Category: writing
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New Poem: Chicago Sonnet 43
I’ve got a newly published poem from my Chicago Sonnets sequence in the premiere issue of Bronze Bird Review. While numbered as #43, this is actually the second sonnet I wrote for the sequence, depicting the young women of Lincoln Park as seen through the eyes of age and regret. The issue can be purchased…
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I can assure you it most certainly is NOT “War and the World”
One of the things that was a source of amusement for me in college was the fact that the Russian word Мир (“Mir”) meant both “peace” and “world” and we would joke that when the Soviets would declare that they wanted peace, they were really saying that they wanted the world. The obvious next step…
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“A Blessing of Tears”: The Story Behind the Story
My latest publication is an excerpt from the novel I’m currently querying, We, the Rescued, entitled “A Blessing of Tears.” It’s a little startling to think of how long ago I first started working on this chapter. According to my computer, the creation date for the first draft of the chapter is 20 June 2017, so…
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Writerly resolutions: October status
This was a month of getting stuff done thanks to a pair of little writing retreats. I did one long weekend at the Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House for a formal writers’ retreat, although I ended up skipping the structured parts because most of it didn’t really feel relevant to me. Then a couple weeks later,…
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Writerly resolution: September status
This month I workshopped a new story, and while it didn’t get the rapturous reception that I hoped it would (largely a generational thing, I think), it was paradoxically a boost in my mind for the story. Getting a chance to see who responded lukewarmly and why made me feel more secure in what I…
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Writerly resolutions: August status
First draft of the new story is done and I’m into the rewrite. I’m thinking that this might be the first story of a collection about the main character. I’ve committed to a workshop date in September to keep me from dawdling with this story. Still paused on the novel. I’ve been doing a lot…
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Writerly resolutions: July status
Got a new story workshopped with some good feedback on it and a thousand words of another story written. A workshopped story went into submissions. Paused a bit on the novel querying realizing that it needs some revision to be better. I’m making sure that the first 50 pages at least are as perfect as…
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Writerly resolutions: June status
My big thing this month, by far would be writer camp. I spent the last few days of the month in central Pennsylvania, mostly writing, although some reading, some talking with other writerly folks. A rather deep questioning about the novel, and whether I even have the right to write it (I think I do,…
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Writerly resolutions: a late May status
Somehow I managed to miss that I never did the May status post. Querying continues with disappointing results. I’ve finished a first draft of a new story. Still revising poems (and tossing a few into the trash heap). My submittable is down to seven entries.