How exciting to have a copy of The Frogmore Papers hand-delivered through my door the other day – handy that the publisher lives in the same town as me! (There’s a little poem of mine in it, thank you Jeremy Page for taking it.) Very nice cover art by the way.
On the (somewhat) negative side, a rejection slip from Poetry Review, but with a hand written note from Maurice Riordan to say ‘much that I liked in them’ – just a few crumbs of encouragement, but very welcome to a poet currently starved of acceptances. However,Ā I’m feeling pretty chilled about the whole acceptance/rejection game after having just read Maitreyabandhu’sĀ 13 Ways of Making Poetry a Spiritual Practice, which appeared originally in Magma but was forwarded to me by poet friend Charlotte. Recommended reading if you haven’t already seen it.
I’ve just read & printed out that 13 ways essay – and will be passing it along. Hit’s the spot. Thanks.
Darn. I meant ‘hits’ š
Ah! Don’t you hate it when that happens š
Handwritten notes from editors takes it right up there to ‘just under acceptance’. We have to learn to nuance our rejections!
Thanks for the encouragement, Isabel – I like your thinking š
I like the flourishes in Maurice Riordan’s handwriting and I’d like to get hold of Maitreyabandhyu’s 13 Ways… if anyone would be kind enough to share it. Hurrah for the Yay and a š for the hadwritten Nay (I like his hair as well, but that’s probably not an appropriate comment).:-)
Sorry Josephine I should have posted the link to it here… I agree Mr Riordan’s handwriting has a certain panache, and I will just go and remind myself what his hair is like š
Thanks, Robin! Charlotte Gann kindly sent me the article and it’s inspiring and comforting.
I’d see this as positive. Great to be published in one and to be very much knocking on the door with the other.
You have me on the brink of forcing myself to ‘go public’ with stuff I send off. Do you find that writing about it makes you submit more? That’s my downfall of late, blogging and writing for ‘me’ as opposed to writing for submission. Though, having said that, I’m just drawing breath after completing a tough Post Grad Course about Sense of Place so maybe a little breathing space is allowed!
Hi Jean – well I don’t let on all the details of where I’m submitting (or what), and I’m not sure that going public about it makes me submit more, to be honest! I think you’re right to cut yourself some slack under the circumstances… many thanks for the encouragement and for commenting.