Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

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There are so many things that I love about “Jewish Sources, Literary Narrative: A Writing Workshop,” the class I’m taking this fall at the Drisha Institute. Here’s one: Instructor Amy Gottlieb routinely shares with us work by poets who are new to me. And I’m following up by adding those poets’ books to my tbr lists.

Last weekend, thanks to the collections of the New York Society Library, I dug into Dan Pagis’s work (translated by Stephen Mitchell). And in addition to the overtly “Jewish” poems like the one Amy brought to us in class, I ran across this one, which I can’t help thinking will appeal to all writers.

And Speaking of Poetry

This weekend brought an acceptance!

I’m still too jinx-conscious to reveal too much ahead of publication (which should happen this winter).

But I can tell you this much: I wrote the first draft of this poem last February upon reading this prompt from Robert Lee Brewer’s “Poetic Asides” blog. And it’s a poem that, subject-wise, fits with the accepting journal’s upcoming theme.

As we all know we are supposed to do, upon accepting the acceptance I immediately informed editors at the six other journals that were still considering this poem that it was no longer available. (In fact, I felt guilty that I only made it halfway through those emails/Submittable updates before I had to leave the computer for an hour.)

In reviewing my submission records for that purpose, I also noted that the poem had been rejected by nine other magazines. Which made me realize, again, that for the most part, it seems to be far easier (quantitatively speaking) to place my poems than it ever was to find homes for my short stories. I can’t explain.

And Just for Fun

In case you missed it on Twitter, here’s a Halloween birthday cake that my 12yo niece baked for her mom. Hope that you all had a Happy Halloween, too!

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5 thoughts on “Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

  1. sandy soli says:

    Erica, the poem link takes us to something else. Perhaps you could recheck? Thanks.

    1. Erika Dreifus says:

      Link should take you to the Google Books version of the volume. Poem is on p. 52. Sorry–can’t find another version of it online. It’s the best I can do!

  2. Can’t wait for the details about that acceptance!

    1. Erika Dreifus says:

      Thank you!

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