The Catch-Up

Quite a bit as happened since I last posted here in early August.  Since that time I have moved along to bigger and better things, stumbled my way through being obsessed with political discussions on Facebook, and discovered my new keyboard (courtesy of a new computer from the school) is not nearly as responsive to my typing touch as the last one I had, causing innumerable typing errors.  In fact I just now swapped out my new keyboard and mouse in an attempt to save my very sanity.  And I think it is working.  Many of the keys on that new board simply wouldn't register my touch/strike and I would spend a lot of time going back and filling in errant letters after completing each of my sentences. It's nice to see my old typos back and to be rid of the ones created because of a faulty tension setting on a new board.

Noe that I have that old gripe off my chest, I will stick to the positives which have happened as a  result of  these past several months.

1.  My book, Hobble Creek Almanac has six reviews up on Amazon.  That's pretty good.  I have been very fortunate to have some really good friends read my book and go the extra step in writing a review for it.  I am also slotted to speak to the Springville Historical Society in February.  I am going to fashion it into a reading of sorts, talking about how I purposefully blended fact and fiction to write the best possible poems for the book.  I might even sell a few copies. It will be my first official reading of the book, unless anyone out there invites me to read on their own.  Utah is a strange animal, and poets are even more bizarre.  I have been in contact with a lot of Utah writers and poets, but because I do not hold any academic sway, I will probably never get invited into the college classroom or to very many readings.  I have nothing to offer.  I've said it before, so that is enough of that.

2.  I received a Jackpot Grant from the state of Nevada to assist in the publication of my latest book, Sailing This Nameless Ship, coming out from BlazeVOX.  It wasn't a tremendous amount, but it will hopefully ensure that I will be able to send out a lot of review copies and perhaps get a few reviews seen and thereby sell some copies.  I plan to do that, possibly pay for a few advertisements, and the like.  I doubt I will ever write another book like it, and I don't want it to disappear entirely without at least a few people reading it.  If there is anyone out there willing to write a review and publish that review on a blog or submit it to a journal of some kind, I would like you to contact me.  I will put you on a list, and I will do my best to make sure you get a review copy of the book.

3.  I went to the Cliffs Notes Writer's workshop, where I was able to work with some great writers, chief among them Eleanor Wilner.  She led two workshops through close readings of some very diverse poems. It was really great to be led through that process by such an incredible mind.  It made me really examine the line between conscious and unconscious composition.

That about does it.  Oh, other things have happened---school has started and I have a pretty good group of honors students, but I really don't want to write all that much more.  You know, I gotta try and get you all to come back and read again.  All the best, and stay classy, interwebs, stay classy!