On Recognition and Near Misses

“I was most impressed by the work of Matthew Lippman and Kate Gaskin. Their poems seem to contain an emotional charge drawn from their respective life experiences, rendered in explosive language that jumps off the page. It is not always a comfortable feeling, but it makes for very exciting reading.” –-the review review

A friend sent me a link to a review of the inaugural issue of Cherry Tree, in which my poetry specifically is mentioned. Super surreal to see my name. I had the greatest experience working with Cherry Tree’s editors, and when I got my copy of the journal, I was delighted by how strong all the work is! It’s pretty unbelievable that my poems have been singled out. Up until this moment, I knew rationally–but not really emotionally–that someone other than myself is finally reading my poems.

In other (non)news, I got word that while my application for a work-study scholarship to Bread Loaf was rejected, it made it to the final round of discussions. I’ve had a lot of similar near-misses lately. They’re always so bittersweet. On the one hand, I know I’m growing stronger and more competitive as a writer. On the other, I still lost. Oh well, ever onward, right?