Wednesday, April 28, 2010

April Wrap-Up

April ends with a couple of interesting developments.

First, I have finally gotten an answer to the question, "National Poetry Month is here again, so where's my cut?" That answer came on April 20, when Portland writer and lit blogger Dave Jarecki selected for that day's poem my very own "Questions on Recruitment". This answer was punctuated by learning that my book-length manuscript The Killing Tree was a finalist for the New Criterion Poetry Prize, which was awarded to Ashley Anna McHugh.

Second, I am getting more and more of a Velveteen Rabbit feeling of being real as a playwright. I have sent in my final round of major revisions on my play "Dig," which is now listed on the "Coming Soon" page of London's Old Red Lion Theatre. Actors have been cast, lighting and design decisions are underway, and rehearsals begin on May 17. I won't be able to absorb the full magnitude of events, though, until my wife Paula Van Lare and I go to London during the week of June 21 and actually see a couple of performances for ourselves. I can't expect the audience to shout "Author! Author!" following the performance, but if it happens I won't be stopping anyone.

Monday, April 12, 2010

New Poem in the Los Angeles Review

I have returned from the jamboree and madness of this year's conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) in Denver with new contributor's copies of several journals.

One of these is the Spring 2010 issue of the Los Angeles Review, published by Red Hen Press.

After years of revisions, including those based on very helpful suggestions from colleagues at the Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat during a 2008 visit, I was finally able to get this poem into a publishable form. And a form that met with the approval of a prestigious journal.

I am delighted and grateful to be found in the same issue as authors including (but not limited to) Rick Bass, Tess Gallagher, Barry Lopez, Alison Luterman and Barry Lopez.

My thanks go out to Editor Kate Gale and to Poetry Editor Laurie Junkins for taking an interest in my work.