Only Connect anthology and The Strix Varia

Haven't started writing yet. Mainly because am convinced that I'm Gengivite Khan, ruler of the Moribondi Empire. One of the things I love about Civ 4 is the cheat commands. Teehee. And you just gotta love my beard.

Recent acceptance:

Cinnamon Press accepted three poems: Desert, For things she doesn't know and chopping board for the Only Connect Anthology edited by Gail Ashton and Jan Fortune-Wood. Really excited about this — I saw so many familiar names in the contents list.

      Submission date: 9 February 2007
      Acceptance date: 18 April 2007

A new poetry-reading magazine:

Just discovered The Strix Varia today. Was touched and honored when the editor wrote me saying that they're running a close-reading by Lia Lynch of my poem, The 23rd Secret Love Poem — the one that won the Frogmore Prize last year. Wowza.

Simply love the idea of publishing — instead of poetry — essays, close readings, reflections and reviews on the work of living, published poets. Have always wanted to do a line-by-line reading/interpretation of some favorite poems and I know some of you do that blog-wise — so check it out. Even authors themselves can send a "reflection" on a published work (preferably online for the linking to work).

Miranda Lit, juked and the BlazeVOX experience [updated]

Haven't been doing any writing at all... but I can feel it, like PMS, coming any day now. For one, ever since I installed Sims 2 Seasons in the laptop, the game has been crashing every 5 minutes. Which is just as well. Should get out more. Should call home more. Should blog more. Should, should, should. Here's a mental picture of myself these days:

Recent publications:

• Have 4 poems up in the current issue of Miranda Literary Magazine — namely:

The 34th Secret Love Poem
it has nothing to do with apples (for aunt knicknack)
"Be silent," answered the dervish. —Voltaire
Self-Portrait with Stolen Wristwatch

This is a really classy 'zine. The only catch (or not) is that they don't keep archives. They do request First Serial Rights/first publication credit. I read the fine print for the first time. Heh!

      Submission date: 27 February 2007
      Acceptance date: 14 April 2007

• His Creepy Gorilla Suit is now up in juked! It's thrilled to be exchanging hairs with fellow bloggers, like Sarah's pitcher and Sharon's face full of gravel.

The BlazeVOX experience [updated from today]:

Well, it's quite a relief. They finally pulled my poems from the Spring 2007 issue. Though rather remiss of them not to pull out my name from the table of contents. But that's their problem. Hee.

Am really displeased with this 'zine. Just got an e-mail from the editor, who's equally displeased with me, saying he was going to pull out my poems as I requested yesterday and, I quote: "You gave me permission to publish some of your poems, and I agreed even after your cool surprise in our continuance."

DUH. After saying in his e-mail last March: "I'll remove your listing and thank you again for your submitting. Congrats on the other publications."

I took it that "remove your listing" has something to do with removing, not publishing.

Maybe it's just me. But I've been sending work to magazines for more than 10 years and this is the first time I've had a problem with an editor. What an eye-opening experience, to say the least.

If you're still interested, here are some things to know before submitting to BlazeVOX:

1. Don't do simultaneous subs with them because they'll simply ignore your e-mail when you write them to withdraw a poem.

2. Because it's biannual, they have a long response time, so be prepared to wait. Have no idea if they send rejection notes, now that I think of it. Don't send queries because they don't reply (as least didn't to me). Response time below:

      Submission date: 15 August 2007
      Acceptance date: 15 March 2007

3. My rant (and no, I haven't been drinking): They sent me an acceptance note stating that I may now view my work online and to check if everything is in order. I wrote back saying that, since 6 months had passed and I didn't get a reply to my query, I figured they had folded and am afraid I'll have to withdraw some of the poems since they're already under consideration elsewhere. The editor was very nice about it and told me he was going to remove my listing — which I took it meant he won't include me in the issue or at least include only the poem that was still available. I really breathed a sigh of relief there. Then, yesterday I get an e-mail stating that the Spring issue is now up and what do I see? ALL five poems.         

Reading and reading

That's basically what A4 (like the paper) has been up to. Am catching up on TPM submissions and doing not much of anything else. I don't think I'll be sending out personalized replies this time around... apart from the inundation, it does seem more professional that way.

Also reading and re-reading this sudoku page about x-wings, swordfish, jellyfish and squirmbags. Waaaah. Can someone translate it to me in plain English?

One more thing about Reading. It's been eradicated from the face of the sim world. Booo. I didn't bother to save it prior to installing Seasons... based on the belief that seasons have nothing to do with my sims. I did get a warning, of course, which I ignored because of my faith. But I am Catholic. Hee. Which means I'm re-downloading custom objects, clothes and faces from every fan site I can find.

Recent acceptance:

Valerie and I were so thrilled when Defenestration extended an invitation for our story, Beyond the Voice to appear in their upcoming April 20th issue. It will mark our second publication as co-fiction writers. Wheeeee!

     Submission date: 7 February 2007
     Reply date: 9 April 2007

VisualDNA widget:

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Physically back in Italy...

... but sims²petting around with the laptop in bed ALL day and night. One of the things I hate about vacations is that, with age, I need another vacation to get over my vacation. Hee.

The husband came home last Saturday from his dinner out and snickered, "You haven't even moved from there since I left." For a moment, I got this mental picture of that geek in a CSI episode who was found dead in front of the computer because he couldn't make himself leave the game. He stopped eating and guzzled beer until his liver conked out on him. Not that I drink beer, but I got the picture.

Hopefully, this time I can glue myself back on my squeaky chair in front of the G4 and get some serious stuff done — like replying to fe-males, bogging, writ(h)ing pottery, whatever.

Recent publications:

• Three poems up in the special winter 2007 issue of Blue Fifth Review. This issue, themed as "the world of cinema", has fab poetry by Michael Boettcher, Bob Bradshaw, Jeannine Hall Gailey, Christine Hamm, Edward Higgins, Collin Kelley (special wheeeee!!), Leslie Marcus, Joan Mazza, Christopher Mulrooney, James Owens, Marge Piercy, Barbara Jane Reyes, Susan Terris — and features the breathtaking photography by Gerhardt Thompson.

• Concelebratory Shoehorn Review has featured some old-ish poems in Issue 4 (April 2007).

• My word poem, The Woman in Teal Pyjamas is now up in the April/May issue of Eclectica.

Niece One/Niece Two:


Since the family has got a hang-up on A names, she is A5. And what does A5 like? Sharks, vegetables, make-believe preparation of burnt meals, referring to herself in the third person, playing blocks with her favorite aunt (A4), posing for pictures, and bathing her rubber cockroach (obviously A4's gift). She's weird enough to be adorable.


The two-week old A6, fed and burped, in deep meditation.