There is a lot happening right now in my little literary world. It isn’t a lot compared to others I know, but it is more than enough to keep me busy and motivated. I, of course, am working on my book of memoir and poetry called Raised by the Village Idioms. That has been enough to keep my mind swirling for memories and ideas. I have also just compiled a book of uncategorized poems that I am calling Stuff I Thought was Poetry (and a few that are). I think at last count I had 143 pages of that completed. I just need to meet with my mentor and friend, Nik, to have the really bad ones stricken from the record.
In addition to the two books (there are many others started that I am not actively pursuing) I have been writing standalone poems that may fit elsewhere. I also have a screenplay in mind and my friend, Becky, sparked an idea for a novel. Let me be the first to say… I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve never read a screenplay before let alone written one. a novel? Just who the hell do I think I am? But, without lofty goals, I would never achieve the smaller ones. I guess I think… If I can’t do that then I’ll do this. It has worked so far.
I don’t often (almost never) submit poems for publication. I like to think it’s because I don’t need validation. Well, that’s a load of crap. It’s because I’m lazy. There is an amount of effort and time and organization to submitting. If I had an agent to do these things, I’d probably be too lazy to send the work to them. But, I have submitted a few this year and I am pleased to say that a number of them have been chosen for publication. Why don’t you know this? Because I’m too lazy to make the announcement. That’s not really fair to the publishers that have taken the time to read my poems and to include them in their works. I apologize.
One recent one that was accepted for publication is a poem called Full of Beans. It is a poem out of my idiom book. I really did not want to publish any as standalone poems, but this was for a cause very dear to me- hunger. Poetry is Life Publishing has compiled poems for a book entitled What Are You Hungry For? Portions of the sales of this book will be donated to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank.
Underfed children and families is something that I can fully support. It was an issue when I was growing up with a single mom with two children. Today, the problem seems even worse in our country. I won’t pretend I am a champion of this cause. Sometimes I feel I, myself, could fall back into need beyond the next paycheck. However, I will do whatever I can to support the efforts of the real champions. I was recently given a stipend for attending a half hour meeting for Morrow County Family Services. It seemed silly to accept it, but I realized that a dollar buys three meals for a family in need. I choose to feed them for the week or longer.
My original thought got lost (as they usually do) by my rambling. The book will be released September 26, 2025 at the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. I will be there to read my poem, listen to others read theirs, and tour the facility. It is open to the public to attend. The book will also be available on the Poetry Is Life website www.PoetryIsLifePublishing.com as well. You may also make a donation to the food bank by visiting www.akroncantonfoodbank.org and clicking the “Donate” link. My sincere thank you to Poetry Is Life Publishing and Jason Blakely for this fantastic opportunity.
Also, I have been invited to be the subject of matter for the Muse’s Mic, a conversational interview from James Bryant’s podcast Spofest. James, Sandy Feen (a dear friend), and Nik Macioci (my high school English teacher and wonderful friend and substitute father) will be interviewing me about my poetry. I’d love to have you along to join us. It’s my understanding there will be the opportunity for audience participation. The episode will be live on Zoom and Facebook Wednesday, August 27, 2025 from 7pm-8pm EDT. The link to the event and subsequent links is right here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2901312970071022 If you just want the Zoom link, here it is: Zoom. I’d really love for you to join me.
I also keep myself practiced by attending my writing group at the Knox/Mount Vernon Library every other Thursday night led by the incredibly talented Jeannette Pelton and Rachel Scoresby. There is so much information to be offered by these two. Plus we have a sprint writing time that has helped me push out some poems. I also attend my monthly Bistro Poets critique meeting where I have the opportunity to bounce my drafted poems off of some very talented poets. There are decades of knowledge in that group.
I am still keeping the rest of my poetry collections at the edge of my mind. I have several collections that I am contributing to as ideas pop into my head. I’ll keep you posted on those. Some of the titles are If I Were A Horse, No Blood-No Brother, Greater Than My Sums, and Porcelain Doors and Extension Cords: Life In A Christmas Village.
And finally, looking way ahead to next year, I will be the guest poet for VALA Gallery run by the very talented and likable Penny Thieme. On July 15, 2026, I will read a lot of poems and answer questions. As time gets nearer, I will remind you. You can check VALA Gallery out at this link: VALA Gallery As always, you can follow my blog by clicking the menu above and clicking “Subscribe”.
Now, back to the book.
Let’s talk soon…
The Renaissance Maniac 