burntdistrict

The inaugural issue of burntdistrict is now out. It contains contributions from 40 writers, including Vikas Menon, Steve Langan, Francesca Bell, William Trowbridge, Jim Peterson, Sheila Black, Teri Grimm, Alex Lemon, Amy Hassinger, and John Stanizzi. This issue of burntdistrict also includes my prose poem Epiphany. Thanks again to the staff at burntdistrict who found my work worthy.

Remember the Dream.

You never forget your first.

I have been blessed with my first acceptance of this young year. My prose poem Anarchy will appear in the next issue of the I-70 Review, slated for September 2012. Thanks to the editors who deemed my work worthy.

Hopefully this is one of many publication announcements I’ll have on here during 2012. A man can dream, at least.  

"Writer's Block" by Brother Ali.

Tight track. Brother Ali describes it perfectly in this song:

Sometimes I don’t write a lot
I know some folks call that writer’s block
I just call it my process
It comes out when it’s ready to, I guess

I don’t wanna let nobody down, so
Here’s some new shit, you tell me how it sounds
I ain’t tryin’ to be difficult or no shit
It just hurts too bad to try and force it...

Four things I want to blog about…

(1) I’m trying to post more on this site in 2012. Two posts in three days is a relative uptick in blog activity, or blogtivity (if I have permission to create another brainless web-based word like everyone else seems to do). I’m writing more in order to work my way out of a funk. Even though it’s not exactly creative writing, blog posts are a form of textual healing that might get me to the doorstep of where I need to be in terms of inspiration. At least that’s my theory.

(2) My prose poem The Inherent Discontent of Objects made a fashionable appearance in Clare Literary Journal Volume 12, Fall 2011. Clareis publication that is a joint effort between students and faculty in the Visual Art and English Departments at Cardinal Stritch University. I am happy to have the chance to contribute to this issue, alongside a host of talented writers and poets.

(3) My poem Bad Luck Sings the Blues took second place in the 2011 Burning the Midnight Oil Poetry Contest.No publication, but cash and encouragement are positive things. A big thanks to Amy Harke-Moore over at The Write Helper for deeming my work worthy of commendation.

(4) My prose-poem chapbook manuscript A Condensed History of Anger, with Footnotes was a finalist for the Gold Line Press poetry chapbook contest, but did not win the big prize and will not be published. Nonetheless, I am encouraged that it made it to the final round, and I’m determined to find a home for this manuscript in the New Year.

That’s all for now. Be good.

Apropos Literary Journal.

Apropos Literary Journal’s second edition is now live and can be viewed at www.aproposthearts.com.

Apropos Literary Journal aims to dispel the commonly held notion that an online journal is less “literary” than a printed one. Through the use of an online environment, Apropos serves to elevate and facilitate the relationship between art and our digital culture by displaying artistic genres traditionally incompatible with the standard print journal.

My prose poem Memoir is in this issue and can be found at http://volume2issue1.aproposthearts.com/memoir/. Thanks again to the staff at Apropos who found my work worthy of publication.

Switched-on Gutenberg.

Switched-on Gutenberg has announced the release of Issue 17, on the theme Accidental, which is online at http://www.switched-ongutenberg.org.

Poets in this issue include: Christianne Balk, Paul Barclay, Jessica Barksdale, Kate Bernardette Benedict, Larry Blazek, Laura Eklund, Kim Goldberg, Christine Hamm, Louisa Howerow, Elizabeth Kerlikowske, Naomi krupitsky, Mercedes Lawry, Sara Lier, Robin Lindley, Katharyn Machan, Kevin Miller, Julie L. Moore, Kathy Nelson, Geoff Pope, Adrian S. Potter, Charles Rammelkamp, Lorraine S Schein, Dave Seter, Emily Severance, Lynne Shapiro, Judith Skillman, Matina Stamatakis, Jeanne Wagner, Florence Weinberger, Mike White, Scott Wiggerman, Deborah Woodard, Melissa Scholes Young, Mary Zeppa, Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

My prose poem Accident Prone is in this issue and can be found at http://www.switched-ongutenberg.org/current/Potter.htm.