Some bits and others

You can hear an interview with yours truly here, on WMUK, Western Michigan University's NPR station. I had a blast talking with Lorraine about American Amen, poetry in general, her perceptions of poetry, my obsessions, etc. She was the most gracious of hosts, and her condensing of our 30-minute talk into the tidy 3-minute spot above is quite wonderful. I really enjoyed the experience, and look forward to other such opportunities should they ever arise again.

Jonathan Kleyer, a wonderful, smart, and passionate reporter for The Kalamazoo Shopper, a local, county rag, is writing a piece on American Amen's recent success. When the write-up becomes available, I'll post some snippets here. Again, I am most gracious for his time and attention. Really it's the English Department here that helped me out the most. They sent a press-release out to the PR Department here at WMU, and that's how the radio station and The Kalamazoo Shopper found me. A sweet gesture on their part, surely. I'm grateful to them.

I've really been loving this long poem by Oliver de la Paz. I can't wait to get my hands on his new collection from Akron UP. Just read some of his newer poems in recent issues of The Southern Review (there's also a killer essay by Alex Lemon in that issue) and Sou'wester, too. Great stuff all around. Oliver is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary poets. And when I met him, however briefly, at AWP in Chicago last year, he was a super swell guy, too. I love when that happens. I'm hoping I'll get to say to him again in Denver this year, congratulate him on the new book, get his Hancock, etc.

Since I'm talking journals, I'll mention that I've got poems forthcoming, both from American Amen and from "the new thing," in The Laurel Review, H_NGM_N, Quarterly West, Indiana Review, Reed, Lumina, Parthenon West Review, Gargoyle, Cider Press Reivew, and maybe a couple others I'm blanking on.... Hmmmm? I had a decent little run in the late summer and early fall. Nothing lately on the journal front, but I don't care. Just happy to be writing a bit here and there, studying for comps, being with my family, and teaching. In more domestic news, we desperately need to get out of our current apartment (the dog hears too many noises through our thin walls and her barking wakes Auden from naps, or prevents him from taking them at all, and M is doing her best to deal with it, but it's just NOT working...it's just too damn stressful for everyone, I think). Just not sure how to deal with the moving right now. Too many things going on, not enough time, money, etc. But we'll see how things progress. Who knows. I keep telling M: find us a place, take care of details, and I'll lug the damn boxes. But damn, I HATE moving, ya know? Anything for my family's piece of mind though. God knows I've proven that over the years. ;) And so has M, for sure...more than me, actually.

Really been enjoying the latest issue of Patty Paine's diode. Consistently one of the best journals, print or web, out there. Lovely, lovely. Since I'm apparently focusing on journals a lot in this lil posting, please go check out my friend and mentor, Amy Newman's, new online journal, Ancora Imparo. It's flipping gorgeous, and it'll continue to be gorgeous. Happy reading...on all fronts!

Oh and before I go, Auden's getting so big. He's a miracle everyday. I just love spending time with him and Mandy. We're a fun little family, I think. We're trying at least. Things aren't perfect, but we get along day to day and have a good time being with each other. [See recent pic of Auden above!]