Saturday, October 29, 2005

Pre-departure post

Leaving for Manila in less than 19 hours. Been good today: packed my luggage, maintained kitchen cleanliness, pored through the poems in Blueline for inclusion in the Marginalia section of Niederngasse... and yes, finally finished revising my AV&E poems.

List of recent ayes and nays:

• Acceptance notes: The Aurora Review wants three poems and Pemmican has scheduled my poem, Hot tubs for their Spring 2006 issue.

• Rejections received: ForPoetry.com (nicely apologetic), Hanging Loose (form letter) and The North (handwritten note, see below):

Dear Arlene Ang
So sorry to take so long & in the end not to take any poems from your Sept submission. We were tempted by 'The 34th Secret Love Poem' -- which ACUMEN or ORBIS magazines might take?
All good wishes


I know I've said it already, but let me say it again: the Brits send the most heart-warming rejection slips. I hoard these personal notes more than love letters. They also have, more or less, the same handwriting... which makes me feel as if I'm dealing with only one person -- all these years -- secret-admirer-wise. Hee.

• Update on language skills of my 10-month-old niece: Ma, Pa and Eeeeeeeyoooouuuaaaaaah. Very verbal, in fine contrast to all the bouncing puppies I've raised in my life. Teeehee.

4 comments:

michi said...

i didn't know you were going to manila! have a safe trip, and stay in touch. when are you coming back?
m

Crispus Litvak said...

Have a wonderful trip, Arlene! Send a postcard!

Chuck

Squamish Writers Group said...

Whooo hooo Arlene! Congratulations on your great showing in the IBPC - wow, that was a fantastic poem (my favourite of the three)

http://webdelsol.com/IBPC/winningpoems.html

Jude

Arlene said...

Thanks everyone!!

Will be back in Venice on December 12, Michi. I'm rather counting the days... though it's not bad here and I missed my dogs like crazy.

Woohooo!! Thanks for the terrific news, Jude! And congrats for the HM, too. Never known anyone who places in IBPC as regularly as you do!

Arlene