Well, I’m back! I can’t argue better than ever because I’ve picked up some kind of cold that has slowed me down the last few days. I do, however, have some news to report in so here we go!

• A poem that was inspired by class, a storm, and reading rainbow was published in The Monarch Review
• I notified Folded Word Press that the remaining copies of the limited edition version of my chapbook The Wait of Atom were spoken for (you may see one last giveaway soon!) and they did a write-up about that. There is still a version available for purchase for $5 as well as the electronic version.
• There are some details now in the Salisbury Post about the Fine Arts & Literary Festival that is held at the school where I teach. The event listed as “sci-fi and poetry writing” actually will more likely be a release party for my upcoming chapbook “An Amateur Marriage” and the new non-fiction book of my co-worker Dr. Sherry Ginn that deals with the Joss Whedon universe. Awesomeness all around.
• I also have two poems up in “Wild Goose Poetry Review” where I also had the chance to leave a little commentary on each. You can also comment back on those. You may recognize at least one of them from posts here in earlier drafts. The two that are up are Maid and I was 36
• Doesn’t look like I’ll be making it out to Poetry Lincolnton tonight, but I will be speaking as part of a panel next Saturday to share some of my insight about both sides of the classroom (obtaining an MFA and now being a teacher).

In this space there should be a new poem, but – alas – I haven’t heard the call of a poem in a while. I had a few stanzas that I attempted recently, but nothing came together. I just added a new stack of poetry books to my to read pile and I just finished another terrific issue of RATTLE (although the poem I voted for in the contest this year didn’t win – as many of my online friends say – sad panda) so here is hoping the ideas start flowing. I am not feeling in a panic or in a state of writer’s block because I’m still doing some daily journal type free-writes and I do blog as often as I can, but the poet is silent. Perhaps she is working on something I can’t see yet?

I, however, still want to hear from you! What have you been working on? Any good word on submissions and/or publications? Just have something you want to rant about?

My composition students worked on revision this week (learning the difference between re – vision and proofreading) and my British lit students were introduced to some of the Arthur legends. They also had to deal with a somewhat addle brained teacher who was sick for most of the week and who also had to deal with numerous appointments, an office lock that was temporarily broken, and a variety of other minor shifts that made the flow of the week – well – un-zen like.

Here is looking up to next week. Week 7 of the semester filled with Monty Python, reading Referential submissions, and peer review. But, before that, let’s enjoy that weekend