Well, Foundry doesn’t want any of the five (or was it four?) poems I submitted. They did mention that they liked Sundays, after the cat dies but unfortunately couldn’t find a place for it. I think this means that they thought it sucked a little less than the rest of my work. Submitting is a painful… Read More Another rejection, and it’s all about the dog, the dog
When my son was young one of his favorite books was “If You Give a Moose a Muffin,” probably because moose often wandered into our yard. It’s a common occurrence here in Anchorage and sometimes I forget that most people don’t experience such things, that what we perceive as ordinary, people in other parts of… Read More If you give a moose crab apples
Yes, I’m a nasty woman. And damned proud of it, too. My poem I Am Not Your Baby was selected to be included in the Lost Horse Press Nasty Women Poets: An unapologetic anthology of subversive verse. This is so exciting because I’ve always considered myself a feminist, and a rebel, and someone who thinks outside… Read More Nasty Women Poets anthology
I have a new poem up on Rattle. It’s a bit personal, about a time when I went crazy, when I lived in Portland for a summer in my 20s. The poem isn’t totally autobiographical but does capture how I felt, and the confusion and also the comfort of leaving your “real” mind behind and… Read More New poem up at Rattle
Look what came in the mail yesterday? Luanne Castle‘s new poetry book. So exciting. I ordered this months ago and feared they had forgotten about me (Luanne, you and Finshing Line Press wouldn’t forget about me, would you?). I can’t wait to lounge on the sofa and start reading. I have to admit that I’m a… Read More Look what came in the mail, and bear scare
Phew, it’s been a busy couple of weeks. We’re up to almost twenty hours of daylight here in Anchorage and sleep has become impossible. Even with blackout curtains over the bedroom windows, my mind still knows that it’s light outside and won’t turn off. I lie in bed each night, my body exhausted while my… Read More A rejection and a publication
I’ll admit it–it’s been a bit hard to get back into the Alaska groove after spending so much time in sunny Arizona, followed by a month with family back in Philly (where temps reached 85 degrees). As much as I love Alaska, Anchorage doesn’t get much sunshine. In fact, we average 126 sunny days a… Read More “Forgotten Women,” another poetry pub, and so many moose
I stayed up most the night writing and I’m a bit wrecked, but only in the best possible way. I’m sure you know how that goes. You start writing and you begin to push aside your defenses, and the longer you write the more layers you unpeel until suddenly all of your defenses are gone… Read More Writing and mumbling, with Adrienne Rich and Kristy Bowen
So much has happened in the last couple of weeks. I finally (finally!) finished my novel rewrite and honestly, I wrote and rewrote that book so much I have no idea if I improved it or made it worse. Okay, okay, I know it’s improved, and by quite a bit but still, if you haven’t… Read More A residency, an anthology, and goodbye, Tucson
What a busy and hectic week. (And then there was that press conference, which is just too damned ridiculous, surreal and depressing to write about.) Ever since I received my novel notes back from beta reader Kevin Brennan, I’ve been writing like mad. It’s the oddest thing: He basically recommended the same changes as my… Read More Writing like crazy (and more)
Cinthia Ritchie 