My story “The Locket and the Thinning Veil” is available to read on Page & Spine. I wrote this at a PDX Writers retreat last summer in response to a prompt where we each reached into a bag of cut-up lines from poems, grabbed some, and wrote for 15 minutes. The three snippets in my handful that spoke to me the most mentioned a uniform pocket, remembrance, and two people in love.
Reminder, I’m gearing up for Flights of Foundry next weekend. Hope to see you there!
You can find my poem “Lanterns at Dusk” online now at Kingdoms in the Wild. I’ve always found lanterns so lovely, with their diverse shapes and materials. And to be honest, a lot of this poem came from me dealing with feelings of entrapment during the pandemic. I’m glad this work is out in the world.
Save the date: I’ll be reading a selection of my stories and poems on April 8th at the Flights of Foundry online convention.
I just got back from my first big vacation since the pandemic started, so I’m a little behind on things. To get me caught up, first I wanted to share that I had the pleasure of talking with Teresa Douglas, editor of Latinx Lit Mag, who posted audio of me reading my Rhysling-nominated poem “Sonnet of the South American Sphinx” on her podcast and then interviewed me about the poem’s origins. You can listen to me geek out about sphinxes, fiction vs. poetry, and my mom’s chocolate chip cookies.
Next, I’ve got a few live virtual events coming up. First is my talk through the Tigard Public Library on “Writing Your Obsessions” this coming Monday. Then in early April I’ll be participating in Flights of Foundry, a virtual convention I’ve really enjoyed attending in the past and can’t wait to be part of this year. I’ll be doing an hour reading on April 8th, and then on April 10th I’ll be on a panel called “The State of Speculative Poetry” with some fantastic fellow writers: Bogi Takács, Akua Lezli Hope, and Wendy Van Camp! Registration for Flights of Foundry is free (or donate what you can), so I really hope you can join me for some stories, poems, and stimulating discussion.
In upcoming publication news, I’ve got a story due out in the inaugural issue of Wyngraf and a poem coming out soon in Kingdoms in the Wild.
My new flash story, “Tree Eyes,” appears in the latest issue of Frost Zone Zine, in the company of delightfully eerie works for the theme of Celebrating Women in Horror.
“Tree Eyes” is definitely one of those stories that has its earliest roots in real life—with a healthy dose of fictionalization, of course. At an early age, one of my sons was very prone to seeing faces where there are none (i.e., pareidolia). His bedroom closet doors became a source of great concern as a result.
By the way, if you’re a writer and would like to attend my upcoming virtual talk on Writing Your Obsessions, registration is free and open now!
One final reminder for the FOGcon speculative poetry panel tonight! You can register here.
In other news:
I found out last night that my poem “Sonnet of the South American Sphinx,” from Honeyguide Literary Magazine, is nominated for this year’s Rhysling Award for Best Short Poem! Many thanks to whoever out there read my work and nominated it. I’m truly honored to be listed among so many amazing writers and poems. The annual anthology of Rhysling nominees will be coming out in a couple of months.
On a related note, next Saturday is the FOGcon speculative poetry panel and reading.
It’s an author event-a-palooza! I’ve got a reading and panel later this month, plus a couple of my friends are leading some writing workshops this month and next on topics near and dear to my heart.
First up is the always engaging Elizabeth Beechwood, teaching about magical realism this Saturday through the Salem Public Library. Please note, I hear this workshop is nearly full… You can find more info and the registration form here.
On Thursdays throughout March, the talented and prolific Sarina Dorie will be teaching about how to write short stories, offered through Wordcrafters. You can get more details and sign up here. She’s also got one on romance stories next week.
And on Saturday, Feb. 26, I’ll be participating in the FOGcon Science Fictional and Fantasy Poetry Panel. We’ll be reading some of our works, discussing speculative poetry, and answering questions. This live event won’t be recorded, so I hope you can join us.
I’m so pleased to be part of The Horror Tree’s Women in Horror Month. In my essay “Upcycling Emotions, or Why I Write Horror,” I talk about what draws me to this genre built upon the dark side of the human experience. I also touch on how I came to write my story “Hell-ium Balloon” from Last Girls Club.
I hope you’ll explore the other pieces that The Horror Tree features for this month and in February of years past, too.
I have another blog post up on WritersDigest.com, this time where I break down a couple of my favorite business tools and how you can apply them to your writing career. I’m always excited when I can merge my business background with my passion for creative writing! Yes, I’m nerdy like that.
One thing I want to add: This time of year, a lot of articles for writers talk about goal-setting. My article talks about key performance indicators (KPIs). Some people might wonder, what’s the difference between goals and KPIs? The way I see it, goals are a specific point you’re trying to reach, like the summit of a trail, whereas a KPI is more like a compass. It’s a calculation that indicates direction. Is the number trending up, down, or staying the same? It’s information that can help you course-correct. Or it’s something you can take note of to discover any trends or patterns. And yes, it can steer you toward your goals. You can calculate a KPI as sporadically or as often as you like.
Personally, I like setting goals, but I know some folks find them a source of anxiety or letdown. I think KPIs are a nice option as a companion and/or alternative to goals.
If you’re looking for something to brighten these dark days, Eye to the Telescope has a new issue out themed around light, including my poem “Trial of the Will-o’-Wisp (A Triolet).” I’ve long admired Eye to the Telescope as a showcase of speculative poetry, always organized around themes, with a guest editor for each quarterly issue. I’m honored that Jordan Hirsch selected my work for this one.
This poem is my second triolet (the first appeared in Sidequest, based on the computer game The Oregon Trail). I had fun seeing how much I could contort the repeating lines in such a short form.
Speaking of speculative poetry, I’ll be participating in an online reading and discussion next month through FOGcon, along with several other poets. I hope you can join us.
