Gossip & the Devil

Submission updates [&] a belated birthday wish to a dear friend.

In keeping with the updates, I have a few more on the submissions front:

* In the next few weeks I should also be hearing from editor Larry Ziman from “The Great American Poetry Show” on my inclusion status for volume 2 of TGAPS. [Up for consideration are my poems "Crybaby" and "Voyeur" as well as my prose piece titled "Exhibitionism on Hopeless Beach." Sound sexy, don't they?]

* Today I received an email from editor Don Williams of New Millennium Writings to inform me that while I didn’t end up winning their Fall contest last year, my short-short piece titled “Massachusetts Avenue Was Otherwise Dead” did make it to the final round. He says:  “About 250 made it to the final round and were selected from some 1,400 total submissions in four categories. The quality in our contests is high, and you should be proud of your accomplishment. I am.”

* Received my “Discovery”/Boston Review postcard back. They’ve officially received my submission for their contest:

In other news…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAIRRIE!

I’d like to extend a quick belated birthday with to MISS TAIRRIE B of MY RUIN.  Tairrie has been a muse, a sister, a listener and, more than anything, a FRIEND to me for years. Much like Amanda Palmer, she’s one of very few women who I relate to, and she’s been a good friend of mine for years, and was one of the first people in the world to throw a bone my way, and believe in me.

I first discovered MY RUIN years ago, when the lyrics for “Beauty Fiend” slapped me in the face like an abusive husband:

“Please forgive me, for not being pretty or sexy, but god never blessed me, here’s what you’ll find next time you undress me…scars…wounds…I’m bruised, watch me bleed, I’m no beauty, watch me bleed, beauty fiend…”

I’d never felt a woman say anything quite like that, and almost immediately I was taken by such brutal honesty. Thru out the years B has been a pillar of support in my writing career even if she was standing alone at times. Things like this site probably wouldn’t have come to pass if it hadn’t been for her many late night conversations kicking my ass into gear. The words “beauty fiend” are now inked across my shoulder blades.

Check out MY RUIN, the band she’s formed with her partner in life [and crime] Mick Murphy, and her spoken-word side project, The L.V.R.S. [Love.Violence.Religon.Sex - also with Mick Murphy] over on the sidebar. HUGE inspirations to my work. In the coming weeks I’ll delve further into just how much their art has  affected me, but for now let me just say HAPPY [late] BIRTHDAY! Much love, always. We’re in this art game together. [Note to B: If I was in anyway decent at photoshop I'd make you a cute picture. But I'm not. So you get this fancy heart: <3 See? Talent.]

Click below to watch a video montage from their US album release show for “Throat Full of Heart” which I attended last year in L.A. You can hear my poor voice screaming along [though I'd damaged my vocal cords already in a prior tour]. “Honesty is the holiest disease” indeed. Also you can watch as the authoress puppet dances in leopard print heels and tries to precariously deliever a birthday cake to one very energetic drummer.

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“Discovery”/ Boston Review – first submission of 2009

I’ve successfully used an entire cartridge of black ink for submissions. For a bit of back story, following a particularly dark period, I went and bought a brand new ink cartridge last summer. I’d decided enough was enough and couldn’t go around telling certain people to write and “get back to what’s important” (xxoo) when I was sitting on my ass and breaking down. It’s appropriate that last night, as I attempted to print out the first manuscript/submission of this new year, that the ink was dry. There was nothing left.

I’d spent all of last year printing nothing but hand-made chapbooks, manuscripts and submissions. (And maybe a few itineraries for last-minute trips to L.A. and my beloved Chicago.) So a trip to Staples, and $24.72 later, I am once again the proud owner of a shiny, new cartridge. It’s now installed, the manuscript printed and submission is on it’s way to New York.

Once again we begin a new year in this woman’s journey towards a book of her own.

For this round I’ve sent a ten-page manuscript to the “Discovery” / Boston Review contest. The contest, by design, is aimed at attracting a large audience to poets who have not yet published a book. According to the rules and guidelines, upon “winning” 4 poets get a chance to read at the 92nd Street Y and receive $500 apiece.  Now, I’ve submitted to, and been rejected by, the Boston Review before. In the grand scheme of things it’s a bit of a daunting undertaking for such a relatively “young” poet, since the Boston Review is far from a fledgling press, but I’ve always been of the mind that even if the goal seems out-of-reach, you’ll never know unless you polish your moxie and go for it. I cleaned up the poems, added a few new ones [plus a couple I've sent to the Colulmbia Poetry Review for consideration] and sent it right back. I feel hopeful.

Click the cut for an excerpt from the manuscript.

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