Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

Back from #AWP17

Like thousands of other writers, I journeyed to our nation’s capital this past week for the latest gathering of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). And, I suspect also like many others, I’m still “processing” those days.

One definite highlight for me, however, was Thursday evening’s “off-site” event at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (Fun fact: This panel event originated as an AWP session proposal. Which AWP rejected. Just another reminder that rejection doesn’t necessarily signal “the end.”)

I’m waiting for the video of “Memory Transferred: Voices from the Descendants of Destruction and Displacement” to be posted to the Museum’s YouTube channel. In the meantime, though, I can share one of the event’s photos. (more…)

Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

I’ve adjusted my travel plans in order to be sure to arrive in time for our big event at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Thursday evening, one of many off-site events complementing this year’s Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference. So I will soon be off to DC!

In any event, this will be my last post for a few days. I’ll be back to the blog(s) when I return from Washington. Thanks for your patience—and safe and easy travels to everyone making their way to #AWP17.

 

 

 

Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

Newly Published Poem

I’m happy to present a poem, “A Walker in the Post-Blizzard City,” that’s now up in The Wild Word‘s “Winter”-themed issue.

Yes, this is one of the newly accepted poems I alluded to last week. (And yes, the title alludes to Alfred Kazin’s famous A Walker in the City.)

More interesting, on the level of craft, is that I first drafted this poem about a year ago in response to a prompt in Martha Silano and Kelli Agodon’s The Daily Poet: Day-by-Day Prompts for Your Writing Practice. (It was the January 11 prompt, “Surprise City.”) I continue to recommend this craft book highly! (more…)

Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

Some Reflections on #ResistanceLit

ICYMI: The National Book Critics Circle blog published a piece of mine last week. It’s part of an ongoing series on “Resistance Lit,” and the post spotlights “resistance-lit” qualities in Heirlooms, stories by my friend Rachel Hall.

Q&A

Then it was my turn to be spotlighted! Many thanks to Joanne Intrator for inviting me to answer some questions for her New York-Berlin Bridge project. (Among the pleasures: I was able to dig back and revive a review I wrote for Fiction Writers Review some years ago about a Berlin-set novel by Chloe Aridjis.)

Unexpected (and Atypical) Litmag News

And I cannot believe that I am able to write this next bit: I have had four poems accepted for publication since the last midweek update! Four poems to be published in three journals. You can be sure that I’ll keep you posted.