Thursday, June 10, 2010

POEM: FREE TO GOOD HOME


Happy Poetry Friday! Kelly Polark has Round Up.

So what's up in my poetic life?

I'm sorry to say I've been a bit of a slacker in the submission department. In the past month I think I've only submitted to two journals and one contest. MUST DO BETTER.

I did, however, speak earlier this week to middle schoolers at Red Mountain Writing Project about writing poetry. And this weekend I am on the faculty at Southern Christian Writers Conference, where one of my sessions is also on the topic.

AND (this is big): I registered for Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference, where I will meet real live poetry editors from such esteemed presses as Graywolf and work super-hard to improve my current manuscript.

What's it called, you ask?

Well. I should say right away that I am completely enamored of this title. So if you don't like it, don't tell me. Yet.

FINISHING SCHOOL FOR HOPELESS ROMANTICS

And for Poetry Friday, here is an excerpt from a poem that appears in the collection and is titled "True Things Learned from Cats:"

"Remember: the bag cannot
hold. Everything looks grey
in the dark. Warmth is more
lasting than softness.

And nine lives
will never be enough."

- Irene Latham

Cat art found here.

6 comments:

  1. Nope. Nine lives WILL never be enough!!!

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  2. Love the last line of your poem, and, yes, the title for your new MS rocks. Is it a novel in verse?

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  3. I, too, love the title of that ms. Your summer poetry plans sound ambitious and excellent! Good luck with them!

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  4. The Southern Christian Writers Conference was fantastic! I found out about the conference from this blog. It was an invaluable experience that I want to repeat next year. I always learn so much from your poetry workshops. I can't wait to read Leaving Gee's Bend and I'm already into What Came Before. Wonderful poems... I'm going slow because I want to reread each one for deeper meaning; the mark of a great poem, I think!

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  5. I love the title!! Good luck with your submissions. I haven't submitted poetry in over a year as I've been working on my middle grade. I miss it!

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  6. Irene,

    I wish you luck with your mss. at Colrain, MA. And congrats for being on the Faculty of the Southern Christian Writers Conference.

    Sounds like you keep very busy!

    Laura Evans

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