December News and 2021 Roundup

Here we are, friends—another weird year limps to the finish line. I hope the holidays have been good to you. Like a lot of people, I am reluctant to even speculate as to whether 2022 will be any better. Don’t want to jinx anything. But spira, spera and all that.

As for resolutions, I don’t really have one this year, just a goal. To get all sappy and inspirational, I hope to be better today than I was yesterday. That’s all. Even if improvement comes in microscopic increments.  

I don’t feel like I’ve been all that productive this year. The number of books I read is at an all-time low. I have only written two poems since April. (I suspect I’m entering a prose cycle, which happens periodically, and may last a few years.)

Still, I still managed to have 80 pieces appear in 45 venues, including a short story. I received three Best of the Net and one Pushcart Award nominations. I made it to the Lumiere Review Poetry Contest’s Top 100, and was nominated for Missouri Poet Laureate—both of which I decidedly didn’t win but still a great honor.

I have two short story publications lined up for 2022; I have others drafted/written. I’m hoping 2022 will be a time of continued improvement on that.

I’m close to finishing an untitled Order of the Four Sons project, which I’m still not even sure I will release. If I do, it will be released serially. A friend suggested I just post it here on this blog. We’ll see. Otherwise, it’s been a lot of fun hanging out with these characters again.

I appreciate everyone’s continued readership and support. So, to finish up this post, here are my publications for the month of December:

My cadralor poem, “Home,” appeared in a new magazine, Lucifer’s Retreat, one of the many literary venues helmed by John Patrick Robbins. Thank you, as always, John!

“Storytellers” is up at the Dope Fiend Daily. Many thanks to editor Scott Simmons for giving my work a home again.

Lothlorien Journal has released their fifth volume of printed work. It includes five of my poems (Cursed Images, Of a Feather, Service Dogs, The Holy Sweet, and The Dead Watch). I am honored to be included among so many talented poets. Many thanks to editor Strider Marcus Jones. It is available for purchase on Lulu.

And finally, I was a featured reader at the Verse-Virtual monthly reading. If you were unable to attend, a recording is available on YouTube. My fellow features were terrific, as were the open mic readers. Well worth a listen!

Thank you again for stopping by. Have a safe and fun New Year’s celebration!