M.A. Dubbs's Blog, page 4

Non-fiction Piece in Entre Magazine

May 5th was the release of the first edition of Entre Magazine. Entre Magazine is a “a platform for artists of queer, Latina/o/x/e communities and beyond” and is interested in themes of “identity (through lenses of gender, culture, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.)” There’s not a lot of spaces for queer Hispanics so I was thrilled to see it.

I was also very excited to find this publication due to timing! I had finished a couple non-fiction pieces related to my mixed heritage (white Hispanic, Mexican specifically) and when I saw the call I immediately thought, “Oh, this is going to be a perfect fit!”

I’m still pretty green in writing creative non-fiction pieces since poetry is my forte. Also, to be honest, it’s hard for me to focus while editing prose. Poetry is really easy for me to edit but the longer the piece, the longer it takes me to edit. This week I just finished editing a horror novelette (25 pages single spaced) and that took so much energy to focus. Every little ding or notification or thought distracted me from the screen. It got done but it too some serious will power. Now to find a publication that publishes novelette’s (I swear that length is the kiss of death! So hard to find a home for that length!)

Anyways, my piece “Purr-ez” is a creative non-fiction piece about a visit to the VA which turned into a brief identity crisis. Entre Magazine editor Ray Páramo perfectly described the piece in the introduction:

“M.A. Dubbs’s work of short fiction, “Purr-ez,” conveys the struggle of someone trying to figure out how they fit within the Latina/o/x/e community when they also feel so disconnected from it.” (Entre Magazine, pg 4).

It perfectly describes, not only the piece, but my feelings in general: feeling between two worlds. Recently, I’ve been trying to find peace with my identity. I’ve been reading more literature and books about Mexico and written by Mexican-Americans and continuing to work on my Spanish. It’s so nice to read others who can relate to my experiences. “Write what you want to read,” indeed!

You can read Entre Magazine #1 for free online or order a physical print copy on their website.

Also, friendly reminder that the Kickstarter to purchase a copy of The Neurodiverse: Alien Encounter anthology ends in 4 days! Almost $4,600 has been backed for the project (that’s a lot of copies!), so the goal is almost met. Check out more at Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thinkinginkpress/the-neurodiversiverse-alien-encounters-a-sci-fi-anthology

Publications ,Contests, Fundraising

I got some more publications hot off the presses this week!

First up is the upcoming Bluey fan zine by Coin-Operated Press and X SeaSlugChloe. I became a Bluey fan a few years ago after several moms from Australia recommended it on a parenting subreddit I read. I’m pretty sure it was on r/DanielTigerConspiracy (a subreddit where parents post unhinged and outlandish theories and takes about their kid’s TV shows because of course I did). For those not in the know, Bluey is a popular kids cartoon based in Australia. It’s wholesome, funny, and sometimes emotional due to hard topics they address. Mostly importantly, Bluey is a show that both kids and parents enjoy watching instead of the kids having fun and parents slowly, painfully dying inside (looking at you, Sunny Bunnies!)

My poem “Sleepytime” is about the episode of the same name and it’s one that’s often deemed by fans one of the most emotional of all the series. I was a mess watching it for the first time and often still tear up when I watch the episode. The episode’s soundtrack also includes “The Planets” by Gustav Holst which is one of my favorite pieces of classical music. My poem is a sweet exploration into parenting, being a mom, and healing my own inner child.

Check out the promo below! Zines went to print this week so the official release should be soon!

May 1st is the launch of Holes: An Anthology of Poems about Depths, Darkness, and Desire by JLRB Press. JLRB Press is “a small-run imprint that specia­lizes in poetry, with a strong emphasis on queer and neuro­divergent voices and emerg­ing writers” based out of Canada. I have three very different poems in this anthology ranging from trans and LGBT rights in “Let Me Hear You Ally” (because fuck book censorship and bans), an anti-war poem in “A War on Terror”, and recovery from mental illness in “Rock Bottom: A Sacred Place”.

Editions are available in soft-bound copies and can be found at the JLRB Press link above.

My kids had a lemonade stand and sold some axolotl zines to raise funds for MOJA (wetland preservation in Mexico to help axolotls habitat). They raised $6 which has us up to $13 raised total!

I also found out that my haiku won 3rd place in the social justice category in the 5th annual Mukai Farm & Garden Haiku Contest. My poem addressed recent issues of censorship in my local community (You can read more in this article linked here) which was removing many LGBTQ+ and other young adult books due to overly strict concerns that they were age-inappropriate. I’m thrilled my poem was enjoyed and won, plus I’m happy I could spread my voice and concern. I’m happy the policy was ended late last year but it never shouldn’t have gotten that far and probably would not have stopped if author John Green hadn’t spoken up and received national attention. You can check out my poem which is displayed at Mukai Farm right now!

Today is the last day to vote for People’s Choice Award for Gal’s Guide Nourish Anthology! You can vote on their website or using this link. Saturday May 4th is the last book tour event with an online Q&A called Meet the Authors. There will be readings and the announcement for the award as well. Tune in on Zoom! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81409159276

Also out on May 1st is Cosmic Daffodil’s latest publication Ying and Yang. I have two poems in this publication “Sun Salutation” and “Moon Salutation”. These poems are both concrete poems in the shape of a sun and moon, respectively, along with an easier to read format following each one. I made this using Word Art (select customize). I have a Religious Studies minor and really enjoyed my courses learning about Daoism. Ying and Yang is about balance and when the call provided some examples, such as masculine and feminine, I remembered yoga. Sun and Moon Salutations are a flow of yoga moves which a yogi explained to me explore the masculine and feminine energies of our bodies and the earth. I made a concrete poem to showcase how much is held within a shape, just like how much is held within our bodies during yoga. I think they came our pretty nice!

Author Fair & Publication

Hello All! Another week and another round of writing updates!

This past weekend I attend HEPL annual Author Fair in Fishers! This was my first time attending and I was able to sell some books, meet some other authors and readers, and perform my first reading of my latest book Limestone Versified. Check out my pictures below:

I’ve also sold 7 of my Axolotl charity zines, raising $7 so far for MOJA (wetlands restoration in Mexico). Woot! You can find my proof screenshots below:

I had my poem “The Secret Identity of a Bi Girl” published in Growing Up Queer in the Suburbs which was created and edited by long arm stapler. The zine features art, poetry, and non-fiction from queer creatives about their experiences in suburbia during their formative years.

It was very eye-opening to read many stories that were similar to my own, particularly the feeling of not belonging and not recognizing one’s own queerness due to lack of representation, acceptance, and internal homophobia. Coming out and accepting my identity has been an journey and not the easiest one, but it feels so freeing to be out and proud. I’m happy to have a space to share my experiences and hopefully the younger generation will have an easier, more accepting time than I did.

I also have a fun Sailor Moon reference and some boy band references in this poem. Hm, I guess Sailor Moon did provide some representation, although most of it was heavily censored here in the U.S. (thanks BS&P!). Guess Sailor Neptune being my favorite Scout now makes a lot of sense in hindsight.

Readings, Voting, Book Fair and More

This past weekend was busy one full of readings and traveling!

On Saturday I went to Noblesville Creates for the book launch and signings for the Gal’s Guide Library Anthology: Nourish (available on Amazon). My two poems, “A Verse for the Canner” (a free verse poem about gardening and canning) and “Cooking Genealogy” (a Spanglish haiku about tamales), were published in the anthology.

Sunday for the Nourish book tour we read at Indy Reads where 40% of the profits sold went to Indy Read’s and their community outreach. We had more signings and a Q&A.

Voting for the People’s Choice award has begun and now until May 2nd you can vote for your favorite piece in the Nourish anthology.

This weekend (4/20) I will be at the HEPL local author fair in Fishers. This annual book/author fair allows local authors to sell their books and meet new readers. I will be selling all three of my books (which includes my latest release, Limestone Versified) along with the Axolotl zine (for MOJA charity), and some custom stickers I made. I will also be reading from 3:20 to 3:30 pm EST in the Reading Room.

An anthology I have a poem in is launching a Kickstarter campaign! The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters – A Sci-Fi Anthology is by Thinking Ink Press and explores alien encounters and how they intersect with neuro divergence. I saw the call for this anthology and it took me a while to explore what an outer world encounter would look like and how could an alien relate to my mental health experiences?

Soon, I recalled one of my favorite sci-fi games of all time, Mass Effect. I’m a huge fan and have been in love and engrossed by the expansive universe since my freshman year of college (and a forever Thanemancer). Inspired by the Drell of the Mass Effect universe, I wrote the poem “A Conversation with a Drell” exploring how a Drell (an alien with perfect memory and untimely flashbacks) might relate with experiences of OCD and PTSD. The result was fun! The poem has been re-titled “A Conversation with a Xotiran” (which I created from the Uzbek word “Xotira” which can mean memory or flashback) after conversations with the editors. One to help strengthen the meaning of the poem and two just in case EA/Bioware gets grumpy about me name dropping their species (have mercy on me, big corpos!). You can pre-order this nerdy, sci-fi anthology through the Kickstarter above.

I think that’s all my updates for now! There’s more upcoming publications but I’ll continue to share as more comes available.

Publications

I had several new publications that came out at the end of March.

My “3 Quail Haiku” were published in COOP the duck, duck, goose edition. COOP is a digital zine that normally publishes writing solely about chickens (because, why not!). However, this edition focused on chicken friends. I thought this would be a fun opportunity to write about quail because they are super cute and I’ve always liked the way they run, little plume bopping on their heads. I did some research on a few different types of quail which was fun. Shout out to “14 Types of Quail” by Chinny Verana for the helpful information so I could accurately research quail for the poems. You can read this zine for free online here!

I also had my poem “What’s All The Fuss” published in Issue #1 of Unfold Magazine. Unfold is a new zine focused on self-expression. The theme for this first issue was love and I submitted a poem about motherhood and parenting. I wrote this poem as part of a chapbook writing competition. We had 72 hours to write an entire chapbook on the theme “Human Animals”. I didn’t place, unfortunately, but I had a collection of poems that I could start sending out for publication. The theme for my chapbook was children’s literature and each poem was inspired by a children’s book, most I read as a kid myself or read to my kids now. “What’s All The Fuss” is about the book Owl Babies byMartin Waddell but I wanted to put it in the perspective of an exhausted mother owl returning home from the hunt. You can order a physical copy of the zine on Ko-fi.

I also got to attend a free workshop via Brick Street Poetry and learned how to write sijo, a form of poetry from Korean. Shout out to Lucy Park from Sejong Cultural Society for teaching us about Korean culture, poetry, and writing. I have a new poetry form to play with and try out!

Release Day! Limestone Versified Out Now!

Happy National Poetry Month Everyone!

Today is the release day for my third poetry book release! Limestone Versified: Indiana Haiku and Other Poetry is now live in both digital and print formats. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read the book for FREE.

This poetry collection is mostly haiku with a bit of free verse poems and explores that diverse landscape of my home state of Indiana. From the southern limestone valleys to the sandy dune beaches up north, readers will explore the real parks and natural wonders that Indiana has to offer. Each poem as a geo-location marker, allowing readers to travel to the places that inspired each verse or inspire readers to go on a travel adventure of their own.

I want to thank everyone who supported this release: those who helped with editing, bought pre-orders, shared, or just have followed along for the journey. Thank you.

Click here for purchase or read!

Poem Published in Muse Journal, Nigeria

My poem “Free Ranging” was published in The Muse Journal, No 51 earlier this month. This poem was inspired by something that really happened to a friend I had in college. I got my digital copy from the editor-in-chief, Uchenna Edwin Eze, today. They released the journal at the Literary Arts Festival of the English and Literary Studies Department at University of Nigeria. The college is located in Nsukka, Nigeria and is my first publication in the country and on the continent of Africa!

The edition is filled with amazing poetry, short fiction, non-fiction, plays, and critical analysis. I added some books from some fellow contributors to my To-Read list on Goodreads. Lately, I’ve been trying to read and support fellow contributors.

The journal will be posted online later via The Muse Journal website, which I will share once it’s pushed out. But in the meantime, enjoy the cover art!

publication, Workshop, New Merch

My little writing world continues to stay busy this spring with lots of new updates!

Today I have three poems out in Hues of Spring: A Festival of Colour by Nyra Publishers. Nyra Publishers is based out of India and created this anthology to celebrate the holiday of Holi and the various colors as spring finally begins to appear. The cover is gorgeous and Nyra also offers royalties to writers which is amazing to see. You can get a digital copy on Amazon!

This evening I am holding a FREE poetry publishing workshop at Poets Laureate of Lawrence. I’ll be guiding you through the process of publishing and leaving you with confidence in sending your work out into the world. Come one, come all!

In less than a week, my latest poetry book is releasing! In celebration for my April 1st launch, I have a sale going on at my pop-up merch store. I have added new designs and new merch, so check it out and get yourself some writer swag!

Reading and Banner for Hidden Sun

Last night I had the honor of reading my haiku as part of The Hidden Sun program at DePauw University. I was joined by other poets and musicians which created a beautiful experience to celebrate the upcoming solar eclipse! Poets read their haiku while the musicians performed improv, giving their live reactions to each haiku after it was read.

My haiku was also printed and posted on a banner around Greencastle square which was so exciting! It is amazing to be able to be a part of this public art project and to be able to bring together so many different kinds of art. I was honored to be included and got to meet so many other artists! Check out my photos below!

Cover Reveal! ARC Reader Call

Yesterday I revealed the cover for my latest collection Limestone Versified: Indiana Haiku and Other Poems.

Digital pre-orders are live now! Print orders available on launch day April 1st!

The cover was created using a photo from cottonbro studio who has a huge collection of free use photography of natural and human elements. I greatly appreciate artists sharing open source materials with the creative community! I picked this photo due to it showcasing limestone, a renowned building material quarried in Indiana and often used in several of our important buildings. Limestone valleys are often common to see when hiking in southern Indiana, usually covered with moss and loose tree roots. Their sight often makes me think about Indiana’s creation from glacial movement and how that has created the diverse landscape the state has to offer.

I am looking for ARC readers, so if interested please reach out via my Contact Me page or DM on Instagram.

I’m looking forward to the eclipse reading next week at DePauw and have been working on several edits for several publications behind the scenes. I also submitted a flurry of literary magazines to Poets & Writers for them to add more to their database.

I have some merch I’ll be sharing as the launch day comes closer! This year seems like it’s already going by so quickly!