Organizing your writing life

THREE YEARS AND 400 POSTS LATER... It boggles my mind that I've been keeping up this blog for three years now. This is my 400th post. I went back to the very beginning of the blog (May 2003) and remembered that I had created this blog in a fit of anger when the www.collinkelley.com website went down. The blog was only supposed to be a mirror of that site, but it has grown into something much more.

I've ranted and raved, become politically active, called people out for their hypocrisy and homophobia, and posted up varying degrees of good and bad poetry. It took ages for anyone to notice the blog, start commenting and becoming regular readers. My links list has steadily grown to include so many fine poets and friends. That's what has been the most amazing thing about this blog...all the new people I've met along the way. While putting portions of your personal life out for public consumption is not always easy, I've found the blogosphere to be -- for the most part -- very supportive. I thank all of you.

So, what's next? More publicity for Slow To Burn, with the official launch party on Saturday, May 13 at galerieMC in Atlanta, a reading in Savannah (more on that in a moment) and a party and reading at the Fayette County Public Library on Saturday, May 27. Reviews (hopefully good ones) are forthcoming in The Pedestal, SubtleTea and several other publications to be announced. The new issue of Terminus is on stands and New Delta Review is on the way...both featuring some of my newer poems.

I just finished up the Java Monkey Speaks Anthology Vol. 2 and it's on the way to the printers. Vol. 1 is a finalist for a Georgia Author of the Year Award. I'm quite proud of that and my work with co-editor Kodac Harrison to make the books a reality and to Poetry Atlanta Press for publishing them. Right now, I'm a bit overwhelmed with finishing up grant applications for Poetry Atlanta. What a way to spend a weekend, but we have some great projects coming up for 06-07. Stay tuned.

The Red Light: Superheroes, Saints & Sluts anthology (which includes Why I Want To Be Pam Grier) has been nominated for another award, a 2006 Independent Publishers Award (or The Ippy, as it's called). Congrats to editor Anna Camilleri and all those fine folks at Arsenal Pulp Press.

As for Savannah, I am THRILLED to be sharing the stage with Heather Macadam. What an honor. Mary C. Kim of Savannah College of Art and Design put this evening together, so many, many thanks to her for the love and support. Here's the press release.

Award-winning GBLT Literature at Cafe Ambrosia

Savannah, GA--On Friday, May 19, 6:30-8:30 pm, at local bistro Cafe Ambrosia, nationally recognized creative writers Collin Kelley and Heather Macadam will feature for a special reading/open mic event organized and hosted by local poet, Mary C. Kim. The posh yet cozy Cafe Ambrosia, located at 202 E. Broughton, has appeared on FoodNetwork for its gourmet fare, and is a perfect venue for the writers' extraordinary craft and performance style.

Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, Collin Kelley will be with us to promote his new chapbook, Slow To Burn, which has just been released from MetroMania Press. His debut poetry collection, Better To Travel, was nominated for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, Georgia Author of the Year Award and Lambda Literary Award. His poetry has also appeared in magazines and journals both in the US and UK. He will be on hand to sign chapbooks, which will be available for purchase.

Heather Macadam is the author of two books: Rena's Promise: A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz, which was nominated for the National Book Awards, and The Weeping Buddha, which was a finalist in the Lambda and Nero Wolf Awards. She has been published in Observer, Women in the UK, The New York Times, The Advocate and Newsweek and is a semi-regular commentator on NPR's All Things Considered. She teaches nonfiction writing at a local university.