Happy Solstice, friends and fans of the Kangaroo. I am a creature of the light, and I take heart that the days will slowly lengthen toward that other tipping point at the summer solstice.
Having returned from Iowa earlier this week, I have to take a moment to comment that the upper Midwest finally treated me to an enjoyable weather trip in December. In years past, when I've traveled this time of year, I've been met with snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. This past weekend, we had bright sun and temps in the upper 40s. Someone needed to pinch me to make me believe it. Blessings.
Now, I'm reflecting on my gratitude for good news from the poetry world over the past week.
First, Jessica Goodfellow awarded the Kangaroo a Liebster Award while I was away! Since I've done this a number of times, I'm going to skip the rigamarole and just say THANKS to Jessica. If you haven't checked out her blog, Axis of Abraxas, please do! Great insights about poetry and writing in general, as well as updates from the Pacific Rim.
Next, news of two acceptances. The fine folks at Pebble Lake Review accepted "Fairy Tale for Girls who Gather Maps" and will also host an audio file for the poem, which I recorded yesterday. I'll let y'all know when the new issue goes up and the poem is available to read/hear. Just on the heels of that good news came an email from the folks at Sou'wester, who accepted two poems, "Inventing a Rain Spell" and "Cornfield, USA III" for the special weather issue, forthcoming in 2012. This is my second appearance in Sou'wester, which is always a thrill, and I'm super psyched for this acceptance b/c this is the first of the three haibun to find a home. Many, many thanks to the editors and readers of these two journals for showing my work some love.
Finally, tons of gratitude to those of you who chimed in on my manuscript blues, either in the comment section or by email. I am so grateful to have you all in my life. After my sojourn up home and my return to this, my southern home, I'm feeling a bit braver about returning to the manuscript and giving it a good re-reading. You all ROCK!
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| Some rocks from Heber Springs, AR. Solid! |
3 comments:
And a happy solstice to you, too!
Living in Seattle, we have had more than our usual share of both colder temps (about ten degrees below normal for a month or so) and sun! Although I believe sunset hit at about, oh, 3:30 yesterday, I was still grateful for the little sunshine we got!
Merry coldest darkest time of the year - time to go fortify ourselves with something delicious and warm!
Ah, Jeannine, it's all about the fortification this time of year. My belly can testify! :) Enjoy the bright moments...there are surely more to come.
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