Not Really a Lazy Summer

Despite the fact that I'm always crazy with things to do, I've had some luck publishing some things. Two new poems are up for grabs in the print world:

Anon (a British rag, how fitting for me!) picked up two poems: "Another Version," and "A Note to a Dragonfly."

Pretty sweet!

In other news, I'm going to be taking on some HR duties at Clampco, my dad's factory. I figure this is a good way to get some professional experience under my belt while I'm slogging away in adjunct land. Might look good on the vitae when I have some more poems or a book published and I'm in the right place at the right time.

Some might say it's a career change, but for me, being a writer was never about sitting in a library or coffee shop all day and riffing off of ideas. My work has always come from things I live. And you can't get much more living than clocking in next to people who bleed blue collar work, and coming home with the smell of blueprint ink and the oil from roll form steel on your clothes. That's inspiration.

The best part about it is that I won't have to worry about money so much in the meantime, and Shannon and I can buy a house and start building something together. There will be more poems and ideas in that too. Poems are everywhere really, you just have to be open to them coming in different forms I guess.

Anyway. That's enough for now. Sorry about the picture being sideways, but I' too lazy to make it look good.

New Life and a Publication to boot? I'll take that!

So this was a good weekend! Aside from the absolute blur that comes with the planning, ceremony, and reception for a wedding, I'm totally excited to start a new life with my best friend. I'm a lucky guy. I really am.

We made it totally official yesterday and took the last step: changed Shannon's name from Barr to Venner, and I started moving in to her apartment. This is all good!

Despite the fact that I should be using this time to calculate final grades for my KSU students, what else is awesome is that Shannon's excited for me to start writing again. Hey, if you're an artist and you meet someone who wants you to be exactly what you are, don't let them get away, ever.

I got a poem picked up: Protestpoems.org took "This You Must Know," an old Revolution standby.

Anyway, thanks to every and all who came to my wedding.

Getting Married in Two Days!

...which is pretty cool!

I haven't posted anything in a long time. But, I did think this picture was appropriate. To all the people who make fun of me because of my little running socks, I guess you can say that old habits die hard.

I'm absolutely nuts right now. I've been teaching 5 sections and getting ready for a wedding and yet another move. It seems like my life has been nothing but one big change after another. But when I get frustrated, I have to remember to just let it all happen, and that I'd really wouldn't want it any other way.

On the poetry front, I've been working on some new chapbooks, but no one has seemed to want to accept any of my poetry lately. Eh, whatever. They're missing out.

Here's me and Shannon making fun of my mom's milk glass collection. I have a real big problem with it for some reason. Hideous!

This is supposed to make me feel good?

I'm going running for the first time in about two months today...in the complete brutal cold and blowing wind. It's kinda how I've always done things though, "against the wind," like that song. Is it Bob Seeger? But at least I'll be doing it with Shannon's brother, so I won't be alone! I'm glad I have someone to run with now. Makes it easier to exercise, and I need all I can get right now!

Man. Crazy!

Strange Days

I live an interesting life, that's for sure. It seems like I'm the most marketable person on the face of the planet, but I feel like I'm too much of a radical.

I've got some of my people reading a new manuscript right now. It's a different tone for me. More honest and with less pompousness. It was needed in order for me to progress.

Adjusting to a new perspective this semester was a little hard at times, but I'm glad for it. I couldn't have kept up my grad school lifestyle or attitude for much longer. I just wonder how I'll end up, and if I'm writing anything worthwhile, and if I'm a decent teacher, and if I will be a good husband, where is this huge transition taking me...all of that self-reflective stuff, you know.

Alas, I better get back to packing things up and putting submissions together.

Make it bleed! Make it bleed!

Gotcha!

Anyway, I've been totally lame lately because I've been trying way too hard this semester. I have a bad habit of stretching myself too thin. Anyway, I truly thank everyone for being there and for supporting me, even if I haven't talked or hung out in a long while. I've got some big changes coming, but like I always say: you find out who your friends are and aren't when you go through something. I just hope that when others go through things, I'm considered a friend.

I got a poem picked up! "BloodMusic" can be seen online at www.glass-poetry.com after Dec. 1st.

I'm learning so much right now, especially how I can't just swing everything. It's not all that bad, but I guess that's something that I internalized from being on the road in bands, and from grad school. Also, when I say I'm going to do something, I better frickin' do it, and when I can't I simply have to say, "sorry dude, I can't." It's a lot harder to cover your mistakes when you've got 65 students as opposed to 20, you're planning to be with someone for the rest of your life, and you're simply looking at your past behavior and thinking differently. I just hope that this whole journey takes me somewhere good.