Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Philly schedule and general pre-departure update

Had the funniest dream this morning. Full of poets. Actually, it freaked out. Or more precisely, Brenda Nixon Cook freaked me out... but that came later.

We were in a place that looked like somewhere in the Amazon Rainforest. It was a poetry reading. James Tipton had the floor — his poem was describing how he drove home to his farm one day and found the land, crops and all, traveling in the opposite direction. He suddenly realized that this was happening right then. To save his farm, he had us — Brenda, Ellaraine Lockie, CE Chaffin and me — removing the overgrown fronds around us. Being nervous about insects, I just held the garbage bag for everyone to put their "weeds" in. I freaked out initially when I saw a finger-long white slug on a leaf. I stopped holding the bag. Ellaraine and Brenda chided me for being afraid of such darlings (!) and started going through the trash. Suddenly, Brenda picked up two orange slugs and placed them on her chest. She was Barbie-doll naked. She wanted me to pat the giant slugs. They were cute, I admit — being carbon copies of those Lotsa Legs stuffed toys. Same creepily smiling faces, too. Then they started spitting slime, like llamas, like baseball players. Ewwww! I think they had to spit, otherwise, they would drown in they own saliva. Double ewwww. Brenda kept insisting they were adorable. She was inching towards me. I woke up squeaking like a trapped mouse. Squeak!

Talk about bizarre dreams!


A's schedule in Philadelphia:

• October 17, Friday afternoon: Talk with Miriam Kotzin's Readings in Poetry Class, Drexel University

• October 19, Sunday, 1300hrs: Reading with Leonard Gontarek at Robin's Bookstore

• October 21, Tuesday, 1900hrs: Reading with Valerie Fox at Green Line Cafe

• October 22, Wednesday, 1700hrs: Reading and Q&A with Valerie Fox at Kutztown University, DeFrancesco Building, Room 100

• October 23, Thursday, 1400hrs: Reading and Q&A at Drexel University, Disque 109


Recent interview/publication:

NOO Journal is conducting a NOÖ Loves Everyone project. They are in the process of interviewing all their past contributors in an orderly manner, A-Z. I was tagged second.

• A wicked poem, Reasons for the Mass Destruction of Pigeons in Venice is up in the "Journaling the Apocalypse" issue of qarrtsiluni (October-November 2008). People with hearing aids will be able to detect the audio file as some kind of alien communication, not dangerous.

     Submission sent: 22 September 2008
     Reply date: 30 September 2008


Recent acceptances:

Poet Lore accepted a poem fresh out of 30:30 called Pictures for their Spring/Summer 2009 issue.

     Submission mailed: 14 August 2008
     E-mail reply: 25 September 2008

This is one my favorite print journals. I continue to submit because Ms. Scrooge here has a vested interest in getting the one-year subscription that comes with the acceptance.

THE SHOp accepted a poem, First Day Back — the first poem I wrote in 30:30 after a two-month hiatus.

     Submission mailed: 14 August 2008
     E-mail reply: 1 October 2008

Octopus Beak Inc accepted three poems: Marcia's Best Friend, On Sitting in the Dark with the Wipers On and Eve is the New Gorilla Suit for their end-of-the-year Cool Season Edition.

     Submission sent: 30 September 2008
     Reply date: 9 October 2008

• And pfew! After relentless submissions to the Rattle editor, I've finally made it (again)! My poem, Tonsillitis has been scheduled to appear in their Summer 2009 issue.

     Submission sent: 27 June 2008
     Reply date: 11 October 2008

Cricket Online Review, after a nice series of rejections, has accepted two poems: We stand the postal clerk and Mendel experiments for their next issue.

     Submission sent: 28 June 2008
     Reply date: 13 October 2008


Saving the best for last

This little carrot just received word that she won the 2008 Juked Poetry Prize!

Her Royal Jukedness will receive a check for US$500 and inclusion of her poems, Anima Nera and Like Blue Light Inside the Man with a Missing Arm in the print issue #6. She may or may not be brought before the guillotine.

17 comments:

Serena said...

Congrats on the acceptances.

Bebe Cook said...

my dear Arlene,

Very odd dream, I loved it. Not sure why I had to have the bad girl role, but that’s okay because I love the term Barbie-doll naked! As far as the orange bugs, are you sure they were not caterpillars, caterpillars are cute and fizzy, like the toys, slugs are disgusting. I hate slugs, how they leave a deceptive trail of iridescence behind them, how they upgrade and downgrade their shells, they give me the willies. I salt them; they dissolve like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz. So I am sure I did not allow them to touch my Barbie naked self. If however they were caterpillars, perhaps it was the metamorphous I was drawn too or perhaps I just relish the bad-girl role. I won’t make you touch them, promise. Very big congrats on your acceptances and the Juked Prize, I was so excited when I went to Portland, and saw Juked on the shelf. I am working on a Chapbook as another form of submission avoidance therapy. Enjoy your time in Philadelphia, I wish I could come and hear you read. Very big hugs

:) brenda

Collin Kelley said...

Congrats on the prize! Have fun in Philly!

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Dear Arlene, congratulations for Poet Lore and the SHOp in particular, you are much more than an emerging poet now, you are like the beloved dolphin Fungi in Dingle, Ireland, who sprang out of the water in an explosion.

I will submit to the SHOp, maybe the best magazine.
All the best, Davide

Anonymous said...

still plotting for your stateside, my eminent poetressa! if not, you'll still feel me there-even though BBNC has supplanted my place in your sub-couscous dreamologies. yeah. you have an *aapug*

nanette rayman rivera said...

Congratulations, Arlene on the contest and the money,honey!!!

all the best,
nanette rayman rivera

Anonymous said...

I saw your piece at Qarrtsiluni and wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it and how happy I am to see your work over there. I've been following your writing for some time and it's an inspiration.

Serena said...

Thanks for adding my link to your list. I'm tickled pink about it. :)

I'd love to review your latest poetry book, if you'll provide me with a title. I can pick one up and check it out.

I'm interested in expanding to more poetry book reviews and poet interviews and guest posts (if you are interested).

please feel free to email me at

savvyverseandwit AT gmail DOT com

I've also mentioned your work in a previous post for book blogger appreciation week here: (check it out)

http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/2008/09/marketing-poet.html

Liz said...

Hi Arlene,

So glad to catch you before you head off on your Philly trip - sounds divine and you get to meet some 30:30 poets too - just fabulous...here's wishing you a whooper of a time and have a Philly speciality (feel free to choose ; )for me! ; )

And WOW! WOW! WOW! what fantastic news about your great win - came just in time for your trip! Loads of congrats Arlene, you deserve it.

And that dream is a riot - literally and metaphorically - love Brenda's role in it : ) (hi Brenda ; ))

And another trumpet sound for all the good acceptance news...I made it to The SHOp too ...maybe we'll be bedfellows there. ; )

xx

Dave King said...

An absorbing post, full of good things. Really enjoyed the dream. Great to have a bit of unreality now and again!

SarahJane said...

Arlene!
Congratulations on the Juked prize! You deserve it.
Have a great time in Philly. Too bad my trip didn't overlap with yours - i definitely could have met up with you in Philly.
best, sarah

Maggie May said...

congrats on Juked!! that is awesome :))

and congrats on your publications. i have submitted four times to Rattle and been rejected four times. i persist!!

Ivy said...

Arlene, you're a star! Congratulations! :-) x

Cheryl said...

Yay, Arlene!

And I'm so excited to hear more about your trip. Do update!!

Cheryl

Liz said...

Hey Arlene, curiosity is getting the better of me - dying to know about your trip ; )... and need info on to get my hands on a copy of your and Valeris's book??

xx

Valerie Loveland said...

Congrats on the Juked Prize!

I stopped at Philly to visit my family while I was moving to Massachusetts a few weeks earlier than you. Too bad we weren't there at the same time--we could have met.

Glenn Ingersoll said...

Congratulations on the acceptances. Thanks for posting response times.