Re-emerging from my dirty linen...

and going wooooohooooooo!!! I didn't think it was possible, but I've done it: have finished my second round in Blueline's House of 30. Am actually on my second day at In the Writer's Studio and back on the initial idea that I can really go through the masochism of writing daily again.

PNG Erotic Supplement Update:

I'm afraid the issue will be late since Paco's computer caught a virus.


Update on the extra-curricular activities of A:

• Have finalized the layout of Leonard Gontarek's site: http://leafscape.org/LeonardGontarek
I'm really thrilled to doing the homepage of this terrific poet -- reading his works reminds how much there is to learn about poetry and writing... as in, It makes me so happy. To be at the beginning again, knowing almost nothing.... It's the best possible time of being alive, when almost everything you thought you knew is wrong.
Hee. I know. I shouldn't cite Stoppard so much or use his dirty blankets in public. But my astrological roulette said it's my lucky quote for the day.

• Via Leonard's publication credits, have discovered the following journals:

   Ducky Magazine
I *love* the poetry in this little journal!!! Had to use the ticklish quackdoor because I'm using Firefox, but even that had it's own rubber-ducky allure.

   Unpleasant Event Schedule
This another spectacular 'zine offering superb poetry... plus the editorial humor just tickled me silly.

• Following one link after another, have also discovered Forklift, Ohio -- which welcomes ONLY unsolicited Recipes, Safety Tips, Found Pieces, Photograhy and Artwork. Very ticklish "operations" page. Had fun gobbling up the small amount of sample poems which are offered, of course, for the purpose of making customers of unsuspecting visitors. Teehee.

• Fussed over my plant in the plantarium. It started to turn brownish under the sun (and clouds)... but ever since moving it in front of the television, the leaves have taken a nicer shade of green. I have this funny feeling that it's more couch potato than sweet pea (as stated in the label).

Recent acceptances:

• Holly Hughes who is editing an Alzheimer's anthology accepted my poem, Five Minutes of Silence. This was a great surprise since I've sort of given up on this -- submitted on June 2005.

• Tattoo Highway has accepted my poem, At King's in Jesolo, 2004 for their "Rocky Road" issue. This is the butchered-for-rock'n'roll version of the original that passed from one editorial hand to another and was rejected endlessly. Very ticklish poem inspired by the last disco event in my life.

• stationæry accepted my poem, If It's Coffee-Flavored, It's Serendipity for their "don't get cold feet" issue no. 9. Another butchered and re-butchered list poem that made me snarl during each revision. This is the third time I've sent work to the print magazine... my first two shots went wide, to put it mildly. Hee.

I've been FRiGGed!

Yay! The new issue of FRiGG (#11, Winter 2006) is now online with poetry by Carl Miller Daniels, Lucille Lang Day, Daniel Gallik, John Grey and Emily Waples. This is one of the classiest e-journals I've seen around and I'm really thrilled to be part of the gang. Five poems with commentary in the end (hee):

•Scrying sand
•Bloom
•Mid-Afternoon Over Montreal
•This is not the first time you tasted sand
•Counting

Response time is up to three months max. Simultaneous subs okay. Try them out!

Today officially marks the the end....

of the PNG Erotic Supplement reading period. My halo stayed lit until 2 a.m. ... and all submissions have been replied to; anyone who submitted and didn't receive any should forsake all hope to getting one since I never got them in the first place. Don't you hate it when *that* happens?


Recent acceptance / publication:

• Star*Line (Science Fiction Poetry Association newsletter) sent one of the fastest replies (within one day!) I've received from an editor. Two poems, A Glimpse of Sirens has been scheduled for the Nov/Dec issue and The cat with nine lives for the Sept/Oct issue. YAY!

• Issue 5 of Ghoti (Winter 2005) went on line yesterday. Toot-toot!!
Have three poems here: This closing book, Something Like Blood and a freshly butchered version of one list poem, To that Disquieting Presence in the Bathroom Mirror.

Publications received:

• 4AM Poetry Review (v.1 2005): this first issue (originally scheduled for last August) of the print magazine is sure worth the wait! Contains terrific poetry by Juan Carlos Vargas, Preston H. Hood III, Barbara Fletcher, Sarah Blackman, Sean Howard, matt robinson, Susan H. Case, Mark Decarteret, Farley Walker, Gerry McFarland, Carine Topal, Rebecca Loudon, Doug Bolling, lyn lifshin, Suzanne Roberts, Alex Stolis, Judson Simmons, Davide Trame, Anthony Robinson, Michael Meyerhofer, Kimberley Fu, Simon Perchik, Andrew Demcak, Kelly Madigan Erlandson, M. Arroser, Leonore Wilson and that person who shall-not-be-named. Hee.

• Jessy Randall's latest chapbook, Because Mona is in the Psychiatric Hospital (Pudding House Publications, 2005). I've always been a fan of her Mona poems -- even translated one for the Italian NG a year or two ago -- so this is such a treat!



Plantarium news (not good):
Plant not growing. The small leafy protuberance is as is. A plant is not a poem. A plant cannot be edited. I shouldn't have poked at it with chopsticks. I know I shouldn't have. I know. I know. But some of the seeds were growing down instead of up and I couldn't resist.

Today, my plantarium

Due to my incredibly boring disposition, I just have to post this picture of my growing plant (Christmas present from a niece-in-law who digs my boring disposition like a spade) and my favorite mug (which eloquently mirrors my morning face). Hee.
Do you see the teeny-weeny leaf? Do you see it? Do you, do you?

Publications received of late:

• Red Booth Review (fall 2k5): these print issues are always such a pleasure to read. The 2005 anthology contains poetry by Raymond Cavanaugh, Barbara Archer, Barry Ballard, Martin Willits, Dan Schillinger, Joel Van Noord, Alex Stolis, Amy Pence, Sid Miller, Jason Kelly Richards, Mariel Boyarsky, Jude Roy, Ann White, Caitlyn C. Bergeron, John 'Chet' Hicks, CL Bledsoe, Annie England, Maurice Oliver and -- ahem -- yours truly. I'm particularly blown away about Martin Willits' poem, How To Impale A Watermelon With A Playing Card. Made me want to light up afterwards for some reason. Hee. **currently accepting submissions, so check it out!**

• 'eye' (issue 3, december 2005): this is one of those magazines that are compiled with a lot of love (edited by Peter Schwartz). Terrific poetry throughout, with a tendency towards the surreal, the experimental. Features works by Jerry Bradley, Susan Swartwout, Steven D. Shroeder, Juliet Cook, CL Bledsoe, LB Sedlacek, Daniel Y. Harris, Louis E. Bourgeois, Margo Ruby, Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Consuelo Flores, Robin Mahaney, Gordon Purkis, Terry Quinn, Joseph Farley, Graham Nunn, Charles P. Ries, Kathleen L F Hall, Ojimgba Uko, Lois Marie Harrod, Holly Day, Janine Margiotta, Paul Toppo, Betty Lies, Marian Kaplun Shapiro, Shawn Marie Christenson and that -- hee -- what's-her-name broad with the plantarium.

Wheeeeee!!

Choirs of featherless angels are singing because I have caught up with the PNG Erotic submissions and have replied to all the poems that were sent on or before 2 January 2006.

The downside is (1) it's 2 a.m. (2) I haven't seen my Sims in two whole days and (3) I'm snickering over how dirty my mind has gotten.


Off to bed... and yes, I survived day 5 in Gary's House of 30! Pfew. Some people might call it a tooth extraction program.

Day 2 in the House of 30

As part of my New Year's resolution (set A.5), I have restarted my second round at Blueline's the House of 30 (ex-PD4P). Not writing very well, but it's still better than not writing at all.

Started yesterday since I was quite indisposed on January 1.
Which has led to New Year's resolution (set E.2): I will never drink hard liquor ever again. For the record, it's the third year in a row that I've written this down. Hah.

Wore my halo today and dove into my PNG Erotic Supplement mailbox. Yay! Have managed to reply to all subs before 25 November 2005.

However, such goodness has been counterbalanced by the evil that I did today: gave in to temptation and bought PlayStation 2. Uh-oh. Why do I get this sudden vision of my muse kissing me goodbye or is it only me -- drunk again in front of someone else's bathroom mirror?