Dear Poets,
Since I tend to bury the lede, let me announce first off — I hope you’ll join me on July 22nd as we demystify sending work out to literary journals. As a bonus, join me for a second Zoom session a few days later to do the actual work of sending out, plus some literary matchmaking as I suggest potential homes for your writing. While I will focus on poetry, this class is appropriate for all genres.
How to Submit… and Why
Does the process of sending your work to literary journals seem mystifying? Like everyone knows some secret code you can’t quite crack? There is no one way to do it, but there are strategies, resources, and practical steps to take. We will start by identifying the why behind submitting and how this can carry you through the administrative work, wait for a reply, and (admittedly) often low acceptance rates. As a bonus, I’m offering an additional, free ‘submitting session’ during which we’ll do actual sending out and consult about good journal matches. Just click ‘reply’ to reserve your spot — I’d love to see you there!
Saturday, July 22. 10:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. (PDT) $50.00
Bonus submitting session: Wednesday, July 26. 7:00-9:00 p.m. (PDT) Feel free to Venmo, Paypal, Zelle.
Meanwhile, I hope you’re still savoring a sense of midsummer, whatever that looks like for you. ☀️ I’ve been to’ing and fro’ing from the east coast and actually spent part of my birthday at the Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University at a workshop on Midsummer Books — it was fantastic! 📚 As a reminder, I am available to help with poem and manuscript editing and coaching. I am thrilled to see former students (and new) bring their words into the world. Let me know how I can help! ✍️
Speaking of which, huge congratulations to former student Natalie Marino whose beautiful new book Under Memories of Stars has been recently published. Order here. Natalie’s next reading will be on August 24 at 6 p.m. at Timbre Books in Ventura: 1910 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001.
Sharing with you:
I am always on the lookout for writing residencies on the west coast and just learned about The Desert Rat Residency. Located in Palm Desert, it offers shorter stays, which can be critical for writer-parents. It looks like you submit a poem during the months of July and August to apply.
Two other residency programs I’ve just learned about have upcoming deadlines: Loghaven (in Knoxville, TN — deadline July 15) and Caldera Arts in OR (deadline July 18th. Caldera notes their “benchmark is for BIPOC artists to make up 90% of our residents.”
And a foundation I’ve never heard of — The Granum Foundation — offers grants for writers (deadline August 1st).
If you’re quick, you can still register for this (free) workshop which is tomorrow (July 13 from 4-6 PDT). It sounds intriguing and generous. Poetry About a Difficult Past: One Approach. “One poet's step-by-step approach to writing memoirs in verse form, with a focus on how to grapple with writing about painful memories.”
Some people write better in concentrated sprints. If you’re into writing ekphrastic poetry — and marathons of the sitting sort — see poster above. This Sunday you can join in an eight-hour write-a-thon. “Write to fourteen different prompts, poetry or flash fiction, in thirty minute drafts. You will choose a new one every 30 minutes and try writing a draft, just to see what you can create when pushed outside of your comfort zone.” Register here.
The ever intriguing, yet elusive Fairy Tale Review 🧚 usually picks an annual color and theme for submissions. This year they are throwing their doors open without a designated color or theme — deadline July 15th.
One more under the wire opportunity. Boa Editions closes submissions for their “Blessing the Boats” prize this Friday (and a rarity — no reading fee). “As the 2021-2023 Blessing the Boats Selections Editor-at-Large, Aracelis Girmay will read submissions and select the final manuscript for publication. Blessing the Boats Selections is named after Lucille Clifton’s National Book Award-winning collection, Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems (BOA, 2000), in honor of her enduring legacy.”
Eons ago, I taught for Writers in the School in TX. If you’re intrigued by the California Poets in the Schools program their annual symposium is July 21-22 at Cal Poly Pomona. One year I attended online and enjoyed it. Lots of workshops and breakout events including a workshop given by California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick. Tickets are reasonable, and if you are a poet-teacher, it’s pay what you will.
I never met Amy Uyematsu but I often taught her work. I knew she was an LA poet and I admired her craft and themes. I keep reading touching articles about her life, how much she gave to others, what her poetry meant. Both sad and inspiring. On Alta: “Amy Uyematsu’s Power Verses: Reading a poet with deep SoCal roots.” In the LA Times: “Appreciation: Pioneering L.A. poet Amy Uyematsu showed that words could move mountains.” And an older article from 2006: “Roots That Run Deep.”
Sadly, the poet Minnie Bruce Pratt also recently passed. I didn’t know her work well, but I did know of her important legacy as a lesbian activist and writer. In The Washington Post: “Minnie Bruce Pratt, poet of lesbian strength and struggles, dies at 76,” and by Julie Enzer: “When We Say We Love Each Other: Loving the Life and Word of Minnie Bruce Pratt.”
I have to give a shout out to Laura Warrell, my former WWLA colleague whose book Soft, Sweet, Plenty Rhythm is just having its paperback release. I loved seeing her op-ed in the LAT recently: “Opinion: Why did seeing a strong Black woman on ‘The Bear’ make me cry?”
In case you missed it, I offer again: “The Result of Reading Poetry in a Canoe.”
Finally, I love etymology and this seems to be a book I need right now.
As ever, I hope to hear from you! ✍️ Hope to see you in July. ☀️