UPDatES: Writing Things & Things
Recently, I was asked to bullet point my writing achievements for the last year. And, I was honestly surprised because I felt I hadn’t done much. Life, well, lifed its ass off in 2023. Additionally, I’m notorious for not looking back enough and appreciating everything I have done; I also struggle to give myself snaps. So, here they are.
- Co-founder/organizer/host of East Village's successful experimental artist series Adverse Abstraction, second anniversary next month (our last show ran out of standing room!)
- Rerelease of woman, depose by FlowerSong Press in May 2024
- 17 pieces published in five different publications this last year (2023): Anti-heroin Chic, Voicemail Poems, The Fever of the Mind, StonePacific Zine, Paper Crow
- Forthcoming contest finalist CNF flash to be published with F(r)iction Spring 2024 issue
- Ran experimental erasure workshops for Hudson Valley Writers Center and Gemini Ink
Then I realized I missed being in three anthologies with five poems published between them (I didn’t forget y’all, promise!). But, it hit while typing all these out that, oh goodness, I am still here. No matter the tricks that depression, anxiety, PTSD/CPTSD, or in-progress trauma, can play on the brain, I am still me, a person who continues to fight to move forward. It’s not the show of accolades but continuous creation, including launching this little baby of Carnations and Car Crashes (CCC), that shows this.
“Yeah, bitch, I’m still here!” — JoJo, UPROXX interview
I faced a lot of varying types of heartbreak this last year. It was a real Tower Card for 12 months for my tarot practitioners. Most notably, working through divorce and subsequent drama. One day I hope to write a stunning feature-film-length version of it à la Maggie Smith’s memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful. But with killer alligators. And robots. And abandoned gas stations. And the ever-lost government paperwork. And evil twins. And fat yet fluffy cats. And poisonous pastries. And pet pigeons. OK, you get the idea.
But, all this means is a big movement forward and a bright beginning of 2024. Please join me on this new adventure in life’s curation! As I would love to spread the joy of growth to you as well; so, here we go:
I’m teaching another one-day intensive experimental erasure workshop this February 3rd with Hudson Valley Writers Center. I keep making more updates to the syllabus’ readings and prompts and I hope to see both new and returning faces.
This May I will be rereleasing woman, depose, now EXHIBIT: an amended woman, depose, with FlowerSong Press. With the original coming out during the pandemic times, I’ve decided to do another book launch party (more details to come) and a small tour stretching from NYC to the westest (arguably) part of the Midwest (stay updated here). Feel free to follow along here for more updates.
Thank you for stopping in on this little note to celebrate. I hope you are having a marvelous holiday season, and I am sending you all the positive energy into your new year!