These Terrible Sacraments and Gonesongs to be Published!!

My current writing projects include: a book chapter on managing the multigenerational library; a full-length book manuscript on low-cost professional development for librarians; a handful of academic journal articles on librarystuffs such as patron billing, matrix management, and a few others.

On the more creative side (as opposed to the non-fiction side), I have recently started writing a collection of poems dedicated to my younger brother, who while in the Marines served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's a collection of war poems that weaves together bits and pieces of his experiences as he's shared them, pieces of my experience and that of my family as we lived through his deployments, and stories from other folks I know whose loved ones served in the military. I started it about two weeks ago, though the idea has been percolating for some time. I tentatively titled it These Terrible Sacraments.

Now, for the big news. In absolutely incredible, unbelievable, I-am-still-pinching-myself news, my poetry manuscript Gonesongs, which you may remember (if you read the blog) was also my MFA creative thesis, has been accepted for publication by Bellowing Ark Press.

In further maybe-I-should-play-the-Lotto news, I had mentioned my current project to my editor and sent the incomplete manuscript for him to see. To my complete amazement, he enjoyed These Terrible Sacraments so much that he wants to publish it as well! In fact, he'd prefer to publish it before Gonesongs, so you'll likely see it first.

I am floored for a number of reasons. First - two manuscript acceptance within less than a week of each other. For books of poetry. This does not happen in real life! Second - well, getting an incomplete manuscript picked up? never happen in a million years unless you're famous like Kay Ryan, Billy Collins or Molly Peacock. I bet they could pledge an unfinished book of poetry and someone would snatch them up. For it to happen to me - an unknown except to my friends and family - is a giant leap of faith on the part of the press. Third - that an editor would be as passionate about what I want to do with my work as I am is something that has really touched me. I intended this book as a gift for my brother - I never considered that it would be published-for-real given the political nature of writing about war. To have my publisher as committed to having people see this as I am is an incredible feeling.

The powers that be really overdid it with the generosity-stick beating over at Bellowing Ark. These will be my second and third books of poetry, and all will have come out of their press, courtesy of Robert Ward. I am so far beyond thrilled, it's like a new country. I will have to plant a flag. I will have to name it. perhaps later - right now I'm grinding on These Terrible Sacraments. I'll keep you updated with publishing schedules and artwork!