On summer writing and fall reading

Somehow it's already mid-August. I've spent most of the summer laboring (read: obsessing) over the writing of a single new poem. "Presswife" frames the story of six colonial American printers' wives who took over the business when their husbands died as a kind of retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, "The Crane Wife." It weaves (fairytale pun intended) together letterpress printing, strong women of history, and fairy tale, with a diction and narrative that leans toward the witchy. And I'm almost finished writing it. 
2018 Cherry Tree Young Writers' Conference students & interns
It was another busy summer at the Rose O'Neill Literary House, the highlight of which was our third annual Cherry Tree Young Writers' Conference—a 4-day, 3-night marathon with 16 (amazing!) high-school creative writers. We also spent a little time in the print shop, printing one brand-new broadside and the second edition of a bestseller broadside. Now, we're two weeks into the open reading period for Cherry Tree's fifth(!) issue and hip-deep in submissions. I love that the coming of fall has now become synonymous with wading through a tide of new submissions for the next issue of Cherry Tree. 
Coming up this fall, I have two poetry events that I'm very much looking forward to. In September, I'll be reading from my new chapbook alongside friend and colleague Kimberly Quiogue Andrews, whose new chapbook BETWEEN has just been published by Finishing Line Press. Our Literary House Tea & Talk will be on Wednesday, September 5 at 4:30 p.m. at the Rose O'Neill Literary House, and there will be refreshments! Then in November, I'll be giving a talk on poetry and publishing with another friend and colleague, James Allen Hall. "Practice Makes Published: Getting Your Poems into Print" will take place on Saturday, November 10 at 11:00 a.m. at the Kent County Public Library. This will be an interactive discussion that encourages audience questions. 

 My last few bits of news from this summer: another of my Alien poems has been accepted for publication! "You are my lucky star." will be published in the winter 2018 issue of The Cincinnati Review. I'm so thrilled about this! I can't wait to see the print issue. 

 And although I missed it when it was published originally, I recently found a new-to-me review of my first chapbook! Reviewer Angelina D'Roza wrote some very generous words about Imago over at Sabotage Reviews back in 2016.

 After a sweltering summer, the promise of fall's fresh coolness and newness is more welcome than just about anything. Until it arrives, I'll be dreaming of chai lattes and flannel shirts and ghost hunting shows.

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