Jeannine Hall Gailey's Blog, page 114

A new review and help with my author photo

Hey you guys! I've got a new review of Mary Ruefle's Selected Poems up at The Rumpus, so check that out! (Also, feel free to log in and comment on The Rumpus - Numbers Trouble)

Now I need your help picking out an author photo for She Returns to the Floating World. Comment on which one you like best! Thank you for your help. (These will disappear in a day or two.)

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How Do You Find Time To Write?

In service to answering more post-MFA student questions...this one I've gotten several times, some variation of "How do you find time to write/submit/read after you get out of the MFA?"

So, in answering this question, I'll mention that I went to a low-residency MFA while working part-time and/or as a freelance writer, so my practices before, during, and after the MFA didn't really change all that much. I write a couple of hours each week - and that's creative writing, not including blog-writin...

Not Helpless: Women and Poetry and Numbers Trouble

Once again, there is numbers trouble brewing. Yes, though women far outnumber men as readers of books, women who write their own books are in trouble if they expect an equal number of reviews, awards, etc., as their male counterparts. Who are the serious women writers getting overlooked in favor of the Franzen's of the world? Will we ever hear about them? Will they fade into obscurity because no one will talk about them, no one will even look at their books on the review pile or prize committ...

How Do You Know Where to Send Your Work? Questions About Submissions...

A former MFA student wrote in to ask me advice about how I know which journals to send my poems to. It seems so overwhelming, she said. Well, that's true for me too! Here's part of what I wrote back - I hope you guys find it helpful:

What you are experiencing is something every writer experiences! I'm literally going through the same thing doing fall submissions - which journals would be receptive to my work? Which poems should I send to which place? It's nearly impossible to guess correctly. ...

Who's a zombie feminist poet? I am!

That's right! Who won the monster poetry contest? Me, that's who!
http://wewhoareabouttodie.com/2010/09/02/lizzy-acker-monster-poetry-award-winner-is-jeannine-hall/
Seriously, thanks to Lizzie Acker for choosing my poem, which was brought on by a dream about zombie clone women. Because that's the kind of dreaming I do all the time. And now I get books from Small Desk Press! And to read with some awesome poets at LitCrawl.

Poetry Chain, Productivity, Poetry Monsters and More!

If you're interested in reading five questions with me at the Poetry Chain Gang:
http://poetrychaingang.blogspot.com/2010/08/poetry-chain-gang-volume-2-jeannine.html
They've also recently interviewed Wendy Wisner and Suzanne Frischkorn. A cool project by Michelle McEwan, and thanks to Wendy for suggesting me!

I haven't been writing as much new poetry lately, but I wrote a lyric essay, a book review, and put together several job applications, so I feel productive anyway. I'm also looking for plac...

Congrats To Amanda

Go over and congratulate Amanda Auchter - her book just won the Zone3 First Book Contest!

People Who Move Too Much

Can you believe we're thinking of moving again? Okay, not just thinking, actively planning. Napa has some of the best weather I've ever experienced, but apparently, beautiful weather is not enough to keep us rooted. Do you know I have to drive over an hour in any direction to get to any kind of poetry reading? (With the exception of the Napa Writers Conference, which, let's face it, only comes around once a year.) If you like olive oil and wine, forgetaboutit - this is your place. But poetry?...

New Fall Manuscript Class

Well, my summer poetry manuscript class is winding down, and it went really well, so I am going to offer it again for the fall.


Wish you had someone to read over your poetry manuscript before you send it out to this year's contests and open submissions? This eight-week class is limited to five writers and will start September 1. It's run on a private blog and discussion board (so your work can't be searched or googled) and you will get feedback on your poetry book (or chapbook) manuscript as i...

The haibun on Ploughshares (and a poem from my second book!)

I'm in love with a Japanese poetry form called the haibun. I teach it in my poetry class at National, I've taught it at poetry conferences, and if you're around long enough, I'll probably try to get you to write one.
Aimee Nezhukumatathil has a wonderful post covering the basics of haibun on the Plougshares blog and kindly used one of the poems, "The Fox-Wife Describes Her Courtship," from my upcoming second book from Kitsune Books, She Returns to the Floating World, as an example. Thanks for ...