Review of Field Guide to the End of the World up at Entropy, Ada Limon SAL Reading, Upcoming Readings, Hurricanes, and Feeling Grateful

Thanks to Donna Vorreyer and Entropy Magazine for this amazingly thought-provoking review of Field Guide to the End of the World. I confess I got a little tear-y reading it. I know how much energy it takes to write a review like that, and I appreciate it!

adalimonsalj9adalimon Spent a wonderful night listening to Ada Limon read at SAL’s poetry series last night, and then Rebecca Hoogs interviewed her after the reading, which was great. My favorite quote from Ada was something I’d often told students “Embrace your weirdness. It’s what will make your poetry special.” She talked about working with Phil Levine and Sharon Olds at NYU, living in Kentucky due to dating someone in the racehorse business (!!), not seeing whales at Provincetown, her first time witnessing fireflies as an adult, and even her theater degree at UW. Ada was not only super talented and a great reader, she also radiates beauty and light. I was so glad I got to see her in person! I had really liked Bright Dead Things when I read it last year, but now I can connect to the book even more. Isn’t that why we go to readings?

Tonight, I’ll be trying to connect to readers myself when I do a class visit for a class down in California. How great is our technology lets us do that? We’ll be talking about genre, robots, class, and The Robot Scientist’s Daughter. Should be fun!

In the meantime, I’ve been worrying about my friends and family on the Southern East Coast and that crazy hurricane. Nothing I can do anything about, of course, but worry and watch the weather reports.

I got a rejection today, after sending out two subs – isn’t that always the way, some poems come back, then they go out again. I had some random (?) mail like “sign up for cancer insurance!” (What up, HIPAA?) Despite all this, I was feeling extraordinarily grateful – I don’t know, for everything, for my friends, for a wonderful poetry community both in person and online, for the good things in our lives. I do get discouraged and depressed, like anyone, as you could probably tell from my last post – but for some reason, the last day or so, I’ve just had this odd feeling of hopefulness and well-being. I know some of this is from the good wishes and sweetness of my family and friends.

I got to talk to Billie at the SAL reading about our celebration/reception/reading October 15 at Open Books. I think we’re going to bring gluten-free cupcakes, sparkling drinks, cheese and fruit. I’m going to pick a few poems to read (nothing too long, as we want to have time to actually celebrate with friends!) and then sign books and socialize. I’m really looking forward to it! I’m so grateful to have a second opportunity to celebrate the book with friends at one of my very favorite all-time bookstores!

Stay safe, everyone in the path of Hurricane Matthew. And thank you to everyone who has sent me supportive messages and good thoughts and prayers, people who have bought, read and reviewed Field Guide to the End of the World and my other books (just had a new review pop up on Amazon for Unexplained Fevers – how cool is that?) and my family and friends who have tried to keep me cheerful during this challenging year.

 

Making October Brighter: Oct 15th Open Books Reception, Mythic Delirium Poems, Other Poetry Business and More

October can be a rough month for us in the Northwest. The days get shorter, colder, and much, much wetter, all at once. We did have a brief sunbreak during which Glenn and I ran around taking pictures to prove that sun and autumn leaves could happen at the same time, see below! Otherwise, we’ve been trying to stay positive while going to looong cancer doctor appointments (right now, my main two cancer specialist folks don’t agree on next steps, tests, or what exact kind of cancer I have…which makes all the appointments emotional and exhausting), doing dental work, getting feet x-rayed (I had a nerve contusion, not a break, yay), and of course, trying to avoid getting the flu as I recover from pneumonia. (Finally, my oxygen levels are back to normal. Yay! Oxygen=good!) Having pneumonia and having to deal with complicated diagnoses and tests at the same time are not my recommendation for fun times. It’s been rough trying to do enough to promote the new book (at least in my mind) but then I remember that the Bronte sisters’ first book of poetry sold two copies. So maybe I’m doing okay. In general I’ve just felt a little tired and down. I need an espresso shot for the spirit!

I’m doing some things to counter my tiredness and bit of discouragement – tomorrow I’m attending Ada Limon’s SAL reading, I’m doing a few online class visits to talk about my various books – I think I’ll be talking about The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, Becoming the Villainess, and Field Guide to the End of the World for the different classes –  in the next couple of weeks, and visiting with some other writers to talk poetry next week. I love doing online class visits as long as my technology cooperates, and it’ll be nice to hang out with other writers for a bit. I’ve mostly finished my review of Dana Levin’s Banana Palace. I’ve written a few new poems, and plan to do some more fall submissions. It is the season for that!

Then, the big news – I’ve got a reception/reading thing coming up – my second event for Field Guide to the End of the World – at Open Books in Seattle on October 15 at 4 PM. It’s not a formal reading, more of a book signing plus with fun, I’m so excited that I can bring cupcakes and sparkling drinks and can make it a real sort of celebration with all my friends down in Seattle who couldn’t make it out to Woodinville last month. Plus, I’ll actually have a voice this time, and no coughing, I promise! It should be fun! I’m kind of glad now I spaced the two main events for Seattle a month apart – who knew it would take me almost that long to get all the way better? And it’s never bad to be at Open Books – still one of my fave places in Seattle, now with a new owner, a new coat of paint and a children’s corner.

Also, thank you to Mythic Delirium because their new issue features a poem from Field Guide to the End of the World, “To the Ends of the Earth.” Mythic Delirium has always been one of my fave speculative publications.

What are are you guys doing to keep your spirits up now that October and fall are here? We’re already started making little gluten-free pumpkin cheesecakes, checking out all the new fall shows (what do you like so far? Timeless seems promising…) and stocking up on new reading material…including the new Maria Semple novel (whose main character is a poet!) and the issue of APR with Marie Howe AND Beth Ann Fennelly!

Friday Updates: Two New Reviews for Field Guide, Black Moons, Shifting Energies, and Small Annoyances

Two new reviews for Field Guide to the End of the World!

Thanks to the Chick with Books blog for this review:

http://chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/field-guide-to-end-of-world-by-jeannine.htm

And to Suko’s Notebook blog for this:

http://www.sukosnotebook.net/2016/09/field-guide-to-end-of-world.html

Thank you so much to the reviewers for their hard work!

So, the end of September, the Black Moon tonight, which of course you can’t see as it’s a new moon, all these things represent  changes, shifting energies, the ends of one season and the beginnings of another. (Download the cool song “In a Blackout” by Hamilton Leithauser & Rostam for good melodic accompaniment to the new moon!)  I’ve been experiencing a series of – not tragedies, but annoyances. For instance, I dropped something heavy on my foot a few days ago, and it might be broken – I’ve been resting and wrapping it and hoping for the best! I’m going to get it x-rayed today. They’ve also been paving my neighborhood this week, so we got trapped in our house (or conversely, outside our house) at awkward times – when I was supposed to go to the doctor, or when we were coming home with groceries. The air has heavily smelled of tar, so being outside the house for even a small amount of time – like going outside to watch the birds – brought on coughing fits. This could be a metaphor – the destruction of the old sidewalk and road and the laying down of new materials – but this week it’s just felt…well, annoying. Like my foot! Not the end of the world, but enough to make things a little painful and awkward.

On the plus side, I finished one of the book reviews I was working on (When the Rewards Can Be So Great, a collection of craft talks from Pacific University’s MFA program) and am almost done with another (Dana Levin’s apocalyptic Banana Palace.) I wrote a few new poems. I moved summer clothes out of my closet, and warm jackets in. It’s been beautiful – sunny and in the sixties, which is my favorite weather. Now if I can just get back to walking!

I’ve been invited to do several class visits in the upcoming two weeks – a couple of them by Skype/Google Hangouts – which I feel very lucky to do. I’m going to see Ada Limon read on the 5th, which I’m excited about. I love visiting with students! And of course the Open Books signing/reception for the new book on October 15th. Then a bunch of poetry stuff goes on at the end of the month – including a Hugo House event (with Sherman Alexie as judge!) and LitCrawl. October looks like it’s going to be busy but hopefully more productive (and less pneumonia-y) than September!

New Reviews for Field Guide to the End of the World, Best of the Net Nomination from Eye to the Telescope, September Endings and Goal-Setting

Thanks to Darlene from Peeking Between the Pages for this new review of Field Guide to the End of the World:

http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/2016/09/field-guide-on-the-end-of-the-world-by-jeannine-hall-gailey.html

And thanks to Eva Lucia’s Music and Literature blog for this review: https://evaluciamusicandliterature.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/field-guide-to-the-end-of-the-world/

And thanks to Eye to the Telescope for nominating my poem “Mermaid, on Land” for the Best of the Net award. This was a poem I wrote while struggling a few years ago with being in a wheelchair, which of course made me think of the Little Mermaid, whose every footstep felt like “walking on knives.” You can read the poem in the archive here:

http://eyetothetelescope.com/archives/018issue.html

So, really grateful for all this kind attention! Thank you!

It’s the end of September and the time of “Black Moon,” the second new moon this month, which, coincidentally, is supposed to bring about the end of the world or variously, the second coming. That’s this Friday, for astrological types. Oh, so many ends of the worlds we’ve been told about! In more optimistic news, I’ve been hunting for fall color – here in the Northwest, things are usually green, greener, greenest – but I think I found a few bits! Here’s a couple of shots of us goofing around with local leaves, the Japanese garden, and some apple branches! (I did not steal these apples, though I was tempted!)

Are you feeling more motivated, with the end of September? This is usually the season of submitting work, though I have so few poems to send out these days it’s hard! Last night during and after the debate, I wrote three poems and got a couple hundred words down for two book reviews (including for Dana Levin’s new apocalypse-themed Banana Palace)– so maybe I’m starting to finally get my brain back after the long post-pneumonia-tiredness? Anyway, what are your fall goals this year? I just mailed out some flyers to bookstores about the new book, which I’ve never done before – I’ll let you know if it makes any difference! (#prforpoets experiments, hurrah!)

I’m also hoping (!!) to get twenty reviews on the new book on Amazon – the minimum level at which Amazon starts “recommending” your book to others – and I’m not exactly sure how to go about it. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten more than 12 Amazon reviews on any previous book. So, readers, what do you suggest? Any magic tips or tricks? Anyone up for an Amazon review of Field Guide to the End of the World – leave a comment for an e-galley! And those who already have and love the book? Even a really short Amazon review is very much appreciated! Apples for you!

Two New Reviews for Field Guide, Elgin Award news for The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, and September Falling into Melancholy

Welcome to Fall! Said goodbye to my parents this morning as they flew back to Ohio and as I am nearly all the way recovered now from the pneumonia – just a little tiredness and cough remains – I’m ready to face the new fall weather, start reading and writing more, work a little harder on the book’s promotion. (Several friends mentioned to me this week – did you have a book come out?)

So, in that vein, two new reviews of Field Guide to the End of the World:
*This beautiful review by Kathleen Kirk at Escape into Life: http://www.escapeintolife.com/blog/field-guide-to-the-end-of-the-world/
*Kristin Berkey-Abbott’s thoughtful write-up on her blog here: http://kristinberkey-abbott.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-field-guide-to-end-times-and-our-times.html

I also got the news that The Robot Scientist’s Daughter won second place for the Elgin Award, the SFPA’s award for full-length poetry collections of a speculative nature. (More info about all the Elgin Award winners here.) Thank you to the SFPA members that voted for it! Sadly, it was not a finalist for the Washington State Book Awards, which curiously chose three out of five poetry finalists from states other than Washington State for this past year’s candidates. Susan Rich wrote a very interesting essay about this here: http://www.seattlereviewofbooks.com/notes/2016/09/19/why-does-carl-phillips-need-the-washington-state-book-award/

As I’m getting better from the acute (pneumonia and pleurisy) I’m able to think again about the cancer problem – getting second opinions, contemplating tests and treatment options. Thinking about mortality – how much time is left? What am I doing with my time? It’s funny how struggling to breathe for a week or two can tear your focus from near distance (this year or next year) to the immediate – how am I going to get through this night, how am I going to be able to breathe/talk/laugh/walk today. Also, note to self: do not get pneumonia the month of your book launch, and definitely not within two weeks of it.

Was talking to my friend Kelli how the beginning of fall always signals that it’s time to focus, to write and send out work, to spend time curled up with books instead of chasing that elusive and short-lived summer sunshine. I’ve been eating lots of apples as the grocery stores run out of in-season peaches, blueberries (apple and sheep cheese omelets? baked apples with honey? apples in chicken salad with grapes?) and listening to Lord Huron’s “Ends of the Earth”. This year the urgency to write and send out is more pronounced; if not now, then when, I ask myself?

You try to grab at time – the time I spent laughing and playing cards with my folks, the time I spend walking holding hands with my husband through Woodinville’s many gardens, the time I spent with the dear friends that showed up to the winery to the book reading and party – but nothing lasts long enough, and it’s hard to press those things indelibly into memory. Like a fire, like the end of September you have to keep feeding your own life to keep it lit – every bit of brightness over in an instant.

It’s time for the migration of snow geese and trumpeter swans. We usually don’t get them in Woodinville, they travel farther north through La Connor, but here is a snow goose who decided to move in with a pack of Canadian Geese and eat some grapes at Chateau Saint Michelle! Check out the black tipped wings and tail, which become much more striking in flight. This is as close as I’ve ever gotten to one, though I’ve seen masses of them move through the sky before:snowgeese92016

Jeannine Hall Gailey

Jeannine Hall GaileyJeannine 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.

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