My clever, creative, amazing partner Sarah’s short story “Open Water” has just been published in the new issue of The Boiler. You’ll want to read it. It’s got a chain smoking mermaid in it. See what I mean? Congratulations sweetie!
Read her story HERE.
Massive thank yous to the good editor folks of Bear Review for accepting “Where There Are No People for No Music I Hear Music,” “The Scraping of So Much All Our Breaths,” and “Isn’t This Nice the Way We Stay Awake” — three collaborative prose poems written with Dustin Nightingale.
What an amazing week at the tenth anniversary of The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing with my fellow faculty. You are all inspiring, delightful, sweet people and I’m honored to know you all.
What a fantastic week with the attendees of the 10th anniversary of The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing! Thank you everyone for all the amazements, the conversations, the inspirations! It’s sad to say goodbye.
What a joy to share the reading stage here at week 1 of the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing with Samantha Ocena, reading her poetry, and Randi Ocena, reading her poetry and fiction!
Samantha Ocena, reading her poetry
Randi Ocena, reading her poetry and fiction
And with the traditional elderflower wine toast of “Skol!” the 2019 Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing opens for its TENTH anniversary (Yay!) with readings by Director Alexander Weinstein and Instructor Robert James Russell.
Alexander Weinstein reads his fiction.
Robert James Russell reads his poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction
In case you missed this weekend’s radio broadcasts, you can now stream my interview on The Campbell Conversations on WRVO by Grant Reeher, Director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University. I discuss my poetic practice, contemporary poetry…I read from my lyric essay “Each Breeze Began Life Somewhere As a Little Cough” and from my second poetry book, “If We Had a Lemon We’d Throw It and Call That the Sun,” which just won Elixir Press’ 2019 Antivenom Poetry Award and will be published there next year. You can stream the show HERE, and thanks for listening!
Holy moly!!! My second poetry book manuscript has WON the 2019 Elixir Press Antivenom Poetry Award. Thank you judge Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis! Thank you Dana Curtis! And thank you to everyone who has been supportive and encouraging on my journey to get my second poetry book published–I am truly grateful. It’s so incredibly, heart-thumpingly delightful that “If We Had a Lemon We’d Throw It and Call That the Sun” has found a home at Elixir Press!!!
My friend (and former student and fellow poetry editor at decomP) Steve Castro has just had his first poetry book published! It’s called Blue Whale Phenomena and it’s been beautifully designed by Otis Books/Seismicity Editions from Otis College of Art and Design. They’ve published tons of great books, including Forrest Gander’s Panic Cure: Poetry from Spain for the 21st Century. With a truly unique poetic voice and excitement and surprises that unsettle and delight on every page, this book is one to take with you into the forest.
You can snag a copy from SPD or Amazon.
Gratified to hear that the manuscript of my second poetry book was just named a finalist in the Burnside Review Press Book Contest. Congratulations to the winner Larissa Szporluk!