Comments on: Talking about Poetry Book Reviews, and a Couple of Down Days due to MS, Rejections, etc.

By: Poetry Blog Digest 2019: Week 19 – Via Negativa

Poetry Blog Digest 2019: Week 19 – Via Negativa — Tue, 14 May 2019 00:03:50 +0000

[…] Jeannine Hall Gailey, Talking about Poetry Book Reviews, and a Couple of Down Days due to MS, Rejections, etc. […]

By: Ann

Ann — Mon, 13 May 2019 13:59:21 +0000

Re: submitting: Keep at it–as I know you will. I had a little flurry of rejections in April, which bummed me out because hey, it’s poetry month, but oh well!

Thank you for encouraging people to write reviews. I did a fair amount of reviewing for a few years (in fact, I recall reviewing one of your earlier collections!) but recently have been too busy at my day job to devote the necessary time to that labor of love for the poetry community.

And it is a labor of love and a task worth shouldering and sharing. I hope to get back to reviewing eventually. Perhaps when I retire…

By: Brian James Lewis

Brian James Lewis — Sat, 11 May 2019 20:56:18 +0000

While I don’t have the same afflictions, mine are similar and I got nailed with problems out the blue this summer, too. Grrr! I agree that it just takes the wind out of your sails and kills your happiness. I also agree that the poetry market has gotten a little “elite” at some publications and it seems very difficult to submit the right thing because when you send exactly what they asked for they say that’s not it. From my reading of various magazines and blogs, it also appears that we’re getting a lot of people who want to make this a get rich quick popstar kind of thing with little regard for craft. When the presses are swamped with that kind of thing it really slows things down for veteran writers who’ve been in the trenches for decades. That’s kind of what I’m seeing on the review end of things and the folks who are going for popstar get really mad when I decline to review their work. But like yourself, I don;t WANT to write negative reviews and what I read has to engage my heart and brain. That’s it. No “Why try? I’m gonna die! Sigh” nonsense. Write bad words, make up words, make up lands, but do it with soul and love. I’m hoping things turn around for you soon. You are awesome, your writing and poetry are great. Thanks for all you for others and the inspiration you provide!

By: Jeannine Hall Gailey

Jeannine Hall Gailey — Sat, 11 May 2019 20:51:54 +0000

In reply to Rebecca Loudon.

Yes, I caught him at the perfect moment – so hard to get a real smile out of him in a picture!
Panic attack while submitting poems = the title of my new feminist punk rock band.

By: Rebecca Loudon

Rebecca Loudon — Sat, 11 May 2019 20:32:41 +0000

That picture of Glenn smelling the lilacs is priceless. Poetry will always be a tough business. I had a panic attack today while submitting four poems.
Love
Rebecca