More light 🌤
Happy Summer, friends!
We're adrift amidst a sea of changes around here: the new baby, a new leadership structure at the university, a new direction for our church, and a new house (needed; have a spare?) are all vying with the usual ups and downs of parenting, and of the artist's life, for the coveted Most Destabilizing cup 🏆. Thankfully, there lives the dearest freshness; thankfully, joy comes in the morning, thankfully, poetry.
Also, the Glen is coming to Seattle! If you don't know it, the Glen Workshop is a multi-disciplinary, multi-day arts retreat that acts as the center of the people-of-faith/people-of-arts nexus. It's continuing education for MFA'ers (or MFA hopefuls), it's a toe-in-the-water trying new things, it's worship and workshop; it's seeing old friends. And this year, it's a few blocks from my house. (Missed it this time? See you at the next!)
Press
I always have a good time as a guest on WORD FM; this time, I read poems about summertime including a brand new (as yet unpublished) one about a swing set we built as kids. Listen here.
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Coming Up
I've written an essay about "Why I Go to Church" for Fare Foreword magazine. It's a beautiful publication--I've just got my contributors' hardcopy; the digital should come out in a couple of weeks. Actually, there are tons of reasons I go, so I wrote three essays with three reasons. It's crazy personal, maybe even TMI, but it may bless some of you, and that's enough for me. I'll link to the online version next time. Here's a look at the cover.
Also, the paperback version of Festus comes out next month! No doubt some readers were reluctant to plunk down the $130 that the hardback cost, even if it is for one of the most significant (and ambitious, and beautiful) poems of the nineteenth-century. But now, no excuses! You can pre-order right here; ships in August.
Giveaway
It's always been my sense that poetry is meant to be shared, that it should travel (also that newsletters should be fun). So let's share some. I assume all of you lovely subscribers have copies of my books already, but how about I give you one to share with someone else? How's this: think of someone you know who likes poetry, or who you wished liked poetry, or with whom you'd like to share these poems. Could be a hostess gift 🎁, a graduation present, whatever. Send me a quick reply telling me about the intended recipient and I'll pick two winners, sending each a signed copy of The Elegy Beta for free.
Listening
The music drought continues apace.🤔 I've kept a list of my favorite albums every year since 1987 and this is the first year I've reached summer with nothing on it. Ugh.
Oddments
- Some of you remember following along with Jeremiah Webster's novella-in-installments over at Mockingbird last year. Well, the book is now out (and with a dashing cover too). He's looking for reviewers, so: interested writers/editors, hit me up and I'll put you in touch.
- the movie trailer for Napoleon uses Radiohead to great effect.
- my former Romanticism student, Abigail Rogers, has just published a smart essay on Coleridge over at Literature and Theology.
- Check out the brand new Buechner Review, about which you will hear more anon (have a look at the contributors page meanwhile 😊).