It's been a really good couple of weeks for seeing my poems published. First, my animated poem appeared at Blue's Cruzio Cafe. Today I find the new issue of Umbrella up and with it my poem "Thunder-Edged" with a companion essay. It's in a section called Milestones, the inspiration of editor Kate Bernadette Benedict -- poems that changed the way you write, with mini-essays about how that process of change occurred in the writing. Kate has a wealth of creative ideas, which is one reason Umbrella is a fascinating read. She's bringing back the Bumbershoots section of light verse -- yay! I loved the idea of Milestones. It was easy to identify milestone poems in my work, but hard to pick just one.
A number of friends have work in the same Milestones section: Barbara Crooker (whose ekphrastic poems I adore), Annie Finch (one of the most interesting neo-Formalists writing today), Chris Mooney Singh, Joyce Nower, Christina Pacosz and Susan Settlemyre Williams. Some of these poets are people I know from Wom-Po, the short term for the Women in Poetry Listserv founded by Annie Finch and now 700+ strong in membership.
And other publications right now containing my milestone poems include Letters to the World, a new anthology of some Wom-Po poets recently published by Red Hen Press.
I also have two poems in the current issue of Image: A Journal of Arts and Religion. Image is a fascinating read. Editor Gregory Wolfe does an outstanding job of locating innovative art and writing that has spiritual dimensions or preoccupations. Browse the site, order an issue or even a subscription. It's non-denominational (though mainly Judeo-Christian, though they publish the indefinable people too, people like me). The art is fascinating and unique. One issue featured the work of Andy Goldsworthy, the amazing earth-installation artist whose evanescent creations reveal the flow of elements and time. His work, which typically is done far from art galleries and cities, was documented in the film Rivers and Tides. It's a good read. They also have seminars and a center in Seattle, hosting workshops and conferences that bring together people interested in the fusion of art and faith.
