WOWEE, BOB! I was excited to get an email from poet/editor Ivy Alvarez about a new review of A Slice of Cherry Pie in Galatea Resurrects by Lisa Factora-Borchers. Nine months after its release the David Lynch/Twin Peaks-inspired anthology continues to garner recognition. I was thrilled to see that the review mentioned my poem "Sometimes Her Arms Bend Back":Seductive, with eccentric bread crumb trails that lead into the deep green of Twin Peaks, readers will be twisted, wondering, brow-wrinkled and pondering, yet again, what makes the peculiar characters and their stories so compelling. With its sharp imagery, clever and unbounded nature, this collection reads almost philosophical, directing its unconventional arrows to the unexplainable and the maybes of life. Collin Kelley’s, “Sometimes Her Arms Bend Back,” captures this.
Maybe we are both dead, maybe
Twenty-five years is really just a blink,
Fades like the taste of my favorite gum.
You can read the entire review at this link. Ivy also said that fellow contributor Jared Leising met David Lynch in Seattle recently and put a copy of the anthology in the director's hand. Lynch's response: "Wowee, Bob!"
The next Lynch-inspired anthology --tentatively titled Deranged -- will be out later this year from The Private Press in the UK. I have a poem called "Go Somewhere With Me" (inspired by Mulholland Drive) in this one. Copies of A Slice of Cherry Pie are still available from The Private Press in the UK or you can pick up the equally gorgeous US version from Half Empty/Half Full Press.
In other poetry news, I was the guest lecturer/reader at Karen Head's modern poetry class at Oglethorpe University earlier this week. Since Karen is out of the country, I led the class and read from Slow To Burn, which the students had been reading. This was a great group of students. They were receptive, had interesting questions and willing to be my guinea pigs for a few poems from the manuscript in progress. The students -- as most have -- found Slow To Burn both funny and dark. The topic of suicide is prevalent in the book, and everyone always wants to know if I'm ready to off myself. The answer is no. The suicides in Slow To Burn are either metaphors, other personas or based on people I have known and lost -- or almost lost. I still have a ton of things to do -- writing, travel, sex -- before I check out.
I want to publicly thank three poetic angels: Kate Evans, Cecilia Woloch and Cherryl Floyd-Miller. These fine poets have all read the new manuscript and offered invaluable comments, suggestions and guidance. Wake is progressing rapidly now. Since January, I've been sequencing and revising this manuscript. The most difficult part was writing two new poems that act as transitions to create the two narrative arcs. Along the way, Cherryl told me to drop a couple of my favorite poems, which I resisted at first, but realized they were slowing down the pace. I've had to make some tough choices for Wake, but I think it's going to make for a better collection. I hope you will agree whenever it sees the light of day.
Comments
Wowee blog.
It was my honor to read your ms., Collin. Can't wait to hold the book in my hands. (Is the title in stone or in flux?)
xo
Kate, I do think "Wake" is the title. I went back over the list of my potential titles, the ones you suggested and talked it out with Cherryl and Cecilia. The one we kept coming back to was "Wake." The word -- and its various meanings -- seem to encompass the mood of the collection.
I'm reworking the "title" poem a bit based your recommendation (Cecilia wanted me to expand it, too) to strengthen the connection to the rest of the collection. Also, Cherryl said if I changed the title from "Wake" she'd fly down here and beat me. ;-)
GAV