Thanks to Kelli for pointing out this wonderful interview with Dorianne Laux, one of my favorite poets, about her new books – and if you look hard, there might even be a mention of me right beside one of my other favorite poets, Denise Duhamel. I’m honored to be in the same paragraph! Thanks Dorianne!
Heading into Ballard for a poetry reading tonight. Had a lovely time yesterday at a holiday gathering of friends, despite a persistent head cold that has rendered any talk of venturing out into the blistering cold (temps in the 30s which is awfully chilly for coastal Washington) deeply uninteresting.
Just a few days left to finish up freelance work and finish Christmas shopping for my family…
A little news, a little cold, a few readings that I’m going to attend…
Thanks to some friends who alerted me that a few of my poems are online with Contemporary Haibun Magazine.
And to another friend who alerted me to my presence on a list of finalists here (and the winners haven’t been announced yet – cross your fingers for me!)
http://www.smartishpace.com/home/erskinej/info.html
I’m proud to be on the list with fellow blogger Rachel Dacus.
Been under the weather with that cold/sore throat thing that’s been going around, you know, the combination of the crappy rainy cold windstorms and the usual germs when it turns cold, so I’ve been kind of out of it and not very productive, but I’m looking forward to doing some socializing and such at several readings this week.
The first is the Crab Creek Review new issue debut (the first one that I helped edit!) reading:
http://crabcreek.blogspot.com/2007/10/roots-and-writers-reading-october-23.html
Tuesday at 7 PM at the Richard Hugo House with readers like Oliver de la Paz, Jenifer Lawrence, John Davis and Janet Knox and my former classmate at Pacific University Thea Swanson.
Then, Oliver strikes again at a reading at Open Books with Aimee Nezhukumatathil at 7 Pm on Thursday: http://www.openpoetrybooks.com/calendar/index.html
which should be really fun as well.
Enjoyed Kelli and Ann’s reading last night, especially the part where G and I got to go out to dinner with them beforehand, where one of the readers (can’t tell you who!) threw red wine on the other in a fit of rage. Just kidding. But there was some hilarious (for those of us on the other side of the table, anyway) wine spillage action. I’m going to have to quit being a hostess of the SoulFood Books readings, which I’ll miss, since I’m moving in November.
Got an order for a chapbook last night, and I realized that after I fill that order, I don’t have any more regular (without printing problems) chapbooks left. I’ll have to post the “sold out unless you go through Pudding House” sign on the “Female Comic Book Superheroes” chapbook sale page. I still have some irregular (printing problems) ones I can bring to readings, I think.
Battling a sinus/sore/throaty head cold and, according to my back specialist today, some kind of cervical spine nerve problem. (I’ve been having neck and shoulder pain, and last night during the open mike, my entire right arm went numb.) I am hoping both go away in the next week so I can be healthy and happy for my Ohio/NY mini-tour.
Still trying to figure out where to send “second” book manuscripts (I now have two full-grown ones ready to go.) It seems that all the listed contests are for first books, and after that, good luck! Maybe the Pleiades Press or the Journal/Ohio State?
