Two Judges Say Go Deep - Don't Play It Safe

I read two blog posts today that touched on poetry contests and I noted a similar view help by two people who have been contest judges and I thought they were worth mentioning.

I have note entered a lot of contests - I maybe average one to two entries a year so I'm one one who has a lot of personal experience with the contest circuit.

One of the two pieces that I'm talking about was an interview in Ploughshares of Mary Biddinger by Victoria Chang. I've met Victoria at a reading in Kansas City I believe in 2008. I've read two of her books Circle and Silivinia Molesta. I enjoyed both but was much impressed by Circle as a first book.  Biddinger I've never met or heard read but I have her book Saint Monica which I was so in love with I I can hardly contain myself in wait for her next book O Holy Insurgency. She is the queen of Catholic poetic culture.

The second piece that I read was a blog post by Susan Rich. I've never met Susan either but have her book The Alchemist's Kitchen. One thing that I've appreciated about Susan is that she is a poet who not only has a strong social consciousness but will on occasion allow it the gently permeate her work.

So insight of interest did I glean from these two sources? Rich pointed out, "...all the poems that were sent on to me were quite competent. However, competent is not enough to win a contest. The poems that startled me, that made me want to read then and re-read them, the poems that could not be nailed to a chair in terms of their meaning."  Her advise specifically was to, "Choose to send your poems that take risks."


Mary Biddinger said  she loves  "Poems with teeth... poems that aren't afraid to use their teeth." For Biddinger, she would rather see "a manuscript that makes a few missteps, but dose so with bravery, versus a highly-polished competent, yet safe collection."


If you take to heart what these two poet/judges have to say on the subject, it comes down to being willing to take the risk.  I suppose this really should come as no surprise because it really is the poem that stands up and dares to be different that gets noticed. I can recall shuffling through pages of work in the past and  pulling from it the pieces that seemed the most polished. I will try to not make that mistake again.

Today In the News Headlines

The court ruling fails to ease doubts
firefighters search door to door for bodies

Consumer confidence declined in June
S & P 500 caps best June since 1999

Tatum puts critics under their spell
Cruse-Holmes divorce

China's first female astronaut returns
earth adds leap second

Hillary Clinton attacking
man plagued by porn-induced headaches

Confession Tuesday on Thursday

Dear Reader:

It's Thursday -  9 days since my last confession. Nine mostly hot days. Today stretches the concept of hot as it reaches 105. I am not amused.

• I confess that I missed confession Tuesday and hope that by making it up on another "T" day I can be afforded special dispensation.
• I confess that special dispensation seems redundant to me. If you receive dispensation isn't it speal in itself?
• I confess that I am sipping on a diet cream soda and fruit punch flavored Vodka. (I didn't use much Shannon) My defense is rooted in triple digit heat.
• I confess that any time the San Francisco Giants beat the Dodgers is a good day but when they beat the Dodgers and move into a tie for first place is crazy assed exciting!
• I confess that I had a bad case of methodical today. I suppose this was not really a bad thing because I had a lot of really detail orientated stuff to deal with at the office today. 
• I confess the heat was so bad today that spending the night at work didn't seem all that bad... but alas I did come home.
• I confess that I was pleasantly surprised by the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Health Care Act.
• I confess that even with the horrible heat, most of the people that I have come in contact with the past couple of days have not been grouchy but rather very respectful and courteous.
• I confess that I need to write yet tonight, therefor I'm confessed out for this week. 

Hope you all stay safe and cool where-ever you are!

Sunday Reflection

It's only June and the a/c struggles - what is July and August going to be like?  I'm just saying...

Did some office work I carted home today.  Also some writing as well as other tasks I had on my calendar for today.  Read a little of the poet Marilyn Kallett. The poet Joy Harjo calls Kallet a romantic sensualist.  I've heard Kallett reading live at Rochkurst University a few years ago.  Returning to her work was an experience as she is a bit of a break from much of what I've been reading lately.  Bring some variety into your reading experience can be a good thing. By the way, I'm reading How To Get Heat Without Fire.




Thought for the day:   In the United States, though power corrupts, the expectation of power paralyzes. - John Kenneth Galbraith

MAG 123: ONE MAN'S RELIGION

Photo of Orson Welles provided by Tess Kincaid at THE MAG

Along an egregious path 

beset with noisy sociopathic notions,

came a man with the raspberry blue sugar sticky 

of cotton-candy smeared about his face.

One hand groping his wants

the other loaded with Jelly Bellies—

practicing  his holy belief of entitlement.

© 2012 Michael A. Wells

The Mag 123

Friday Night Jazz

Really fun night out with wife at The Phoenix Jazz Club - with Lonnie McFadden on the horn and Tap Dancing!  Great Anniversary Celebration. As we walked out of the building the weather was surprisingly comfortable.  Bright sliver of a crescent moon hung in the sky. Could not have orchestrated it any better.  


On another front, rejection letter from Indiana Review arrived. Second this week.  Week ago I did have a piece accepted though. According to to my Duotrope Submission Tracker my acceptance ratio is 7.9% which it tells me is above the average rate. There is that to be thankful for. 


Had a breakthrough idea related to manuscript this week and for that I'm pleased. All together it's been a good week. Very busy at the office but I can usually count on that. 

Celebrating 38 Years of Marriage

Before I retire for the night I feel compelled to say a few words about the number thirty-eight. Poets normally deal with words but at the moment it's the number thirty-eight that pretty much sums it up.

It was thirty-eight years ago on the 22nd of June, that my wife Cathy and I were married.  We dated for three years prior so really our lives have been entwined for essentially 4 decades. No one lives 4 decades without trials and tribulations and we have had ours; but I cannot think of having gone through my life without the partner I've been privileged to have by my side.

Through numerous endeavors over these years I have been blessed by her support, her faith in me, and her gentle encouragement at times when I have needed it the most.  I'm not an easy person (I'm a poet for God's sake) at times. She has tolerated the many flavors of idiosyncrasy that I tend to embrace. Overlooking faults and bring out and celebrating the best in me at times when I have trouble seeing the best myself.

~0~

Love you Cath!!  Looking back all these years later I might have done a lot of things with my life different, but not you. I would do this all over. Here's to a long life together!