Leap Day Post

Only once every four years I'll get the chance to write one!

So far, February has succeeded in being busy and eventful. For one thing, the combined power of the Fantastique Unfettered slush piles (fiction and poetry) has tried to overwhelm me (unsuccessfully, I still like correct grammar and spelling). I could write a post alone about cover letters and such, just not today. But hey, getting the editor's name right, that's always a great start!

Eventfulness: another one of my pieces was nominated for a Rhysling this February! "Lanterns," first appeared in Raven Electrick Ink: Jack-o'-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy marks this year's second nomination for that most prestigious of spec poetry awards. This means I have one poem nominated in the "long poem" category (a post on that), and "Lanterns" in the "short" category. I know, bragging sucks, but I'm just mighty happy, is all.


Adding to my state of happiness is the Strange Horizon's 2011 Reader's Poll. My poem "If Alice..." came in second after Rose's "In the Third Cycle." My congrats to Rose, whose poem is one of the most beautiful pieces I've seen in a long time.


(If you think the bragging is over, not quite yet.)

A bit of coolness and fruitful art begetting (yeah!) As Mike Allen explains in this part 2 of the Mythic Delirium 26 preview, I'm talking about this awesome illustration for my art inspired poem "The Forest King." (Don't you just wanna see that on real paper? Smell the ink? Feel the texture under your fingertips? You must SUBSCRIBE!)

On a final note, tomorrow a new issue of Niteblade will premier. It is a fine issue, with fine poetry, if I do say so myself. The poets published in this issue were wonderful to work with, where editing was undertaken, the results are stunning (I know I'm biased, so what). Thanks, guys!

I did dare February to "bring it" in my last post...already looking forward to March. :)

January 2012

I post to catch up is overdue.

The year has barely started and so much has happened already. The first week of 2012 saw another acceptance of what I would call an early Night Cycle poem: A Metamorphosis of Dream will appear in Ideomancer. That felt like 2012 was kicking off just fine, I thought to myself, but it got better. My prose poem A Maquerade in Four Voices got nominated for the Rhysling Award! This is just way cool! It made me talk in all-caps for about three days or so, and I feel the need to shout out in joy whenever I think about it, too, so YAY! (In case you wanna see all the eligible work of 2011, look here.)

Story-wise, two tales will appear this March, The Castle of Ashes in Red Penny Papers (edited by the wonderful KV Taylor, full line-up here) and A Lie Written In Scarlet in Scheherezade's Bequest (where Erzebet YellowBoy does a no less wonderful editing job).

And then there is this thing called editing I do. Over at Niteblade, I finalized the first poetry ToC I did all on my lonesome. Now, I could say a lot of things about the March Issue, I really could, but I won't; there simply is no need. Read the poems contained therein, and you will understand why.

January was also the month of major Change at Fantastique Unfettered. Brandon Bell--beloved founder and most capable editor of the zine--has stepped down from his position as Managing Editor, and he entrusted me with carrying on this thing-like-no-other that is FU. These are some big shoes to fill, I'm well aware of that. I come prepared, and I come wearing passion like a witch's hat; let's do this! Brandon isn't gone however, he'll still be around as general assistant (soon to be replaced by kick-ass title), and FU is lucky to have someone like him. To add to the general climate of change, we are moving from print to online publication, which I think is gonna be really, really cool. The site is already looking all new and spring-timey and we have a poll up there which will help us determine whether to call our weekly news section "FU Weekly" or "The Weekly FU." Yeah, seriously. That's how mature we are.

So that was January. So, February. Bring it.