Friday, March 18, 2011

Another Print Magazine and a Book Recommendation

I would like to share my latest print magazine debut. You can order the latest copy of Indigo Rising magazine here. My poems "For the Professor Whose Name I Share" dedicated to Amanda Skjeveland, and "Speechless" are included in this volume. You can purchase your copy here for only $5. Go ahead and add Heavy Hands Ink volume 3, with my poem "No Country", here. Thank you for supporting me and the literary community as a whole!

On a related note, my good friend Keri from Write Turn Here is featured in Short, Fast, and Deadly's most recent print anthology. You can find that here. If you're interested in microfiction, you can read Keri's interview with SFD editor Joseph Quintela here.

Finally, I believe the best way to improve your writing is to read, read, read. To that end, I'm going to start posting book recommendations periodically. These books will be chosen specifically to target specific writing skills they exemplify. And if they look interesting, buy them through the link here!

Today's recommended reading is Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I recommend this book once at almost every writing workshop I participate in. First and foremost, it features one of the hardest mixes in contemporary writing: literary quality writing with a creative, original story. Gaiman successfully weaves non-Classical mythology into a contemporary setting into a well written story. I recommend this frequently to authors who are attempting to take myths, folk tales, or fairy tales and twist them into something more. Gaiman is a great example of how to do that without sounding like Stephanie Meyer. Buy it, read it, love it.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Postpartum

My poem "Postpartum" was published in the Spring 2010 edition of The New Plains Review. Since it was published over a year ago, I'm posting it online so people who were not able to get the print edition are able to read the poem. You can find information about The New Plains Review here. Thanks for your continued readership!


Postpartum

Let your tiny cries like barbs
sink into my flesh,
let those delicate tears
eat into my skin like acid.
He holds you the way
he’s forgotten to hold me.
My world orbits yours, my parasite,
stealing my beauty,
drawing wrinkles on my forehead,
sagging skin once firm,
sinking your predatory teeth
with a smile
into me: haven’t you heard
not to bite the hand that feeds you?
Mostly, though,
let the way I hate you mingle
with the love I can’t help,
let the hate seep into me,
my sweetness,
let only you remain.

Friday, March 4, 2011

And The Winner Is...

Keri Faulkner! Keri will receive a copy of Heavy Hands Ink, Volume III and a $10 Borders gift card. Thanks to everyone who participated, and look for a new contest soon! Keri will be buying the book "Magic Slays".