Poetry & Rain

I'm really happy to announce that another couple of my poems are available online. The first is at The Pedestal Magazine (I thought I mentioned this already, but perhaps only on FB.) "A Day Beginning and Ending in Crows" This poem was written after one of the best days I had teaching my introduction to literature class; we went outside as a class and observed the world after reading Henry David Thoreau's essay on walking. Ah, good memories that.

The other can be found at ouroboros review. (If that link doesn't work try: here) The journal has a nifty "faux book" interface which is fun to play with. I forgot to see which page my poem is on, although I did go read it and noticed fellow blogger Dick Jones has several poems there as well.

It's another bird poem "Interviews for Spring." I do write about more than birds. Really. But this month it's birds when I'm growing tired of the real ones. Tired of their bickering on the back porch over the plentiful seed. It's spring, almost, they should be moving on, building their little nests, and sitting hunched over the eggs. I'm tired of the marauding robins, too. They used to come in pairs, now they flock like starlings or grackles.

But it's spring, one shouldn't complain. The grass turns green blade by blade. It's only raining poetry, and that is a blessing.

So, not only have I been writing and actually placing a few poems here and there, more poetry conversation is forthcoming. I am working on a series of conversations and interviews with poets over the next few weeks. If you'd like me to read and possibly talk about your work, please send a note. And check back soon!

Three Candles in Archive

Some detective work today (ok, so it wasn't that hard!)

Three Candles has been moved to Archive and is now located at this link:
Three Candles in Archive all of the content should be there, waiting.

You can stop in and read several of my reviews there as well.

Mystery Solved.

And then there is this, too!

Editing work, completed.

Donna L. Potts and Amy D. Unsworth, eds.
Region, Nature, Frontiers: Proceedings from the 11th International Region and Nation Literature Association Conference.
Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2008.
ISBN 9781847184597.

Thanks to Donna Potts for the opportunity!

Poem

Troupe Portrait with Unicycle.

by Amy D. Unsworth

One tent, one ring

and the ponies trudging their sad circles,

the bags of peanuts shrunken

to fit a child’s hand.

But the spangled girls still ascend

to the lofted ceiling,

to dangle by heel or tooth.

And to the father’s broad shoulders

the sons catapult.

And Daughter steps

from her high platform, like off the curb

in her everyday boredom.

From: Tar River Poetry, Spring 2007

Things that Amuse. . .

Jeff Bahr has done many helpful things for poets. I first was introduced to him in the late 1990's at The Gazebo Workshop. He's been a helpful reader and critic of my own and many other's work. He has a useful publication rankings system. But his latest endeavor is funny, in that it plays on the strangeness of the life of a writer. Rejection? Yep, so what?

The Futility Review: save on postage, don't submit, they'll reject you anyhow. And in this case, retroactively.



Just so you know, I didn't submit or have my poems appear in the Winter 1999 issue, and I have a journal cover .jpeg to prove it.



Were you rejected too?

Blowing out the lights

It seems this year is a year of letting go. With my diagnosis in January, I had to give up the teaching that I love for the time being. And now Three Candles, where I've been an editor these past few years under the direction of Steve Mueske, is taking down the shingle as well.

I should think opportunity, more creative time, more free space. But, I'm feeling like the last person left at a party, blowing out the few candles left before walking aimlessly out into the night.

It's been a good party. That I can take with me.

Looking in Blackbird

As much as I love Steven's poem this post is not about the poem but rather to mention that my review of Five Terraces is in the current (Spring 2007) issue of Blackbird


But you can read the poem here (13 Ways), if reviews aren't your current cup of tea.

And since we're on the topic, it appears that if you're in Chicago, Blackbird might be a nice place for a dinner out.

Or if you're into a more classical approach, try Eighth Blackbird:who will also be performing in Chicago Friday May 18th.

As much as I love it here, somedays Kansas seems very far away.

Over Five Years in the Making:

In the new Poetry

I found the editorial to be rather interesting this month. "In Praise of Rareness" argues that perhaps editors should publish less poetry. And for the most part, I agree. If you've ever picked up a Collected by a favorite poet and then realized that you've read their best work in the anthologies, then you'll know what he's talking about. He claims that "regular people" (those not involved in the writing poetry life) have singular favorite poems rather than favorite authors.

What do you think? Do you feel cheated by the 10 poems that comprise this month's edition? Or do the drawings make up for it?

But then I think about all the wonderous variety of poetry that doensn't always find a home and I sometimes wish to take more chances with what I read and accept.

And I learn from the poems I read, even if they're not the best-of-the-century quality. I listen to the voices; I look at the trends; I listen for music in a poet's work; I look for poets to go on my "watch list," a list I keep of younger poets whose work demonstrates a spark, a hint, a whisper that they will have more to say.

Should we not comb the haystack?

Press Release

Pushcart Nominations
By steve mueske

Three candles journal and three candles press are proud to announce the following Pushcart Prize nominations:

Lynn Strongin
Tintoretto Twilight

Carolyn Srygley-Moore
Casting Out

Oni Buchanan
Architecture of Tears

Bernadette Geyer
Train

RJ McCaffery
The Angel of Sleep

Tony Trigilio
The Longest Continuing Running Policeman


______________________________________

If you see them around, be sure to say Congratulations!

And make sure you stop by three candles (.org) to read
these very fine poems.

Even Easier

I've noticed that quite a few more journals have entered the world of electronic submissions recently. The last time I was researching for submissions there were hardly any print journals that offered an online option. Now, some only accept electronic versions. There are several handy databases with links to journals as well. Nice.

I think it's a great move in general. I've been reading submissions via email or electronic files for about five years. Actually, I've only had paper submissions once, as a reader for Touchstone. The files are so much easier to handle, to share, and for responses.

But, even after an hour long struggle to install a printer driver today, I'm still awfully fond of printing out my poems so that no changes/glitches/gremlins occur during their travels to editors. And I'm fond of postage stamps. Possibly because my older brother once collected them, so I think, perhaps, my boys will want all these stamps from the submissions I've sent out and had returned to me.

It's a process in patience & I'm still trying to learn.

Not Me. . .

Somewhere in the UK there's an Amy Unsworth that works in a cancer lab. She's published a short piece of non-fiction here at LabLit.

Strangely enough, I had an acceptance in my in-box for the piece although I'd never heard of the site before. But, apparently they've caught up with the right Amy Unsworth now. Thank you Amy for whatever you do to support cancer research & for reminding us to laugh now and again.

Review : The Silence of Men

You can find my review of The Silence of Men at The Pedestal Magazine.

It is an interesting book and does not lead where I thought it might. I made sure that I did not add a "spoiler" to my review, especially since in many ways the poems do appear to create a loose narrative.

I'm learning through reviewing how books of poetry can work. In my studies, I've very rarely looked critically at entire books of poems. But I think as a writer it is essential to do so. Where else are you going to get information about how to order books? I've not had a single person offer advice towards this goal, but I've never really asked either.

I need more books to review; does anyone have any to suggest?

New at Three Candles:

"Casting Out" and "The Whistler's Tarantula" by poet Carolyn Srygley-Moore are new additions to the poetry section. Stop by & read!

Start here: three candles

Things I've written

other than poetry. I was recently revisiting a series of articles I wrote for the "beginning poet" at Poems Niedergasse. I think as time permits I'll add a list of my reviews and other articles to the side bar. But tonight, I have other work to complete. So, if you'd like to see these this link will take you to the list of titles:
"From the Pencil Box"

I have a few reviews at three candles as well, I'll link them later.

***

I'm also excited about being the Prose Editor at three candles. After many years of focus on poetry, it has been interesting to focus on what makes a story or piece of prose compelling. I might have a new selection for you soon.

I'm branching out.

***

I also believe that to continue to write that one must continue to read and participate in the critical conversation. To that end, I'll be at Dekalb U. this weekend for the ACIS.

Is it snowing there yet?

***


I'm reading Richard Jeffery Newman's book. More on this soon.

***

It is suddenly fall. The leaves forget the branches. The branches illustrate the sky, structure revealed after the abandon of green.

CALL for PROSE

Since I'd failed to mention this earlier, I thought it best to mention it now.
I've picked up some extra duties at "Three Candles Journal" where I am now
also in charge of reading prose submissions. So, send me

Stories! Plays! Flash! Essays! Memoir! Creative Non-Fiction!

or whatever else on your desktop that you'd file under prose!

tick tock,
Time's A Wasting. . .

and while I'm at it.

I'll be reading on Irish Poet John Montague at the ACIS conference coming up next month at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb. If anyone is around thereabouts and would like to join me for a cup of coffee, send me an email!

____________

The Official Blurb:

The 30th Annual Meeting of the Midwest American Conference for Irish Studies
Northern Illinois University,
DeKalb, IL
12-14 October 2006

-Saturday: Session 6: 2:15-3:30 -
6B: The Poetry of John Montague, Illinois Room
Amy Unsworth (Kansas State University), “Oil for a Rusted Hinge: Poetry as Place of Deconstruction in John Montague's Poetry.”

_______________________

Define "Essential"

I'm working to finish up my plan for my non-majors Intro to Lit. for the fall semester. When it comes right down to it, I have about 10 days to teach poetry without skimping on other genres which too must be taught. Ten days. If I can teach 3 poems a day, that's 30 poems with less than 20 minutes to talk about any given poem. If I teach 50 poems, that's 10 minutes a poem. I have an anthology selected, so I'm trying to pick a wide range from what is in the book.

It boils down to 400+ years of poetry in 10 days or less than one poem per decade. I can name at least 40 poems from the last 40 years that must be read. How do you decide on poems that will make students become readers? How can I make them fall in love with words?

---
The poetry reading was quite lovely. We all crowded into the coffeeshop and drank lemonaide and chatted with conference attendees from all over the world and those from a bit closer to home. It was lovely to hear the poets' voices, the inflection they choose as they read their own work. We read in alphabetical order, which meant I was last, and was responsible for saying goodnight. When the poet before me stood up to read, my hands began to shake. I brought my youngest son out of necessity. I heard his every shuffle, wiggle, sneeze, whisper. Before I read, he asked if we were almost done. Yes, yes, after I go. I read my poems, I looked over my own shoulder and questioned if I was reading loud enough, if I was reading slowly enough, if I was making eye-contact. When I finished, the crowd clapped as they do, and my son cheered loudly. You Rock Mom! I think he cheered because we were finished and I'd promised him a cheeseburger on the way home. I couldn't stop smiling.

Celebrating Kansas

There's a poetry reading Friday at Radina's Coffeehouse to celebrate the opening of the conference of "Nation, Region, and Frontiers." I'll be reading, along with 10 other Kansas poets, some of which I know and others I'm looking forward to meeting.

From the Publisher's Desk

Not What I Expected: The Road from Womanhood to Motherhood,

ed. by Donya Currie and Hildie S. Block ISBN 0-931181-26-7 Due Fall 2006

An anthology of poetry, fiction, essays and artwork by Jody Bolz, Carole Burns, Grace Cavalieri, Christina Daub, Mary Doroshenk, Patricia Gray, Clarinda Harriss, Anne Hasselbrack, Jacqueline Jules, Mary Ann Larkin, Lyn Lifshin, Hilary Tham, Donna Vitucci, Mary-Sherman Willis, and tons more. (and me too!)

"A collection that is by turns heartening and harrowing, insightful and irreverent but, page after page, always honest. We don't remember our own birth, we can't reflect our own death, so the squawking arrival of parenthood and its glorious life tangle is our only true relationship with the cycle of creation. Here, in essays, poems and personal dispatches, is a sketch of that singular experience. The best thing you can say about book on birth? It delivers. And this one does."

--Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times

“I'm a father of seven and figured that by osmosis maybe I'd learned something about motherhood. But this book opened my eyes and my heart and made me realize how much I don't know and didn't understand. For me, Not What I Expected is a journey through the looking glass, to the other side of the miracle. Reading it is an experience that I will always treasure.”

--William Mckeen, Professor and Chair, University of Florida Department of Journalism. Author of Highway 6: A Father-and-Son Journey Through the Middle ofAmerica

This book, full of pathos and humor, explores every aspect of motherhood. The writers in this anthology take you on a ride to many unexpected places: from the terrifying terrain of losing a baby to the exaltation of a successful pregnancy against the odds. Here you'll find the blood and sweat and grit of parenthood, all the real secrets that nobody tells you before your baby is born.

--Jennifer Margulis, author of "Why Babies Do That" and "Toddler: Real-Life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love"