So, as I mentioned in my last post, it’s been a while since I updated ye old blog. A lot has happened in the past 3 months. There have been Quiet Lightning readings, Saturday Night Special readings, a new series of poems published (2nd publication, for me, as a poet), and a lot of bay hopping. EGADS there’s been a lot of bay hopping. But all of it is worthwhile because everything I do informs and shapes my writing. I’m proud because in the past couple of months I’ve applied for Cave Canem, Kundiman, Writing Without Walls, and Quiet Lightning. Unfortunately, I did not get accepted into Cave Canem and Kundiman. My work may be not up to speed for these retreats or the programs  just had too many wonderful writers applied that they had to turn some away even though they enjoyed the work. Either way, despite the initial feelings of disappointment, I am glad I applied and I am glad I was rejected. Because rejection makes one a better artist and a better human being (more on that in another post).

Yet, in the same time span as the Cave Canem and Kundiman application process, two reading series/publications were accepting submissions: Writing Without Walls and Quiet Lightning.  Everyone knows about my first poetic publication through Writing Without Walls and now its time to announce my second. Now, without further ado, here’s me reading the poems published in Sparkle + Blink. Enjoy!

Before I log off for the night, I do have two quick announcements. First, I’ve begun a new blog where I’ll be posting photos I’ve taken for fun and inspirations, art journals I’ve made, books I’ve bound, and images I’ve found around the web and beyond. It’s sorta a photo album of sorts but I hope to expand it in the future as a place where I can express my deep love of visual arts and share my appreciation of professional artists in the field to others.

The second announcement is to get all you poets and literary types ready for this summer’s Beast Crawl! Beast Crawl is, for Californian locals, the East Bay Literary Pub Crawl. It is a literary arts performance series that will take place on July 7th from 5 pm to 9pm. There will be 25 different venues and about 125 writers and performers. For more information, check out the link. Unfortunately, I’ll be in Seattle during that time (for reasons pertaining to adventure if you must know… ^_^) so I won’t be there on the 7th but I do advise anyone who loves writers, writing, and literature of all sorts to attend. It promises to be a blast.