Life's a busy blur

but fun

I started off the month feeling daunted, but am now involved in various projects and too busy to think about being overwhelmed. I’ve started a project working with two organizations in Africa and I’m already learning a lot. Logframe and SWOT analysis are things I have managed to get to the ripe old age of 60 without learning before, and yet they are super helpful concepts.

I am working with a patient and insightful reviews editor of a literary journal to fix two effed up reviews I wrote that don’t do the books justice. I’m fortunate that she’s willing to work with me and hasn’t rejected them.

I have a new review for a short story collection to write after my pitch was accepted.

I’ve got an editing contract with a repeat client.

I am still working on my novel, Naked in Ten Photos.

I have conceived of a new poetry manuscript, working title: connection to the earth, poems of love, grief and change.

I continue to work on two other poetry manuscripts: the Twenty-Six and the Economy Blues.

I continue to send review pitches for books that I have received from publishers. I’m finding it frustrating the number of literary journals that simply don’t ever respond, but this means that I focus on the ones that accept the pitches first. If in the end, I have books I’d like to talk about and I can’t place a review in a paying litmag, I’ll post them here.

I attend the Art House Open mic every few weeks or so, reading from one of the above works or from Beast Body Epic.

I’m looking forward to the ottawa small press book fair on June 22. We will have our usual Bywords/AngelHousePress table.

Thanks to all of you for reading, for subscribing and for sending me messages and e-mails. I really appreciate you.

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Recommended Substack for Writers:

Jeannine Ouellette

‘s Writing in the Dark

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