April 2023 update

When I was growing up, I saw team sports as a gig for the relatively young. As an athlete, whatever I played, I played as hard as I could. Due in part to gradually deteriorating knees, I gave up competitive sport in my 40s.

My presumptions about sport and age were challenged when I read a copy of Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World. Written by Jean Duffy, the book revolves around a soccer team from South Africa composed of women ranging in age from their 40s to their 80s. 

These women find sport to be a wellspring of fitness, fun, and companionship. See the reference below for a link to a review I posted on Goodreads. Soccer Grannies launches May 10, 2023. An inspiring read.

Recent Publications (links are provided for those you can access online, free of charge)
Poetry:
“Occult Cases Squad,” Spaceports and Spidersilk, February 2023, Hiraeth Publishing.

“It’s Only Cute When They’re Little,” “Dogs in Space,” and “[Earth recedes],” Scifaikuest February 2023 print, Hiraeth Publishing.

“When on Alpha Tau,” Polar Starlight, Issue 9, March 1, 2023. https://polarborealis.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/POLAR-STARLIGHT-9-March-2023.pdf

Reviews:
Birnam Wood, by Eleanor Catton, posted on Goodreads March 9, 2022, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5401974485
 
Eclipsing the Aurora, by Peter J. Foote, posted on The Miramichi Reader site, March 15, 2023, https://miramichireader.ca/2023/03/eclipsing-the-aurora-by-peter-j-foote/
 
Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World, by Jean Duffy, posted on Goodreads March 21, 2023, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62143480-soccer-grannies
 
A review of Soccer Grannies was also posted on the Sports Literature Association's review site, March 29, 2023, https://sportliteratureassociation.wordpress.com/2023/03/29/soccer-grannies-the-south-african-women-who-inspire-the-world-by-jean-duffy/

Fiction:
“Heart of Gold,” Cosmic Crime, March 2023, Hiraeth Publishing.
 
“The Saboteur” and “The Upper Hand,” Drabble Harvest #8: Out the Airlock, Hiraeth Publishing.
 
Other:
“Steampunk Horse,” artwork, Scifaikuest, February 2023 print, Hiraeth Publishing.
 
What I’m Working On
Through April, I’ll be attempting the poem-a-day challenge, hoping to come out of it with at least 30 poems. I also plan to make progress on some non-fiction article ideas.

 

March 2023 Update

 This year, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association changed their method of selecting poems for the Rhysling Anthology. There’s now a two-step process, where members first nominate poems in the “short” and “long” categories. That step is now complete. I’m happy to say that two of my poems, “After the Quest is Over,” and “First Contact,” both made it onto the long list. Both poems were published in Eye to the Telescope, in issues 46 and 44 respectively. The second step will see the numbers winnowed down by an editorial team, to determine which entries get tagged for the Anthology itself, and for award eligibility.
 
Recent Publications
Poetry:
“Send in the Clowns,” “[black hole],” “[dreading],” Scifaikuest February 2023 online, Hiraeth Publishing, https://www.hiraethsffh.com/scifaikuest-online
 
Reviews:
Death Interrupted: How Modern Medicine is Complicating the Way We Die, by Blair Bigham, MD, posted on The Miramichi Reader web site, February 20, 2023, https://miramichireader.ca/2023/02/death-interrupted-how-modern-medicine-is-complicating-the-way-we-die-by-blair-bigham-md/
 
“Finding a Place in the Medieval,” a review of Thinking Queerly, by Jes Battis, Interstellar Flight Magazine, February 6, 2023, https://magazine.interstellarflightpress.com/
 
The Garrett Bluenose Patterns: Celebrating Nova Scotia’s Rug Hooking Heritage, by The Teachers Branch, Rug Hooking Guild of Nova Scotia, posted on The Miramichi Reader web site, February 22, 2023, https://miramichireader.ca/2023/02/the-garrett-bluenose-patterns-celebrating-nova-scotias-rug-hooking-heritage-by-the-teachers-branch-rug-hooking-guild-of-nova-scotia/
 
The Ugly Truth, by Ira Nayman, posted on The Miramichi Reader web site, February 26, 2023, https://miramichireader.ca/2023/02/the-ugly-truth-ira-nayman/
 
What I’m Working On
Though I’ve been focusing on fiction for the past few months, March will see a shift to some non-fiction writing, as I have several ideas on the back burner.
 

February 2023 Update

Recent Publications

Poetry:
“The Frankenstein Creature, in Other Genres,” Eye to the Telescope, Issue 47, January 2023, http://eyetothetelescope.com/archives/047issue.html

Reviews:
Hypatia’s Wake, by Susan Andrews Grace, The Miramichi Reader, posted January 15, 2023, https://miramichireader.ca/2023/01/hypatias-wake-by-susan-andrews-grace/
 
Pirating Pups: Salty Sea-Dogs and Barking Buccaneers, edited by Rhonda Parrish, published in Shelter of Daylight, January 2023, Hiraeth Publishing, https://www.hiraethsffh.com/product-page/shelter-of-daylight-january-2023
 
Tumblehome: One Woman’s Canoeing Adventures in the Divine Near Wilderness, by Brenda Missen, The Miramichi Reader, posted January 30, 2023, https://miramichireader.ca/2023/01/tumblehome-one-womans-canoeing-adventures-in-the-divine-near-wilderness-by-brenda-missen/
 
Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees, Edited by Christine Lowther, The Miramichi Reader, posted January 23, 2023, https://miramichireader.ca/2023/01/worth-more-standing-poets-and-activists-pay-homage-to-trees-edited-by-christine-lowther/
 
Short Stories:
Several of my stories can now be accessed at the Read Me A Story, Ink website, a reading resource for kids, parents, and teachers, located at https://readmeastoryink.com/stories-to-read-now/. Joining Andi’s Birthday, which was already on the site, are In Other Words, Mission to Galavia, By Ox and Axe, and Changes. Mission to Galavia is a sequel to In Other Words, while By Ox and Axe takes Paul Bunyan to the stars.
 
What I’m Working On
This month, I’ll be working on reviews as well as short stories, primarily; some poetry as time or inclination permits.
 
Coming Soon
One poem is scheduled to appear in the February 2023 issue of Spaceports and Spidersilk, while others will be included in the February issue of Scifaikuest. I’ll also have some reviews appearing in various venues in February.
 

January 2023 Update

My dog Chet (seen at left chilling with a new acquisition) always enjoys getting a new toy, and I suppose I like new things too. As I write this paragraph, it's January 1, 2023, and a new year always represents new opportunities and a fresh start. 

Not that 2022 was a "bad" year from a writing perspective. I had around 40 poems of various lengths published, as well as a poetry collection. Five original pieces of fiction saw publication for the first time in 2022, and two reprints made it into anthologies. As well, 27 book reviews and one article appeared in print or online venues. 

December 2022 Highlights

In December 2022 I had a poem and a short story appear in New Myths Issue 61, Winter 2022. The poem, “Ghost Train,” is based on experiences walking the trails in Earl Rowe Provincial Park in Ontario. I also had “At the Magical Furniture Store” appear in Polar Starlight Issue 7, December 2022. These items can be viewed for free by following the link provided (as is the case for the A World of Curiosities book review, the Not a Princess review, and the “Cruising” short story, another Quicksilver and Pepper tale.)
 
Recent Publications
Poetry:
“At the Magical Furniture Store,” Polar Starlight, Issue 7, December 2022, https://polarborealis.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/POLAR-STARLIGHT-7-December-2022.pdf

“Ghost Train,” NewMyths.com, Vol. 16, Issue 61, Winter 2022, https://sites.google.com/newmyths.com/newmyths-com-issue-61/issue-61-stories/ghost-train

“Proxima Set-up Crew Opts to Stay,” Star*Line Vol. 46.1, Winter 2022.
 
[shuffling cards], [stunning discovery], Scifaikuest November 2022, print, Hiraeth Publishing
 
Reviews:
Not a Princess, But (Yes) There Was a Pea, and Other Fairy Tales to Foment Revolution, by Rebecca Buchanan, Star*Line 46.1, Winter 2022. The review is posted on the SFPA web site, https://www.sfpoetry.com/sl/slreviews.html
 
A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny, posted on The Miramichi Reader web site December 10, 2022, https://miramichireader.ca/2022/12/a-world-of-curiosities-by-louise-penny/
 
Short Stories:
“Cruising,” NewMyths.com, Vol. 16, Issue 61, Winter 2022, https://sites.google.com/newmyths.com/newmyths-com-issue-61/issue-61-stories/cruising
 
What I’m Working On
This month I expect to be working on a variety of items: poetry, fiction, book reviews, and creative non-fiction. There are several January and February 2023 submission calls I’m interested in, so lots of work to do to polish pieces up and send them out.
 
 

December 2022 Update

We were fortunate to enjoy good weather (meaning, not a whole lot of snow and what we have had hasn’t stayed long) through November. On the morning of December 1, though, as I post this, there is white stuff falling slowly from the sky, as if warning us that the spate of pleasant weather won't last, so I feel a little like my dog Chet, shown in the image above seeking a warm spot to hide out. 

Through the month of November, I tackled the National Novel Writing Month challenge. Having found last year that for me, personally, shooting for the target of 50,000 words resulted in burnout, I set a more modest target of 25,000 words and an attempt to write daily through the month, both of which I managed to do.

Recent Publications
Reviews:
The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny, posted on The Miramichi Reader site, November 11, 2022, https://miramichireader.ca/2022/11/the-madness-of-crowds-by-louise-penny/ 

The Zone: Rediscovering Our Natural Self, by Rob Wood, posted on The Miramichi Reader site November 18, 2022, https://miramichireader.ca/2022/11/the-zone-rediscovering-our-natural-self-by-rob-wood/

Articles:
“Taking Flight with Speculative Poetry,” published in Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers newsletter November 11, 2022.

What I’m Working On
I made progress on several short stories during the month of November. Some have already been sent out in response to submission calls. Others will require some editing and refinement in the coming months. I remain grateful for K.M. Weiland’s books as I progress through the short story process. During November, I spent a lot of time using her Creating Character Arcs workbook to set the foundations for stories I was working on.

Coming Soon
During the month of December, I have a couple of pieces scheduled to appear on the New Myths site; more about that with the next post.

 

 

November 2022 Update: Neosapiens Anthology Launch and Other News

On November 1, the Neosapiens anthology, published by New Myths, launched. I have two pieces appearing in this volume, a short story titled “Into the Ring” and a poem, “From Cat, to Fiddle.” The above meme developed by the publicity team features a line from “Into the Ring.” As you might gather from the meme, “Into the Ring” features a canine protagonist. Maybe I can blame it on my love of Thornton W. Burgess nature stories as a child, but for some reason writing stories featuring animals seems to come naturally for me. Neosapiens is the third New Myths anthology I’ve been fortunate enough to have my work included in, with the others being Passages and Twilight Worlds.

Recent Publications

Poetry:
“After the Quest is Over,” Eye to the Telescope, Issue 46, Quests, October 2022, https://eyetothetelescope.com/ 

“Cleaning Out the Desk,” “Constant,” and “Golden Years,” Paddler Press, Issue 6, Changes, October 2022. https://paddlerpress.ca/issues-trip-log/

“Do the Gods Laugh?” Star*Line 45.4, Fall 2022, http://www.sfpoetry.com/starline.html 

"From Cat, to Fiddle," Neosapiens: Best of New Myths Volume III, NewMyths, https://www.amazon.com/Neosapiens-Best-NewMyths-Anthology-III-ebook/dp/B0BJ829NVX

“Get It Over With,” Thema, Vo 34, No. 3, Get It Over With, https://themaliterarysociety.com/

“[Proxima colonists],” Spaceports & Spidersilk, October 2022, Hiraeth Publishing, https://www.hiraethsffh.com/product-page/spaceports-spidersilk-october-2022-edited-by-marcie-lynn-tentchoff

Reviews:
First-Time Listener, by Jennifer Zilm, posted on the Miramichi Reader site October 10, 2022, https://miramichireader.ca/2022/10/first-time-listener-by-jennifer-zilm/

Stone Woman, by Bernadette Gabay Dyer, posted on the Miramichi Reader site October 26, 2022, https://miramichireader.ca/2022/10/stone-woman-by-bernadette-gabay-dyer/

Short Stories:
"Into the Ring," Neosapiens: Best of New Myths Volume III, NewMyths, https://www.amazon.com/Neosapiens-Best-NewMyths-Anthology-III-ebook/dp/B0BJ829NVX

What I’m Working On
This past month, I got some traction on drabbles and short stories. In November, I’ll give NaNoWriMo another shot, with some amendments. Last year, I pushed hard to get the target 50,000 words and then experienced short story burnout for a few months after. This time, I’m not going to pressure myself to hit specific word count targets. I’m also going to work, as the mood dictates, on poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction rather than focusing on fiction. Still, the attempt to write something every day, or as often as other commitments permit, is something I find of value.

 

October 2022 Update

Recent Publications

Poetry:
“Run Run Renegade,” Radon Journal, Issue 2, https://www.radonjournal.com/run-run-renegade

“Wondering,” JOURN-E: The Journal of Imaginative Literature, vol. 1, no.2, Autumnal Equinox 2022.

Reviews:
Aquariums, by J.D. Kurtness, translated by Pablo Strauss, posted on the Miramichi Reader site September 19, 2022, https://miramichireader.ca/2022/09/aquariums-by-j-d-kurtness-translated-by-pablo-strauss/
 
Runs With the Stars, by Darcy Whitecrow and Heather M. O’Connor, posted on the Miramichi Reader site September 10, 2022, https://miramichireader.ca/2022/09/runs-with-the-stars-by-darcy-whitecrow-and-heather-m-oconnor/

Short Stories:
“Roll of the Dice,” Cosmic Crime, September 2022, Hiraeth Books, https://www.hiraethsffh.com/product-page/cosmic-crime-stories-september-2022-edited-by-tyree-campbell-1
 
What I’m Working On
Short stories and reviews are currently my main focus. I expect this will continue into October.