Skip to main content

On publishing my first poetry chapbook during COVID With love, faith, and ample allowance for depression

 


Over a year ago my publisher, God Bless Her Heart, signed on for an ‘urban-fantasy’ novel and yet, here we are now, and I’m debuting my first book of poetry.

You’d almost be forgiven to think, for good reason, that I’d pulled a fast one on her. Executed a sleight of hand; the old switcheroo — !

“Not true!” I’d harrumph in protest. The novel, all 3/4ths of which, by the way, is actually complete, is just gestating, I’d say. It’s nearly complete, but needs some time yet to ripen.

I’m doing some additional research. Reviewing story lines and story structure and plot development and rhythmic flow and —

Well, yeah. All of that. And more. And none of it. And COVID and spiraling levels of depression and parenthood and strained relationships and love and loss and —

Yeah.

So, marjorie steele  (God Bless Her Heart) got a book of poetry, Songs for the Cleveland Avenue Warriors, for her press, instead of a novel.

She even acted as if she were enthused for the whole endeavor; put in a tremendous amount of work, time, love, and the faith to see the project finalized.

Her enthusiasm for the work remains contagious. I’m excited to share it with you, with the world, because Songs for the Cleveland Avenue Warriors represents a journey for me, an exploration of my own discrete World Line, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.

Be aware, though, I stumble at times, admittedly, along the way. Trip outright and fall flat on my face at other times. But for some of the journey, for much of it, I feel as though I’ve found my stride.

It would humor me if you were to choose to stroll along with me, if only just for a little bit.

I could use the company.

gzus

https://medium.com/creativeonion-press/how-did-i-get-here-3ea5abcce5c3

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter 1: Run Bealz Run

1 Bealz was 11 years old. His dad had been gone, locked up since before he was even born. Bealz's mom never really said anything about him, his dad. She would just kinda start looking real sad and say stuff like, “I don't know, baby,” or “I wish I could tell you more, honey,” or “leave me alone, lil nigga!” Or something like that. Bealz was sad a lot. He didn't show it, though. At least not like they do in the movies and on tv. Like the white kids get to do. He couldn't act like that. Not where he was from. He often noticed the kids on tv. They had lawns and always had huge, over-sized boxes of colorful cereals that the Arabs down the street from him didn't have on the shelves and they had brand new bicycles and giant smiles. They also had moms and most of them even had dads. Bealz did too. Just not like theirs. Bealz's mom was around sometimes. He mostly stayed with his grandma, Ms. Penny, though. She was...
Post a Comment
Read more

Chapter 2: Dakari

2 Chicago sat atop the State of Illinois like a jaunty, precociously donned cap. Serving as the State's primary economic engine, amongst its greatest exports, its main contributions to the downstate economy, was a steady stream of bodies to fill the many prisons spread throughout the rural areas. And while this provided a financial boon for these sparse communities, it meant hours and hours of separation from the families left behind. It was hard enough to take the El to a real grocery store. Many of the kids around here, where Bealz lived, were just like him. Their dads were housed in prison units hundreds of miles away. They were basically left behind to figure things out on their own. Especially the boys. The girls tended to have more intact maternal structures within their families. Their main problem was dealing with the well-armed, dangerously confused preteen and teenage boys raised in a rape culture in the middle of an urban war zone. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Incata Homeland Definitions

Many of the words and phrases used as names and descriptions have been drawn predominately from Swahili as well as several other African languages in keeping with the overall mythology that I am constructing around Bealz, Monie and Askauri's world. I have taken liberties with pronunciation and word formations, attempting to create a unique language structure for the Incata that honors its ties to Africa, as both represented within this fictional framework, and in its creative influence on me. Here's the list of words and phrases so far. I'll add to it as the story continues. The root words, unless otherwise noted, are Swahili: Belozi Bin Askuari = The Emissary, Son of Askauri Balozi – Consul/Ambassador Monique Felani-Kakua Binti = Daughter of Earth, The Undying Warrior Munyika (Shona of Zimbabwe) – Earth Fela (W. African) – Warlike Kokumo (an Oriki name) – Undying/This one will not die Binti – Daughter Askuari Bin Qwana = Graceful Warrior, So...
Post a Comment
Read more