Blurbs and other distractions
Midnight in a Perfect World is hurtling toward its November release and there is much to do in the run-up, including rounding up the dreaded blurbs. I am of two minds on them. I think in some cases they do help readers choose a collection if the blurb is by a poet they know and love. On the other hand, does anyone pay attention to the blurbs? I must say it's always good ego stroke when the blurbs from poets you personally love arrive in the inbox. I am thrilled that three poets who I admire and count as friends are blurbing Midnight: Agnes Meadows, Steven Reigns and Cecilia Woloch. What a brilliant trio of poets I have on my side.
I've also been talking cover designs and the format size with Sibling Rivalry Press. We originally wanted to go with the small 4x6 format – something you could easily fit in a pocket or bag. However, because this chapbook is verging on full-length size and some of the prose poems have long lines, so now we're bumping up to something a little more square at roughly 6x7.
Speaking of Cecilia Woloch, I had the chance to hear her read from her work this past Tuesday at Georgia Tech. She is one of the finalists for the Bourne Chair in Poetry (originally held by the late Thomas Lux) along with Ed Pavlic, Aliki Barnstone and Ilya Kaminksy. I've attended all of the readings and have been blown away by the poetry.
Coming up in the next week or so, I'm going to be posting some mini reviews of new collections by Kate Evans, Carine Topal and Lisa Pasold, so stay tuned. I have also been asked by Blue Fifth Review editor Sam Rasnake to contribute a short essay for a second special issue on Twin Peaks. Sam reports that the current issue of BFR featuring poetry and art inspired by the show is the journal's most read ever, so since interest in David Lynch and Mark Frost's creation continues to simmer, he wants to keep the momentum going and readership up. If you haven't read the current BFR, visit this link.
On with the revival!
Comments