2018- My Year in Publishing

          Much has happened in the past year. 2018 was chaotic, disruptive, and hypocritical, but lets leave politics and socially unacceptable behavior, past and present, out of it. Then again, why would you put "sexually assaulted someone" on a summer calendar anywho, Mr. Kavanaugh? 

          
          Below is a list of what I published and links to various interviews and podcasts from 2018. I also wrote a novel and spent a lot of time this year searching for an agent to represent it. Overall, though the list is small, my acceptance rate was high as the total number of submissions, was rather low. 
          
          There were also readings in Los Angeles, New York, Leicester, Yale University, Worcester, Newton and ten readings in Cambridge and Somerville to close out the Dire Literary Series. 

          For 2019, I have a lot of hope for the future, and I wish the best for my writer friends that they feel progress toward their writing and publishing goals, and most of all, so that they continue to plug away.

BOOKS

Every Day There is Something About Elephants,, March 2018, Big Table Publishing

SHORT, FLASH, AND MICRO FICTION

"After the Afterlife", November 24, 2018 Flash Boulevard
"A Modern Form of Disorderly Conduct"
"Touching All the Bases"

“What Kids Are Scared Of" August 16, 2018 Crack The Spine Print Anthology XVII

"Every Day There Is Something About Elephants", April 7, 2018 Flash Boulevard
"Continuum"
"Simplicity is Beautiful"

"Historic Men Talking By a Fire" March 7, 2018 Oddball Magazine

"Death Pool" March 1, 2018 Ink In Thirds

POETRY

"Concerto"
September 4, 2018 Northern New England Review

"I Remember, August 1967"
"Fear, God Bless My Soul"
September 3, 2018 Anti-Heroin Chic

"Untitled"
May 1, 2018 Ink in Thirds, Vol 2, Issue 3

"My Name is Paul (after Trouble Boys)"
April 1, 2018 Nourish-Poetry, Issue 1

"Concerto"
January 25, 2018 The Long-Islander News 

INTERVIEWS AND PODCASTS

The Addictionary Podcast,

September 13, 2018

The Somerville Times,

August 15, 2018

Ink in Thirds,

April 27, 2018

The Dedham Transcript

 April 1, 2018

The Sansplaining Podcast

March 11, 2018

Best Books I read in 2018

Hosting the Dire Literary Series and having my own readings puts me in touch with other great writers with great books. Time constraints didn't allow much other outside reading but year I'll have time to actually shop, pick and choose!

Anna Ross 

Figuring

TG-Moving poetry at the micro and macro level

Laura Van Den Berg 

The Third Hotel

 TG-A loss and grief paranormal mystery (would make a great screen series)

Mark Saba, 

Ghost Tracks 

TG-Short fiction not about paranormal ghosts but the ghosts of a city (Pittsburgh)

 

 Joan Wilking, 

Mycology

TG-If a tree falls in a forest what happens? Life, death, humor and sadness.

 

 Erica Garza 

Getting Off

 TG-An honest, vulnerable memoir about sex addiction. 

Amy Dresner  

My Fair Junkie

 TG-Funny, gritty, honest. I loved this one.

 

J. D. Scrimgeour
 Themes for English B: A Professor's Education In and Out of Class


 TG-Memoir essays which I bought for it's signature essay about basketball, but remaining essays are just as good.





 
  David Atkinson 

Roses Are Red, Violets Are Stealing Loose Change from My Pockets While I Sleep

 TG-Flash fiction which covered surreal, real and otherwise

 

 Rusty Barnes 

On Broad Sound

TG-Poetry, Revere, Massachusetts themed. The man amazes me with his talent. 

Oh, "this old thing."---A Pushcart Nomination

My story Death Pool, published in March 2018 by Ink In Thirds was nominated for a Pushcart Award. I originally posted about it HERE. Yes, I've had a lot of reprints or progressions from previously written about work.

Since March 2018 we lost:

Verne Troyer · 49

January 1st, 1969 - April 21st, 2018

Needed help with depression and alcohol abuse. Came up a little short.

This little nugget and pun is from the website STIFFS. Verne would have been worth 41 points in a death pool---the top point man and money maker for most 2018 pools.

Death Pool is my fifteenth Pushcart Nomination, and my first for 2018. Very grateful to Editor Grace Black for publishing this piece, and then nominating it along with these folks! Good luck to all.

Our Nominations for 2019 – PP

Issue: V2-1
Haiku (poetry)
by Norman Wm. Muise

Issue: V2-2
Golden Hour (prose)
by Shawn McClure

Issue: V2-6
Liza with a “Thank You for Restoring my Sanity” (poetry)
by Steven Crimaldi

Issue: V2-6
Lost (poetry)
by Joseph Murphy

Issue: V2-6
A Sound Like Falling Snow (prose)
by Cathy Ulrich

Issue: V2-6
Helen Shapiro (prose)
by David McVey

Best Small Fiction  (BSF)

Our Nominations for 2019 – BSF

Issue: V2-1
The Fury of the Filament
by Michael Patrick Brady

Issue: V2-2
Death Pool
by Timothy Gager

Issue: V2-3
Music Absorbs What the Body Can’t
by Meg Tuite

Issue: V2-4
Death in the Afternoon
by Adam Lock

Issue: V2-6
Ryan Gosling’s Heartstrings
by Marisa Crane

Black Friday exclusive----Every Day is Black Friday

Side Note: Have you notices Black Friday seemed to be on every day in November? No need to fight about it 





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The Editor of Flash Boulevard Francine Witt wrote, Nancy Stohlman, Meg Pokrass, Paul Beckman, and myself for a special feature in FLASH BOULEVARD, since we all had had books published this year. 

Each week, for four weeks, Flash Boulevard will run a few  stories (author selection) from our books. The stories should total 1200 words, but no less than 800. 

Today, November 24, my stories ran. I picked After the Afterlife, A Modern Form of Disorderly Conduct (both previously on Right Hand Pointing), and Touching All The Bases (from Breakwater Review)

Please enjoy them here and consider purchasing Every Day There is Something About Elephants (since you've just read between 2-3% of the book. 

Updated Massachusetts readings 2018-2019--One comes with dinner!

 

 


















January 18, 2019 South Hamilton, MA

Writers and Writers Guild Event hosted by Betsy Retallack, 7:30 PM
Christ Church of Hamilton; Wenham
149 Asbury Street
South Hamilton, MA


Featured reading and an open mic 




January 26, 2019 Cambridge, MA

Nixes Mate Review Poetry Marathon, 2:00-5:00 PM
Ludcke Research Center
Sherill Library, Leslie University
89 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA


Sprint of back-to-back-to-back poetry, five minutes at a time



February 6, 2019 South Weymouth, Ma

Speaking appearance at Writers' Work, 6-9 PM

Hearth n' Kettle Restaurant
Route 18
Weymouth, Ma

$25 which includes
Dinner buffet, salad, rolls, non-alcoholic beverages, dessert

Books will be available



February 27, 2019 Lynn, MA

Speak Up at the Walnut Street Cafe, 7:30 PM

Walnut Street Cafe
157 Walnut St,
Lynn, Ma



May 26, 2019 Marshfield, MA

North River Arts Festival, 1:00 PM

Walnut Street Cafe
157 Old Main St,
Marshfield Hills, Ma


Reading with Dana Rowe, Gloria Mindock and Patricia Gomes