6 PM (in case you want to join us). A spy thriller is the perfect thing to read in the wintertime.

I’ve really enjoyed being part of the local community, learning more about books and wine at the same time (do I like non-oaky Chardonnay? Yes!) This will also be the location of my Woodinville book launch/birthday celebration in April, and I hope I can introduce some of my Seattle friends to a great local winery (with wines named after book things – Double Plot is the name of the Chardonnet I like, for instance).

Anyway, this has been a great way to help make friends in my neighborhood too, and find some people talk books with on a regular basis. I’m thankful to have a little social practice before AWP, too!

Another cats with book post

Setting Goals…For Your Poetry Book?

I was talking to my little brother this week and he asked me what my goals were for my upcoming book. I hemmed and hawed a little bit, because honestly, I hadn’t really thought a lot in those terms. Isn’t creating the book, finding a publisher, and helping the book get into the world enough of a goal? But of course, my little brother is very practical and ambitious and wants to know what I want to happen with Flare, Corona. I guess when I close my eyes and dream, I hope to connect with a bigger audience, hope to have some good reviews in good places (whatever we think those are right now), hope to, yes, have some book sales (part of that whole reaching a bigger audience thing). I hope that people with MS or difficult diagnoses will find some comfort or fellowship in these poems. I hope it wins a big book prize, too! Do we dare to hope for big media coverage—a radio or television appearance, or being picked by a big book club?

I actually posted this question on Facebook and heard lots of people’s views on whether or not we should even have goals for our poetry books, what they might be for each person, and how overwhelming it can be for poets (who often want to separate the art from the promotion part) to even think about what they are actually hoping to have happen. It can feel overly ambitious to even dream of some of these things. Some just want to focus on the work, which I totally understand, and totally reject even the idea of having goals for a book. But I think it helps me to imagine a future for my little book, that goes beyond just me and my friends and family. And my little brother’s right in some ways—if you have no goals, do you think you might act differently? Plan differently?

One goal I had for this year was to be more social, to have a 50th birthday celebration with friends, to enjoy more things and worry less. How to balance this with everything else? I want to press the brakes on the things that are no fun—MRIs, blood draws, doctor appointments. How do you inject more fun into a life that feels like for three years it’s been nothing but anxiety? It’s tough. Anyway, yes, poetry goals are hard to crystallize or analyze—and maybe that’s okay. Art for art’s sake is totally fine! But maybe it is worth thinking—hey, what do I want to accomplish with this particular piece of writing? What is in my control and out of my control? For writers, a lot of it is out of our hands—but not everything. Anyway, I will report back with more ideas about goals as I come up with them…