Fire in the Pasture: Twenty-first Century Mormon Poetry, edited by frequent WIZ contributor Tyler Chadwick, made its debut at 2011 end in impressive style. Tyler reports that Fire in the Pasture has “risen as high as #2 in both Hot New Anthologies and Hot New Inspirational & Religious and #12 in Hot New Poetry.” The Kindle edition “slipped into the Kindle Store’s top 100 Best Sellers in 20th Century American Poetry.” Congratulations, Tyler and Th.! For WIZ readers’ information, several WIZ contributors, including Sarah Dunster, Jon Ogden, WIZ’s new contributing editor Jonathon Penny, Steve Peck, Sarah Page, and myself have work included in its pages. Ãngel Chaparro Sainz, another frequent WIZ contributor, wrote the anthology’s afterword. It’s a pleasure to see that so many WIZ folk threw kindling into Fire in the Pasture’s multi-colored flames. A poem by Elizabeth Pinborough, another poet published in Fire in the Pasture, will appear on WIZ in February.
Karen Kelsay, a fine formalist poet and constant lyrical presence here at WIZ, has begun a publishing company, White Violet Press. You can reach the press’s accompanying blog with submission guidelines by clicking on the image to the left. While most publications are by invitation only, WVP will look at unsolicited manuscripts year round. White Violet Press is now open for submissions, so WIZ writers–especially WIZ writers of a formalist persuasion–please go have a look and support Karen in her new creative venture.
In November 2011, my essay, “Plato’s Alcove,” was awarded finalist status and an honorable mention in Torrey House Press’s creative nonfiction competition. The essay tells about my first trip to the desert. An earlier version won 1st place in the 2003 Utah’s Original Writers Competition. The version I sent to Torrey House is a more highly stylized, mixed-genre experiment. Want to read “Plato’s Alcove” at Torrey House’s website? Go here.
Profound apologies for the lateness of this next announcement, but Fortunate Childe Publications published its autumn anthology, Vintage, in October 2011. WIZ contributors Karen Kelsay and Carla Martin-Wood also have verse published therein (search on their names in the search bar to the left to read their poetry published on WIZ). Also featured in Vintage: four of my poems, including “Deer in the City,” “Closing Time,” and two poems not on WIZ. Leslie Ellison, publisher of Fortunate Childe, nominated my poem “Deer in the City,” which also appears at WIZ, for a Pushcart Prize. This is my second Pushcart Prize nomination. Thank you, Fortunate Childe! To find information about Vintage or purchase copies of this lovely seasonal anthology, click on the picture to the left. I will soon be buying a few for myself. Several poets included in the anthology recorded readings of their work that you listen to here.
WIZ will be running its popular Love of Nature Nature of Love event again in February. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, all month long we’ll publish poetry, essays, blocks of fiction, art, music (mp3s), video or other media that address the subject of love while making references to nature. Or it could go the other way around: We’ll publish work about nature that also happens to give a nod to love. We’re seeking submissions of original work or you can also send favorite works by others that have entered public domain. So if you have a sonnet you’ve written to someone dear to your heart–even and perhaps especially your pet hamster Roley Poley or faithful horse Old Paint–or perhaps a video Valentine or an essay avowing your love for a natural space dear to your heart–please consider sending it to WIZ. See the submissions page in the navigation bar above for submissions guidelines.
Wilderness Interface Zone 