As noted in the January 24 post, I believe the world needs more light verse, and sometimes I attempt to provide a bit of my own.
With this in mind, I am pleased to announce that some of my work appears in the current double issue of Light Quarterly, the leading journal of light verse in English. Editor John Mella and colleagues have kindly featured my poem "The Jellyfish" at the bottom of the page announcing the current issue.
The issue also includes two of an ongoing series of critterhews, my own variation on the clerihew that uses the name of an animal instead of a person. I have compiled enough for an abecedary, including the letter X, and hope to have them eventually published as a book or book section.
One example, previously published in The Other Herald, is the following:
Garfish
May not look like but are fish.
Shaped like needles and spears,
They devour their piscine peers.
That is also based on fact.
Showing posts with label Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Publishing. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Three New Poems in The Helix
Before I put on my sombrero and go up to New York for Book Expo America next week, I want to take this opportunity to announce that three new poems of mine, "Country Data," "Coyotes," and "Metaphors of a Mother's Death" appear in the brand-new Spring 2009 edition of the print magazine The Helix.
And I am only one of several dozen established, emerging and student writers in the issue. Other contributors include Steve D. Dalachinksy, Ruth Lepson and Joanne Lowery. In addition to poetry, there is fiction, non-fiction and even a short play.
I can also guarantee that, unless you are nothing less than phenomenal at multitasking, reading my poems and the other work will at least temporarily prevent you from falling in with unsavory characters or seeking out low amusements such as games of chance and the snares and temptations of opium dens.
And I am only one of several dozen established, emerging and student writers in the issue. Other contributors include Steve D. Dalachinksy, Ruth Lepson and Joanne Lowery. In addition to poetry, there is fiction, non-fiction and even a short play.
I can also guarantee that, unless you are nothing less than phenomenal at multitasking, reading my poems and the other work will at least temporarily prevent you from falling in with unsavory characters or seeking out low amusements such as games of chance and the snares and temptations of opium dens.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Settling for Beauty
I still have a lot to learn about publishing, but I can pass along one piece of hard-earned wisdom: if you have a choice, don't plan your wedding and your book launch for the same season. The wedding (appropriately enough) gets priority and the book launch suffers. I found this out in 2005 when my second collection, Settling for Beauty, was published in September and I got married in October.
With this in mind, I am back to promoting the book, beginning on Thursday, February 12 at the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs in Chicago. From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. I will be signing at Table 750 of the Book Fair floor, which belongs to publisher WordTech Communications. On Friday, February 13, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. I will be signing Settling for Beauty and displaying The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo at Table 792, hosted by The Word Works, a DC-based press for which I have done some volunteering in the past.
While several poems in Settling for Beauty can be found online, I don't expect busy people to go looking for them right away. I would thus like to close this post with a poem from the book with the title "For Bad Wine":
For Bad Wine
Once in a field, in a wide rising stretch of paintbrush
& purple vetch, we stuck down
a tent, like punctuation, and drank through the evening
our bottle of bad wine.
Kate Northrop
Because the stores where finer wines are sold
are closed, or too far away to drive
on a rainy night, and because,
truth be told, we’re already a bit tipsy,
we’ll settle for what we can find in town.
Because the bottles of dusty neck and shoulders
that suggest long ageing, and a high price,
lie on their sides on a rack
too low to reach without stooping,
we’ll take one of the bright bottles
that stand close by.
Since so many of the labels are written
in strange languages that bring no comfort,
we narrow down to the plain-spoken domestics.
As, even in mid-life, we’re intimidated
by the corkscrew, the very cork,
the intricate and solemn techniques
and auguries of its removal,
we look among the simple screw tops,
such as we turned to open soda and juice
before our first high school drink.
Because we may as well toast our younger selves
who didn’t know Boone’s Farm from Bordeaux,
who knew we would get rich while doing good,
but in the meantime had to scrimp,
we will take the cheapest brand.
Because we now know better,
but have to save for retirement,
we will take the large and cost-effective jug.
Because we have our reasons
and don’t want to tell them again,
we’ll refill our glasses
and drain every drop.
With this in mind, I am back to promoting the book, beginning on Thursday, February 12 at the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs in Chicago. From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. I will be signing at Table 750 of the Book Fair floor, which belongs to publisher WordTech Communications. On Friday, February 13, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. I will be signing Settling for Beauty and displaying The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo at Table 792, hosted by The Word Works, a DC-based press for which I have done some volunteering in the past.
While several poems in Settling for Beauty can be found online, I don't expect busy people to go looking for them right away. I would thus like to close this post with a poem from the book with the title "For Bad Wine":
For Bad Wine
Once in a field, in a wide rising stretch of paintbrush
& purple vetch, we stuck down
a tent, like punctuation, and drank through the evening
our bottle of bad wine.
Kate Northrop
Because the stores where finer wines are sold
are closed, or too far away to drive
on a rainy night, and because,
truth be told, we’re already a bit tipsy,
we’ll settle for what we can find in town.
Because the bottles of dusty neck and shoulders
that suggest long ageing, and a high price,
lie on their sides on a rack
too low to reach without stooping,
we’ll take one of the bright bottles
that stand close by.
Since so many of the labels are written
in strange languages that bring no comfort,
we narrow down to the plain-spoken domestics.
As, even in mid-life, we’re intimidated
by the corkscrew, the very cork,
the intricate and solemn techniques
and auguries of its removal,
we look among the simple screw tops,
such as we turned to open soda and juice
before our first high school drink.
Because we may as well toast our younger selves
who didn’t know Boone’s Farm from Bordeaux,
who knew we would get rich while doing good,
but in the meantime had to scrimp,
we will take the cheapest brand.
Because we now know better,
but have to save for retirement,
we will take the large and cost-effective jug.
Because we have our reasons
and don’t want to tell them again,
we’ll refill our glasses
and drain every drop.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Work in Poetic Voices Without Borders 2
Recently I received my contributors' copies of Poetic Voices Without Borders 2, which includes my poems "Hero, Posthumous" (a ghazal, if you keep track of such things) and "Introduction to Economics," a free-verse poem.
The collection, assembled by Gival Press editor Robert L. Giron, includes sections of work in Spanish and French as well as in English, and work by some very well-known poets, several of whom are listed below:
I am pleased to be in such fast poetic company, and you can purchase this book through online sellers as well as directly from the publisher.
Good and good for you.
The collection, assembled by Gival Press editor Robert L. Giron, includes sections of work in Spanish and French as well as in English, and work by some very well-known poets, several of whom are listed below:
Antler
Louis E. Bourgeois
Alfred Corn
Rita Dove
Denise Duhamel
Dana Gioia
Joy Harjo
Colette Inez
Philip Levine
Naomi Shihab Nye
Alicia Suskin Ostriker
Katherine Soniat
I am pleased to be in such fast poetic company, and you can purchase this book through online sellers as well as directly from the publisher.
Good and good for you.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Letter in January 25 New York Times Book Review
Sometimes a long shot pays off.
When I wrote a letter to the Times Book Review a couple of weeks ago, I expected to have a few paragraphs to share with friends and possibly expand into an essay at some later point, as well as the satisfaction of venting a little bit.
My expectations were dashed when I received a message last week informing me that my letter would in fact be printed, and it appears here.
If the link presents any problems, you can see the text of the letter following this post.
I may be punching above my weight, and making more enemies than friends in the process, but they can only hang me once, whoever "they" may be.
***
To the Editor:
Ginia Bellafante’s welcome appreciation of Phyllis McGinley (“Suburban Rapture,” Dec. 28) errs only in referring to “the disappearance of light verse” in contemporary poetry. Established poets like X. J. Kennedy and R. S. Gwynn, not to mention Richard Wilbur, have written and published light verse throughout their careers, and Light, the quarterly edited by John Mella, consistently provides a forum for the best practitioners of light verse in English.
Light verse has, however, become much harder to find. With rare exceptions, The New Yorker and other general interest magazines have abandoned light verse, as have the larger publishing houses. This development is particularly baffling given that light verse is consistently well received at readings and appreciated by audiences who are not themselves poets.
This disconnect between poets working in light verse and the reading public represents an accident of American publishing history rather than an artistic or commercial necessity. The British poet Wendy Cope’s collections are published in first editions of some 50,000 copies, a figure nearly unheard of among “serious” American poets who are not otherwise celebrities. The fact that Dorothy Parker’s work has never gone out of print suggests the existence in this country of a similar and largely untapped audience. Addressing the unmet need for the wit and insight uniquely available in light verse would assist publishers in strengthening anemic balance sheets and aid readers in enduring the present dark times. If they are not careful, publishers might even find themselves expanding the audience for poetry in general.
J. D. Smith
Washington
When I wrote a letter to the Times Book Review a couple of weeks ago, I expected to have a few paragraphs to share with friends and possibly expand into an essay at some later point, as well as the satisfaction of venting a little bit.
My expectations were dashed when I received a message last week informing me that my letter would in fact be printed, and it appears here.
If the link presents any problems, you can see the text of the letter following this post.
I may be punching above my weight, and making more enemies than friends in the process, but they can only hang me once, whoever "they" may be.
***
To the Editor:
Ginia Bellafante’s welcome appreciation of Phyllis McGinley (“Suburban Rapture,” Dec. 28) errs only in referring to “the disappearance of light verse” in contemporary poetry. Established poets like X. J. Kennedy and R. S. Gwynn, not to mention Richard Wilbur, have written and published light verse throughout their careers, and Light, the quarterly edited by John Mella, consistently provides a forum for the best practitioners of light verse in English.
Light verse has, however, become much harder to find. With rare exceptions, The New Yorker and other general interest magazines have abandoned light verse, as have the larger publishing houses. This development is particularly baffling given that light verse is consistently well received at readings and appreciated by audiences who are not themselves poets.
This disconnect between poets working in light verse and the reading public represents an accident of American publishing history rather than an artistic or commercial necessity. The British poet Wendy Cope’s collections are published in first editions of some 50,000 copies, a figure nearly unheard of among “serious” American poets who are not otherwise celebrities. The fact that Dorothy Parker’s work has never gone out of print suggests the existence in this country of a similar and largely untapped audience. Addressing the unmet need for the wit and insight uniquely available in light verse would assist publishers in strengthening anemic balance sheets and aid readers in enduring the present dark times. If they are not careful, publishers might even find themselves expanding the audience for poetry in general.
J. D. Smith
Washington
Thursday, January 15, 2009
When are Bad Things a Good Thing?
The answer to that question is when Chris Pimental's "pulpazine" Bad Things debuts, as it does here, and whenever a subsequent hard-boiled, neo-noirish, rough and tumble comes out.
And yes, I do have a poem in there, based on a real experience in Chicago.
I've been away from the neo-noir side of my writing lately, but I am hoping to get back on the crime train as this year develops.
Stay tuned.
And yes, I do have a poem in there, based on a real experience in Chicago.
I've been away from the neo-noir side of my writing lately, but I am hoping to get back on the crime train as this year develops.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Free Reading from New Zealand
In case you are looking for a little free reading, I would direct your attention to my recently published poem "The Golem's Soul," published online here and originally printed in Junctures: The Journal for Thematic Dialogue, an interdisciplinary publication from Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Writing about legends runs the risk of merely repeating an interesting story, but I'd like to think I have done something a little bit different. Time will tell.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Golem's+Soul.-a0191350993
Monday, December 22, 2008
Illuminations: Expressions of the Personal Spiritual Experience
In 2006 I had the privilege of seeing two pieces of mine selected for the anthology
Illuminations: Expressions of the Personal Spiritual Experience, edited by Mark L. Tompkins and Jennifer McMahon and published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press. Contributors much better-known than myself include Julia Cameron, Helene Cardona, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the experiences covered encompass finding, exploring, practicing and leaving a range of faiths.
Intended to raise both awareness and funds for projects involving interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding, this book has unfortunately not yet reached the audience it deserves and has not yet covered its expenses. Having received only one-time payment for my work in 2006, I will earn no proceeds from future sales of Illuminations and can now promote the book on its merits. As most days' news reminds us--whether from Iraq, India and Pakistan, or the United States--we can use more understanding, or at least tolerance, among people of different faiths as well as with those who adhere to none.
The editors have noted "Illuminations is available from any of the major online book retailers, and is available at a discount in quantities of 10 or more from the publisher. For discount information a special email has been set up: mark04388-interfaith@yahoo.com."
They further state "Organizations can benefit from using Illuminations in a number of ways:
Illuminations can be used in their education programs; special discounts are available for this purpose. Illuminations can be used for fundraising by offering it as a gift book to their network. Groups can earn $9.00 to $10.00 per book sold, depending on quantity and terms. Illuminations can be used for gifts to their members or as an incentive for joining or renewing."
The web site (www.illuminationsbook.com, if links are causing a problem) includes sample work as well as reviews. Even if you can't get a copy in time for the holiday(s) you celebrate, the book will remain timely.
Illuminations: Expressions of the Personal Spiritual Experience, edited by Mark L. Tompkins and Jennifer McMahon and published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press. Contributors much better-known than myself include Julia Cameron, Helene Cardona, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the experiences covered encompass finding, exploring, practicing and leaving a range of faiths.
Intended to raise both awareness and funds for projects involving interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding, this book has unfortunately not yet reached the audience it deserves and has not yet covered its expenses. Having received only one-time payment for my work in 2006, I will earn no proceeds from future sales of Illuminations and can now promote the book on its merits. As most days' news reminds us--whether from Iraq, India and Pakistan, or the United States--we can use more understanding, or at least tolerance, among people of different faiths as well as with those who adhere to none.
The editors have noted "Illuminations is available from any of the major online book retailers, and is available at a discount in quantities of 10 or more from the publisher. For discount information a special email has been set up: mark04388-interfaith@yahoo.com."
They further state "Organizations can benefit from using Illuminations in a number of ways:
Illuminations can be used in their education programs; special discounts are available for this purpose. Illuminations can be used for fundraising by offering it as a gift book to their network. Groups can earn $9.00 to $10.00 per book sold, depending on quantity and terms. Illuminations can be used for gifts to their members or as an incentive for joining or renewing."
The web site (www.illuminationsbook.com, if links are causing a problem) includes sample work as well as reviews. Even if you can't get a copy in time for the holiday(s) you celebrate, the book will remain timely.
Monday, December 8, 2008
New Poems Online at Ducts.org
I am briefly breaking a streak of Mariachi-related news to announce that two of my poems, "General Apology" and "Detox," appear in Issue 22 of Ducts, which has been publishing for 10 calendar years. In web or dog years, that is something like a century. Poetry editor Amy Lemmon, a fine poet herself, has also selected work by poets include Denise Duhamel, Moira Egan, Dimitris Lyacos and Carly Sachs.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Belgium!
The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo is now available in Belgium through Flemish-language bookselling site www.Azur.be.
Thank you, Belgium.
Thank you, Belgium.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Another Mariachi Country
The list of countries where online sellers are offering The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo has grown by one.
An online search earlier this week revealed that Gustavo can now be found in Singapore at OpenTrolley Bookstore.
I had never thought of Singapore as a hotbed of mariachi interest, but then again I've never been to Singapore.
It's a surprising world out there.
An online search earlier this week revealed that Gustavo can now be found in Singapore at OpenTrolley Bookstore.
I had never thought of Singapore as a hotbed of mariachi interest, but then again I've never been to Singapore.
It's a surprising world out there.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tour de Blog
This week I have been generously invited to be guest writer and interview subject on the blog of Portland writer Dave Jarecki, whose previous guests have included John Morrison and Bruce Weigl.
The interview is here.
Thanks for taking a look.
The interview is here.
Thanks for taking a look.
Monday, November 10, 2008
If Poetry Journal Call for Submissions
Since my work has appeared in Issue 1 of If Poetry Journal and is forthcoming shortly in Issue 2, I am pleased to note that If is now complementing its print life with an online presence. Editor Don Ilich is a man of taste, if not yet wealth. His own poetry has appeared in well-regarded publications including The Iowa Review and Fourteen Hills, and he has studied with instructors including Mark Doty and the late David Foster Wallace. Don is circulating a manuscript or two, and it is only a matter of time until you will be able to buy his books.
The call for submissions goes like this:
If Poetry Journal now has an online component to its print journal. It is seeking poems to publish, 2 or 3 a week, along with reviews of poetry collections and interviews with writers. To submit, please send 3-5 poems (in the e-mail, no attachments) to editor Don Illich at ifpoetryjournaleditor@gmail.com. Please say in the e-mail that this work is for the online journal. What we like: poetry influenced and inspired by writers such as Thomas Lux, Jennifer Knox, Tony Hoagland, Sandra Beasley, Dean Young, Frank O'Hara, Jeffrey McDaniel, Denise Duhamel, and Billy Collins. Obviously, no payment but the esteem of eyeballs everywhere.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
New Mariachi Review
So far, so good.
Gustavo is making his way in the world quite nicely.
The newest review, and also a very positive review, is on The Reading Tub, which includes a "Little Kid Reaction" of "Our daughter picked this out of a pile."
I believe that makes her a focus group of one. Thank you, young lady.
Gustavo is making his way in the world quite nicely.
The newest review, and also a very positive review, is on The Reading Tub, which includes a "Little Kid Reaction" of "Our daughter picked this out of a pile."
I believe that makes her a focus group of one. Thank you, young lady.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo
One month and two days ago, my first children's book, The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo, was released in bilingual, Spanish and English editions. In the parlance of publishing, it "dropped."
Several pages of the book and some preliminary sketches appear on the blog of young and abundantly gifted illustrator Dani Jones.
Life has been a little different since October 1. I have accepted an invitation to read at the San Antonio Mariachi Festival in December, and I plan to start DC-area events shortly. Watch this space for updates.
The reviews so far have been positive. Publishers Weekly affiliate Críticas has given Mariachi a starred review. In an interview with Raven Tree Press publisher Dawn Jeffers, writer Noël Baca Castex says the staff of Críticas has "fallen in love" with the book. A second positive review appears in a roundup in Washington Parent.
The reviews so far have been positive. Publishers Weekly affiliate Críticas has given Mariachi a starred review. In an interview with Raven Tree Press publisher Dawn Jeffers, writer Noël Baca Castex says the staff of Críticas has "fallen in love" with the book. A second positive review appears in a roundup in Washington Parent.
The most recent good news came on Saturday, November 1, when I learned that Mariachi has been selected as November's "Libro del Mes" by Latin Baby Book Club. Every few days I also learn that a library has added a copy to its holdings.
Not surprisingly, I believe that every home in the Americas and many in the rest of the world should own a copy of one or more editions of Mariachi. Fortunately, The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo can be ordered through all major online sellers and through bookstores. The competition for shelf space at bookstores is fierce, to put it mildly, but if enough people start asking for a book things can change.
In upcoming posts I'll note some of the countries where online sellers are offering Mariachi, and I'll do my best to explain how someone named Smith takes on this subject. There are reasons.
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