I'm still seeking representation for my first novel. But I've gotten dozens of rejection letters, though I've published widely in literary journals. My protagonist is disabled—and she's poor. And despite the "quality of [my] prose," not a single agent thinks they can sell it.
I’m excited to announce that two of my poems were accepted today by Poor Yorick, the literary journal of Western Connecticut State University’s MFA in Creative Writing. I’ll keep you posted when they appear!
I was planning to fly down to California over the weekend for my graduation at Chapman University. But with COVID numbers soaring everywhere, I decided to stay home and celebrate with my beautiful wife instead.
A little while ago, I found a dazed bird lying on the cold cement outside my apartment, so I put them up in a nearby tree. When I returned to check on them, they squeaked at me a few times and flew away.
Matt Bell’s REFUSE TO BE DONE is the best book about writing since Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD. It’s really helping me to rein in my novel!
Thank you so much,
@mdbell79
My short story, "The Finish Line," appears in an annual collection from Central Connecticut State University's Helix Literary Magazine. They sent me a copy yesterday. Thank you so much,
@CCSUHelixMag
!
Busy week: I completed my MFA Thesis Defense yesterday! Many, many, many thanks to my committee: Richard Bausch, Mildred Lewis, and Jim Blaylock.
Also, Harbor Review accepted my book review and The Antonym accepted three of my poems.
Sam Risak (
@sam_risak
) quoted me in a recent issue of Writer’s Digest. Her article, “The Benefit of Writing Book Reviews,” discusses just that—the many ways writing book reviews help emerging writers get noticed. It’s a great article. Thank you, Sam!
This is me at the tail end of the 20th century: 1
#tbi
+ 2 hospitals + 4 months = 23 casts, 1 wheelchair, 1 walker, 3 canes, post-traumatic
#epilepsy
, and 12 years of making music obliterated. It should make for a good memoir. Pitching it soon. Please cross your fingers for me...
I printed the list of Weasel Words from
@mdbell79
’s book, REFUSE TO BE DONE, and stuck it on the wall in my office. With my novel, I’ve gotten rid of a few hundred words that, according to Stewart Chaplin, were sucking the life out of the words next to them.
Thanks, Matt!
My prose poem, "Fool's Gold" was published today by Open: Journal of Arts & Letters. This piece will also appear in the 2022 Broadside series available through Buttonhook Press. You can read it here:
My review of Dale Maharidge's latest book, Fucked at Birth: Recalibrating the American Dream for the 2020s appeared today in the Los Angeles Review of Books.
"I think the most important thing in the world is that the artists should take over this planet because they’re the only ones who can make anything happen.”
--William S. Burroughs
(in conversation with David Bowie, 1974)
@GeraldoRivera
Alec Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter for unintentionally shooting someone on set.
Kyle Rittenhouse roams free (and becomes a conservative celebrity) after shooting people intentionally.
Two weeks ago, I published my 90th short piece (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, articles, book reviews, music writing, etc.). Last Friday, my novel received its 160th rejection letter. I'm going for the rejection record. Maybe I'm almost there.
Entropy (
@EntropyMag
), a literary magazine that has been around since 2014 is saying goodbye. I want to thank Janice Lee (
@diddioz
) & the rest of the staff for building and sustaining a wonderful literary presence. Here's an essay I wrote for them in 2020:
@jimdrew12724
Stop. Just write. Fuck the perfect opening sentence. Just write. Write for an hour (or two). Then stop. Find the opening sentence later (much later). You'll sleep better.
Thank you to Niki Amarantides and Annabell Dumez-Matheson from SPU's Disability Support Services—and to everybody who came to hear me read. You made my year!
@NickCAdams
@EdKrassen
I voted for Biden. Everyone I know did too. Some did because we believe in him. Some did because we despise Trump. Some for both reasons. Call us stupid. That’s okay. We obviously outnumber you. And we’re only growing, so get used to being the odd man out at Thanksgiving.
@kenyoung2020
@krassenstein
@Chasten
Homophobia is never "clever" or "refreshing." It's the low-hanging fruit of bullies. For a clinically repressed mannequin like Pence—preening before a room full of bigots—his joke comes across as heartless and ignorant, perfectly encapsulating the ethos of his party.
@TRHLofficial
America: where Alec Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter for an accident on-set while Kyle Rittenhouse roams free after shooting people intentionally. And Republicans cheer for both.
@Fxartist35
If you had a shred of evidence, she'd have been indicted, long ago. Like Trump was. Twice. Instead, she won the popular vote in 2016, never complaining (as Trump did then and in 2020) that the election was "rigged" against her.
Stop being a sore loser. Get ready to lose again.