Two Poetry Collections

~ carlamcgill

So much of my work emerges from an interior place, an inner knowing, a sense that yes, now I should write this story, or yes, right now this poem is forming in my thoughts. No matter how many lists or outlines I make of what I want to write, I find that I cannot keep to them because something else is rumbling within.

I am learning to pay attention to the interior world first. As the new year approached, I somehow knew that this would be the year that I would search for a publisher for my first collection of poetry. I am only now, as spring begins, delving in to the list to see which one might be a good fit for my work (or more importantly which one would accept my work).

On a side note, I have a poem called “The Northern Lights” in the most recent publication of the Schuylkill Valley Journal (I have no idea how to pronounce the name).

In the meantime, Luanne Castle, my office mate in graduate school and still my dear friend twenty-four years later, has published her second collection of poems, a chapbook called Kin Types (Finishing Line Press, 2017), which comes out June 23. She has been generous with encouragement and suggestions, and I am always inspired by her work.

Luanne’s first collection, Doll God, won the 2015 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award.

You can read my review of Doll God by clicking here. You can order it by clicking here.

Kin Types is a remarkable collection of works that contains sketches of late family members in both poetry and prose. Luanne’s strong interest in genealogy has enabled her to amass a large collection of stories and photographs of her ancestors. She has told many of their stories in this collection, which is unique in its approach and content. The poems struck me as being “elegaic,” and in the broadest sense, they are elegies for the members of her family represented in the poems.

I already ordered mine! You can order pre-order a copy by clicking here.         

You can read my review of it by clicking here.

Inland Empire writers will know of Cindy Rinne, who is so active in the area that I think she has clones appearing for her in all places at once. Cindy has an eclectic set of talents, as you can see if you visit her website, http://www.fiberverse.com/.

In addition to her recently published novel in verse, Quiet Lantern, published by Turning Point Books, 2016, which you can order by clicking  here (see my review here), Rinne has a new chapbook coming out, Listen to the Codex, a remarkable collection of poems that sent me to the edge of my imagination. Listen to the Codex is part of the Native Blossoms Chapbook Series edited by Anne Yale at Yak Press. You can find out more about that series by clicking here.

So creativity abounds, and we are all the better for it. Have you put together a collection? What was your method? What governed your decisions? Feel free to post your ideas.

 

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30 thoughts on “Two Poetry Collections”

  1. No collection. That would require organizing my writing life!

    What a wonderful opening paragraph . This particularly struck me: “No matter how many lists or outlines I make of what I want to write, I find that I cannot keep to them because something else is rumbling within.” So true of me, too. I wonder is it a form of avoidance? Good luck with your collection. I hope to see it in print soon.

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    1. Thanks Susanne. I think it is more of an issue of authenticity. The list may contain some good ideas, but what is stirred up in my heart is usually more worthwhile at the time. It has made me ponder the origins of individual creativity. Sometimes there is a split between the mind and the heart? Not sure. Yes, organization is one of my ongoing struggles. Always hopeful!

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  3. Congrats on the poem, Carla. I too can’t wait to see your first collection in print. I am so excited for you! I got Cindy’s book yesterday. I have company right now so will have to put off the reading, but happy to have in my hands. Thank you so much for reviews and all your support. xoxo

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    1. Thanks Luanne. I look forward to your thoughts about her collection. As for mine, it is still in the early early stages, but I am excited to put it together. Got the book you recommended and have been reading it. Enjoy your company!

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        1. No, it’s a river. It flows from west of Philadelphia through the city. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is set above it. The Delaware River is on the eastern side of the city–you cross it to get to New Jersey. There is also a Schulkill Expressway that goes through Philadelphia. 🙂

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  5. I find that too – I may have particular plans for my writing, but they’ll move aside to make way for other things that are calling me. Spring is the time for action though, so it’s a perfect time for you to be looking for a publisher, in the meantime congratulations on the publication of Northern Lights. I’m waiting for my copy of Kin Types to arrive.

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  7. Carla, I love this. It’s like a weather report for poetry’s landscape. In the creative process, I too sometimes feel like I’m in an avalanche. The ongoing process pushes loose additional material that realizes different potentials, new directions.

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  8. Congratulations on your publication in Northern Lights! I look forward to when your poetry collection will be published 🙂 I’m also looking forward to getting my copy of Luanne’s Kin Types (love that title). I’m back to working on a novel that I started several years ago. Although it has a beginning, middle and end, it’s taking me a long time to go through it again and revise, try to get it in proper shape for a beta reader and (I hope) future editor. Novels are daunting and I often wonder if I really, really want to write novels. I find short stories to be so much more appealing, both reading and writing. We’ll see. I just won’t know until I try 🙂

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    1. Thank you! I am only just beginning to look for a publisher, and Luanne has some great tips. It sounds daunting and also exciting to pull up a previously started novel project! I have one from about ten years ago, about a hundred pages give or take, and yet I know that when I begin to review it, things will seem foreign and beyond my current memory! How brave you are. I wish you well with that. When I was working on that project years ago, I began to see how delightful it was to get immersed in the project! Keep going!

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      1. Thanks, Carla. One nice thing about letting a novel sit for awhile (or years) is it’s easier to see where there may be gaps or inconsistencies. At least that’s my experience so far 🙂

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  10. Congrats on the poem, Carla, and so nice to learn about those other poetry collections. I have released two collections and the first one came about as I was healing mentally and wanted to help other women through my writing. Sometimes the idea comes knocking when we least expect it xx

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    1. Thanks Kourtney! I love supporting and being supported by other writers. If it were not for the encouragement I have received, I would not have taken advantage of so many opportunities or written as much as I have.

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