Erika Dreifus

Three quick things.

1. Revision—and Rejection

There was a day about a week ago when something striking happened (for my writing practice, at any rate). It involved a poem that had received a number of rejections and that I’d set aside after concluding that the piece simply wasn’t “working,” but that I had no idea how to “fix” it.

On the day in question, shortly after preparing a different piece for submission in response to a journal’s call for prose poetry, something like craft-lightning struck: An idea occurred to me to turn the “abandoned” poem from free verse into a prose poem. And in this form, it seemed to me to be vastly improved.

Surprised and pleased, I added it to the submission document and sent TWO prose poems that journal’s way.

Within a day, both poems were rejected.

That was a disappointment, but I still believe that the revised poem is significantly better in its new incarnation, and I’m going to continue to seek a home for it.

2. Newsletter-in-Progress

I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed work-wise at the moment, but I am determined to get the March issue of The Practicing Writer out to subscribers on schedule. Which means: tomorrow.

3. #CelebrateDinezon

I’ll leave you with these lovely images from the Raleigh launch event for Jewish Storyteller Press’s new (first-ever) English translation of Jacob Dinezon’s The Dark Young Man (trans. Tina Lunson), one of the books that I’ve been helping to publicize in recent months.

So grateful to @quailridgebooks for the opportunity to launch The Dark Young Man yesterday. We had a great turnout and, it was rewarding to share our 18-year journey to bring Jacob Dinezon’s work into the 21st-century. Here are some photos @erikadreifus #CelebrateDinezon pic.twitter.com/EKMIO5ErTV

— Jewish Storyteller Press (@JewishStoryPres) February 25, 2019