Chapbook coming out from Corgi Snorkel Press June 2014

Hello friends!

Big news! Corgi Snorkel Press will be publishing my chapbook in June 2014! I’m thrilled, honored, and excited. Theresa and Sal did some really amazing work over the summer, and I’m dying to see how they’ll package my precious words.

More info here.

All my affections,

Liz

Some updates!

Hello, world!

Some new poems at Hot Metal Bridge and Emerge Literary Journal.

As always, my interviews (and many others) can be found at the Collagist Blog.

I’m currently getting my MFA at George Mason University and am forever grateful.

All my affections,

Liz

 

Poetry Interviews

I am now a poetry interview editor for The Collagist‘s blog.  Check out interviews here:

http://www.dzancbooks.org/blog/

And this one is specifically mine:

http://www.dzancbooks.org/blog/2012/1/4/searching-for-something-worth-saving-an-interview-with-micha-1.html

 

Look out for more interviews!  Also, ones from my friends Melissa Goodrich and Amber Cook!

Words that Us Poets Might Want to Avoid

Some words come and go as trends and this list is a general list of words that I’ve noticed poets, or just writers in general, should probably avoid for awhile.  Or use very sparingly.  Feel free to contribute.

Silk
Webbing
Dancing (when used as a personification. “The light dances across the leaves.”)
Flesh
Shards
Curling/Spiraling/Coiling
Obvious art references, e.g. Sistine chapel
Most astronomy references (again, obvious ones. Everyone can find Orion.)
Rib cages
Hip bones
Wrists
Clavicles
Chiaroscuro
“Math term” of “-ing word.” Like “the geometry of yearning” or “the algebra of forgetting.”
Fever and/or fever dreams
Cocoon (especially as a verb)
Tendrils/Tresses/Locks
Caress
Anything that sexualizes food
Ghost when referring to anything that’s not a ghost

Edit: 9/5
Porcelain
Anything to do with Alice in Wonderland

Swearing on the Internet: A Manifesto

I have noticed recently that people don’t seem to understand how swear words and the internet go together.  Here is a few set of rules to help you guys out:

1) You can swear on the internet.
I’m giving you the personal permission to do it. No one’s going to slap your hand. No one’s going to give you a time out. No one’s going to put soap in your mouth. Have you seen the internet? You saying, “Man, today fucking sucks,” on your Facebook status because you have a cold is just about a million times less offensive than child pornography or racist YouTube videos.

2) But you don’t have to.
Okay, so let’s say your Great Aunt Erma just Googled your name and found your blog and now you don’t want to offend her. That’s fine. You want to keep up a public persona that pretends that you don’t swear to be professional? Alright, wonderful. However, just don’t for the love of god, don’t do number three.

3) Comic strip swearing is stupid.
“Man, today was such sh*t. I f***ing hate rainy days. &^%#*$@ this.” This isn’t Family Circus or Cathy or some shit: this is the internet. It’s not formal. Using comic strip swearing is dumb. Either say it or don’t. If you’re a professional and you write this in a Facebook note, everyone knows what you mean. Obviously. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? You’re angry! Rainy days are awful, and the whole world needs to know! No reason to sugarcoat it! That little asterisk in your fake “shit” looks like the dot above the “i” anyway. If you really don’t want to offend anyone, just don’t swear. Say, “Today was awful. I really hate rainy days.” See? Not so bad. (And further, if you send an e-mail with comic strip swearing in it, who is your audience?  Who honestly doesn’t mind comic strip swearing in a personal e-mail, but would be offended by the word “fuck”?)

If Katy Perry had Put “Firework” through a Poetry Workshop

Click here to read the”Firework” Critique.

Prom Dresses are like Poetry

95% suck.

Letters to Alison Dubai

Also, from Catherine Dent’s Blog: Intro to Letters to Alison Dubai

Kill the Cat Press

Kill the Cat Press is publishing Letters to Alison Dubai on Monday.  They did an interview with me: here’s the link!
Interview with Kill the Cat Press
If you’re in Selinsgrove, the launch is Monday, May 2nd, at 7:30 PM!
Nick Klug’s chapbook, Chopping Feeling, is also getting published, and we will also be passing out copies of the faux-children’s story Why You Should Never Make Out, which I wrote and Nick illustrated.

Hope to see you there!

Poem in Sphere

I have a poem published in the latest issue of Sphere.

Read at will.