M.A. Dubbs's Blog, page 6

Updates & PUBLICATIONS

I typically post one topic at a time when doing updates but there is so much going on (which is amazing!) that I can’t justify making that many posts and notifications!

First up, my poem “A Night with My Cryptids” is being produced by Recover Me. They are a non-for-profit that’s mission is to generate mental health awareness “By showcasing various narratives through the powerful medium of visual and performing arts”. My poem along other pieces will be performed on December 8th at Recover Me’s gala. If you are near the Los Angeles, California area please check it out. You can purchase tickets here. https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/event/2023/12/08/4th-annual-recover-me-mental-health-awareness-gala

Next, zerofeedback’s (a Japanese-Italian art publisher) attended the art book fair held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, Japan. Annihilation of Space and Time, which has my black out poem “Black Out Posterity” was among the books sold. This is my first publication in Japan!

Next, pre-order are available for Fright Night, an Indianapolis zine publisher. My poem “An Ode to Sammy Terry” will be included in the mix. I check out proof reviews yesterday and it looks SO good!

My hybrid visual-written piece “Greetings from the Therapy Office” is being published in the anthology Letters I’ll Never Send” and contributor copies are on their way! Curated and edited by Jackie Bluu, she is holding a launch party in Brooklyn, New York on December 15th. Tickets can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-mic-book-launch-letters-ill-never-send-tickets-739798466127?aff=oddtdtcreator

My Spanglish haiku “Champurrado” and “Second Generation Garden” are being published with The Bayou Review, a University of Houston-Downtown publication. They are having a virtual launch party on November 30th.

Last but not least, my poem “Moving Up in America” was published in Growing Pains: Texte über das Erwachsenwerden. This is a German-English anthology of writings of the experience of growing up. This is my first publication in Austria with Danzin & unfried publisher. You can buy a copy on Amazon, soon to be other online shops as well.

Hoo! That was a lot! I’m so happy that so much is happening for me in the literary world! I’ll post more updates once contributor copies come in, too!

Black Out Poem with Zerofeedback

My black out poem “Black Out Posterity” was published with art collective and publisher zerofeedback, located out of Tokyo, Japan. The theme for this collection is “The Annihilation of Space and Time” and contains photography, art, and other creative works around these concepts. I chose Albert Einstein’s Time Capsule Letter for the 1939 World Fair as my found piece. Who better to capture these concepts besides the legend himself? His letter serves as a warning for future generations but overall is hopeful while I used blackout structure to focus on the nihilist cycle of human suffering (I’m a bit of a downer in this one!).

The collection is quite the hefty book with 272 pages! You can purchase a copy here: https://zrfdbck.com/The-Annihilation-Space-and-Time

All of the published pieces will be displayed in a gallery in Tokyo, Japan. More details to come!

Poem in Porridge Magazine

Today my poem “A Tamalada” was released with Porridge Magazine as part of their Comfort Foods feature. Comfort Foods focuses on creative writing all around food and culture. This poem was inspired earlier this year after I hosted my first Tamalada for my family. For those unfamiliar, a Tamalada is basically a party where you make and eat tamales. It was a great day to pass on family recipes and introduce the youngest generation to our native Mexican traditions. You can read the poem (and check out other great writing!) here: https://porridgemagazine.com/2023/10/21/comfort-foods-a-tamalada-by-m-a-dubbs/

I also just got back from A Día de Muertos celebration at my local Native American museum. I ate some pan de muerto, got to see some beautiful ofrendas, listened to mariachi music, watched a Catrinas parade, and ate some al pastor tacos. Tell me that’s not a great day!

I was talking to my husband on the way home how important these celebrations are. I’m a long way from Mexico but even in Indiana I can celebrate my cultural heritage and share it with my kids!

Shortlist Kinship Poetry Competition

Today Renard Press announced the Shortlist for the Kinship Poetry Anthology Competition. My poem “Here’s To Us Spanglish Kids” made the cut! It was first long listed among 101 other poems and now is among 50 other poems. All shortlist poems will be printed in the Kinship Anthology and receive a free copy. 1st and 2nd place will be announced at the online launch party later this month.

LongList for Kinship Competition

The Longlist for Renard Press Kinship Poetry Competition’s went live this afternoon and I was delighted to learn my poem “Here’s to Us Spanglish Kids” made the cut!

This poem is a rally and reminder to those who are trying to reconnect with their culture, background, and language. I’ve been writing so much about this topic recently and it is cathartic to put it out there. I was raised and identify with the label of “mix” and often felt between two different worlds growing up. My dad’s side of the family was a typical white American family (which I love!) but my mom’s side of the family was Hispanic, my grandfather immigrating from Mexico when he was a teen. My family were proud Mexican-Americans!

It was difficult finding a balance, particularly once I moved as a pre-teen to a less diverse area. I was proud to share my heritage with my new classmates but was often met with people questioning my authenticity (due to my skin color/hair and not being Spanish fluent) or racism (I won’t even go into detail at the jokes people would make). I felt like I had to defend myself and my family.

Most of all, I began questioning whether they were right. Could I really be Mexican-American when I was blonde and white? Most of my Mexican-American family had dark brown hair and eyes with a darker hue. I felt left out and like I was a fraud. I remember initially not selecting “Hispanic” on my college applications and my mom being so disappointed. I was signed up for Hispanic Club at college but I was too scared to ever go. Too scared to be told “I think you’re in the wrong room.”

It was full on identity crisis. I constantly questioned: Who am I? What am I? I never felt “enough” to fit into either world. The feeling inside it all: shame.

I’ve learned, with time, to accept who I am. I make attempts to reclaim my heritage through traditional family recipes, crafting my ofrenda, listening to my grandpa’s stories of Mexico, researching my genealogy, and practicing my Spanglish.

I’ve realized that it’s not just bloodlines that define you but your culture you were raised and loved in. I am enough.

Hispanic Heritage Month starts in a few days, but there’s no better way to kick it off than with this post. I hope you celebrate yourself. Celebrate your culture, heritage, language, and all your other in-betweens. You’re enough and always have been.

La libertad está en ser dueños de nuestra vida

2 Zines Out Today

Two new zines hot off the presses! Save the Axolotl was made at the pleading of my kids.Being their favorite critter, they were distraught to learn axolotls are critically endangered and told me to do something about it. Well, this is my doing something! Filled with axolotl facts and info about how to help and donate to MOJA.

In a totally different direction, >Greentext, Food Poisoning, & Calculus is a non-fiction zine humorously detailing me trying to pass my Calculus class freshman year of college.

Both zines are available on itch.io and Ko-fi. Pay what you can (and that includes free). Links below:

https://madubbs.itch.io/save-the-axolotl

https://madubbs.itch.io/greentext-food-poisoning-calculus-zine

https://ko-fi.com/madubbs

The Sunshine Lounge Reading + Music

Today was the release of “Color to my Landscape with M. A. Dubbs” with The Sunshine Lounge! The Sunshine Lounge is “The Show that Feels Like a Warm Blanket” or a podcast on Spotify and intertwines poetry with fitting, themed music. Cara (they/them) reads my poems “Nature abhors a vacuum”, “Verse for the Forager”, “Little Eagle Creek in Seasons”, “In These Black Hills You Need More Than Gold”, and “Blue Collar Fishing Trip” and mixes them with indie pop and folk music. Is there anything better than discovering new music?

I greatly appreciate Cara’s dedication and gentleness with my work and the final product is incredible. They did a great job capturing the Midwestern/Americana of the poems. Take a listen for yourself!

Spotify with reading and musicYoutube playlist for full songs

Interested in submitting your own writing, check out the podcast website here (please note this is a Google Site): https://sites.google.com/view/caramorganpoet/podcast?authuser=3 or follow them on Instagram @thesunshineloungefm

Reading at Grand Opening of fort Ben Library

This Saturday I had the great pleasure of reading my poem “A Star Party in the Heartland” for the Grand Opening of the Fort Ben Library. The library is the latest to open in the Indianapolis area. I read with Poets Laureate of Lawrence and we even had a group photo which was a wonderful treat! The opening also had face painting and animal encounters (which my kids loved). Following the poetry reading was Ballet Folklorico Mosaicos (traditional Mexican dance) who were incredible!

A Flame Called Indiana Released

I am excited to announce that the collection A Flame Called Indiana: An Anthology of Contemporary Hoosier Writing was released! Edited by Doug Case and published with Indiana University Press, the collection contains poetry, fiction, and non-fiction from Indiana writers from all over and all walks of life. I am proud that one of my poems “Little Eagle Creek In Seasons” is in this anthology and is included along esteemed Hoosier writers.

The book can be purchased through IU Press, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or other online book retailers. The book is also making its way to local libraries as well.

I was quite tickled to learn from Doug that the anthology will be taught in a couple writing classes at IU Bloomington. It’s a full circle process going from required reading as a student to becoming require reading as an author.

Reading with Poets Laureate of Lawrence

This past Tuesday I had the privilege of reading at Poets Laureate of Lawrence! The group is based out of Theater on the Fort and was started by poetess Liza Hyatt ten years ago and is now helmed by poetess Joyce Eggleston. I read from my chapbook An American Mujer (Bottlecap Press, 2022), followed by a signing and open-mic poetry reading. I had a great time and even had time to bake traditional polvorones (Mexican sprinkle cookies) to share. Thanks to all came out to support local writing!