Victor D. Infante's Blog, page 172
January 29, 2012
A note About "Vintage"
We've had a small lineup change to my 40th birthday show, but thankfully, poetry-funk-rock-opera superhero Regie Gibson has stepped in to save the day! Here's the revised poster:
Join us at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Nick's Bar & Restaurant in Worcester, Mass., for an amazing night of poetry and music!
January 23, 2012
The "Dead To Me" List
I've been having a bit of fun lately in conversation exclaiming that "Such and Such Journal is DEAD TO ME!" And indeed, it's true. I've declared a number of journals "Dead to Me," and will no longer submit to them. But while it's fun to say, I feel I should explain: I'm no longer submitting to said journals because, after multiple rejections, it's simply become clear that my writing will not find a home there. It doesn't mean that the journals are bad or that their editors are horrible, evil people. Quite the contrary -- I still read those same journals, and count many of the editors involved as friends and friendly acquaintances.
It's just that my work and their needs will not intersect, and at a certain point, I realized that I was wasting a lot of energy trying to get something into those periodicals, rather than seeking out new venues.
And you know what? It's worked out pretty well, so far. I've found a few journals I was previously unfamiliar with, even gotten a couple acceptances already. So this is the new rule: No more wasting time. After a few rejections, it's time to move on, rather than beat metaphorical dead horses. It's nobody's fault. That's just the way it is, sometimes.
Now, this is not to say I'll never submit to those places again. Like I said, it's not personal, and there's no real grudge there. A change in editorial staff might prompt me to give it a try, and a solicitation, of course, would be a different matter. And funnily enough, upon deciding to go this route, I gave a few of the "Dead to Me" list candidates one last try, and actually got an acceptance from it, so maybe it's not a perfect tactic. But for the most part, it's best not to waste your time or there's when it's becoming clear that it ain't gonna happen. There are way too many good journals out there right now for that.
It's just that my work and their needs will not intersect, and at a certain point, I realized that I was wasting a lot of energy trying to get something into those periodicals, rather than seeking out new venues.
And you know what? It's worked out pretty well, so far. I've found a few journals I was previously unfamiliar with, even gotten a couple acceptances already. So this is the new rule: No more wasting time. After a few rejections, it's time to move on, rather than beat metaphorical dead horses. It's nobody's fault. That's just the way it is, sometimes.
Now, this is not to say I'll never submit to those places again. Like I said, it's not personal, and there's no real grudge there. A change in editorial staff might prompt me to give it a try, and a solicitation, of course, would be a different matter. And funnily enough, upon deciding to go this route, I gave a few of the "Dead to Me" list candidates one last try, and actually got an acceptance from it, so maybe it's not a perfect tactic. But for the most part, it's best not to waste your time or there's when it's becoming clear that it ain't gonna happen. There are way too many good journals out there right now for that.
January 21, 2012
Station Identification
Periodically, I post an update on which social networking sites I'm favoring, along with other Web-based odds and ends. Looks like it's that time again ...
VictorInfante.com remains the primary portal between my real life and various people seeking information about that. It also serves to confuse people looking for information on either the notorious international arms dealer Victor "The Jackal" Infante, or the recent Los Angeles homicide victim, neither of whom, to the best of my knowledge, are relatives. VictorInfante.com is in need of updating, but there's still plenty of information there about my poetry and other writing, along with a link to my blog on Livejournal. Which you're currently reading.
I still have presences on a number of social networking sites, and have even found things to do with most of them. My Facebook account is probably the most active, as I use that both to keep in touch with real-life friends and to promote my writing. My MySpace account is currently severely neglected, and I won't even link to it. (I have a ReverbNation account, but it's right now only used for work purpose.) I keep a LinkedIn account for strictly professional use, and I have to say, it's proven useful on occasion. I have a Twitter account and a Google Plus account, both of which are basically ghost repeaters for my various projects (and occasional other things that interest me.)
I'm the editor-in-chief of Radius: Poetry From the Center to the Edge , which you can follow on Facebook or Twitter. I'm also an editor in the Lifestyles section of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, where I oversee The Weekend Starts Now, the e-mail newsletter of arts & entertainment; the daily arts & entertainment blog Pop Culture Notebook , and write the weekly music column, What You're Listening To .
Lastly, I'm the author of the full-length poetry collection, City of Insomnia , which is available from Write Bloody Publishing, which you can follow on Facebook or Twitter to keep up on all the exciting independent literature coming from that direction. My work also appears in a number of Write Bloody anthologies, including Knocking at the Door: Poems For Approaching the Other , edited by Lea Deschenes and Lisa Sisler; The Last American Valentine: Poems to Seduce & Destroy , edited by Derrick Brown; Aim For the Head: An Anthology of Zombie Poetry , edited by Rob Sturma; and the forthcoming News Clips & Ego Trips: The Best of Next ... Magazine , edited by G. Murray Thomas; as well as anthologies from other publishers, including Incidental Buildings & Accidental Beauty : An Anthology of Orange County Poets , edited by Mifanwy Kaiser; So Luminous the Wildflowers: an Anthology of California Poets , edited by Paul Suntup; Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry , edited by Gary Glazner; Don't Blame the Ugly Mug: 10 Years of 2 Idiots Peddling Poetry , edited by Ben Trigg & Steve Ramirez; and Spoken Word Revolution Redux, edited by Mark Eleveld. All of the titles above are available wherever you buy books. We've come a long way from poetry being sold in brown paper bags, haven't we?
OK. That's enough. Now you know where to find me or, conversely, avoid me with impunity.
VictorInfante.com remains the primary portal between my real life and various people seeking information about that. It also serves to confuse people looking for information on either the notorious international arms dealer Victor "The Jackal" Infante, or the recent Los Angeles homicide victim, neither of whom, to the best of my knowledge, are relatives. VictorInfante.com is in need of updating, but there's still plenty of information there about my poetry and other writing, along with a link to my blog on Livejournal. Which you're currently reading.
I still have presences on a number of social networking sites, and have even found things to do with most of them. My Facebook account is probably the most active, as I use that both to keep in touch with real-life friends and to promote my writing. My MySpace account is currently severely neglected, and I won't even link to it. (I have a ReverbNation account, but it's right now only used for work purpose.) I keep a LinkedIn account for strictly professional use, and I have to say, it's proven useful on occasion. I have a Twitter account and a Google Plus account, both of which are basically ghost repeaters for my various projects (and occasional other things that interest me.)
I'm the editor-in-chief of Radius: Poetry From the Center to the Edge , which you can follow on Facebook or Twitter. I'm also an editor in the Lifestyles section of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, where I oversee The Weekend Starts Now, the e-mail newsletter of arts & entertainment; the daily arts & entertainment blog Pop Culture Notebook , and write the weekly music column, What You're Listening To .
Lastly, I'm the author of the full-length poetry collection, City of Insomnia , which is available from Write Bloody Publishing, which you can follow on Facebook or Twitter to keep up on all the exciting independent literature coming from that direction. My work also appears in a number of Write Bloody anthologies, including Knocking at the Door: Poems For Approaching the Other , edited by Lea Deschenes and Lisa Sisler; The Last American Valentine: Poems to Seduce & Destroy , edited by Derrick Brown; Aim For the Head: An Anthology of Zombie Poetry , edited by Rob Sturma; and the forthcoming News Clips & Ego Trips: The Best of Next ... Magazine , edited by G. Murray Thomas; as well as anthologies from other publishers, including Incidental Buildings & Accidental Beauty : An Anthology of Orange County Poets , edited by Mifanwy Kaiser; So Luminous the Wildflowers: an Anthology of California Poets , edited by Paul Suntup; Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry , edited by Gary Glazner; Don't Blame the Ugly Mug: 10 Years of 2 Idiots Peddling Poetry , edited by Ben Trigg & Steve Ramirez; and Spoken Word Revolution Redux, edited by Mark Eleveld. All of the titles above are available wherever you buy books. We've come a long way from poetry being sold in brown paper bags, haven't we?
OK. That's enough. Now you know where to find me or, conversely, avoid me with impunity.
January 17, 2012
Radius returns!
After a holiday hiatus,
Radius: Poetry From the Center to the Edge
is back for its second year! We're kicking off our "Volume Two" with my brief essay, "Preoccupied," and more importantly, a couple poems by Corrina Bain.
Hope you're coming along for the ride.
Hope you're coming along for the ride.
January 16, 2012
Radio Interview, Part Two
The second part of my interview with Joe Gouveia for WOMR's "Poet Corner" is now online. You can listen to both parts, along with a number of other interviews with an eclectic array of poets, here.
Joe interviewed me in October, after my reading at the Cape Cod Cultural Center. It was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy!
Joe interviewed me in October, after my reading at the Cape Cod Cultural Center. It was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy!
January 15, 2012
Victor in "The Collagist"
My longer poetic-prose piece "Boys' Own Stories" is out today in "The Collagist," from Dzanc Books, along with lots of other great stuff worth reading.
Terribly happy this one went to a good home .... Much thanks to editor Matt Bell and everyone at Dzanc, who do some exciting, ambitious work.
Terribly happy this one went to a good home .... Much thanks to editor Matt Bell and everyone at Dzanc, who do some exciting, ambitious work.
January 13, 2012
!!!OH MY GOD I'M IN THE NEW YORK TIMES!!!!
Ahem. Sorry. It's still novel. The New York Times' William Grimes has a great article about the Write Bloody zombie anthology,
Aim For the Head
: "What Rhymes With ‘Undead’? Some Poets Know." The article quotes editor Ron "Ratpack Slim" Sturma, as well as myself, Megan Thoma, Chad Anderson, Scott Woods, Brennan Bestwick, Ryan Mecum and Shappy Seasholtz!
HOLY KAMOLEY!!!!!
HOLY KAMOLEY!!!!!
January 12, 2012
Vintage: A Night of Poetry and Music Celebrating Victor D. Infante's 40th Birthday!
Well, winter decided to show up today, didn't it? I have to go out and shovel so I can get to work, but in the meantime, here's what I've got going on. First off, if you've not been following the MTV vs. Manchester's Slam Free or Die debacle, I wrote about it for the Telegram here and here. Also, in honor of David Bowie's 65th birthday, my column this week is on "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars."
And the big news ... I'm turning 40 next month! To celebrate, I've leaned on a few of my favorite poets and musicians from across the Northeast to put together a blow-out show at Nick's Bar & Restaurant, called "Vintage," and everyone's invited!
Vintage: A Night of Poetry and Music
Celebrating Poet, Journalist and Official Old Guy Victor D. Infante's 40th Birthday
Where: Nick's Bar & Restaurant, 124 Millbury Street, Worcester
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012
Featuring:Corrina Bain (genderqueer rockstar poet, Wormtown prodigal)Alex Charalambides (poet, hometown hero, person to watch)Cha-Cha Connor (chanteuse & punk/hip-hop revolutionary)Lea Deschenes (Write Bloody author, Scrabble shark)The Duende Project (poetry/music fusion by Tony Brown and Steve Cafaro)McKendy Fils-Aimes (New Hampshire poet prodigy)Sarah Sapienza (Worcester's slamanatrix and Asylum warden)Patricia Smith (Shortlisted for the National Book Award/Four-time National Poetry Slam Champ/personal hero)Speaker for the Dead (punk-edged folk music by Greg McKillop)Jade Sylvan (Boston poet/singer-songwriter/artist without borders)How much: No cover charge, but donations will be accepted to help throw money at the performers. Also: Yeah, it's a birthday, but NO GIFTS. Instead, please think about buying fine books or CDs from some of the amazing performers. Oh, and buy stuff from the bar. They make the best Manhattan in town. I'm just saying.
Like I said, I neither want nor need gifts. My gift is giving Worcester an amazing night of poetry and music. And it WILL be amazing. BE THERE!
And the big news ... I'm turning 40 next month! To celebrate, I've leaned on a few of my favorite poets and musicians from across the Northeast to put together a blow-out show at Nick's Bar & Restaurant, called "Vintage," and everyone's invited!
Vintage: A Night of Poetry and Music
Celebrating Poet, Journalist and Official Old Guy Victor D. Infante's 40th Birthday
Where: Nick's Bar & Restaurant, 124 Millbury Street, Worcester
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012
Featuring:Corrina Bain (genderqueer rockstar poet, Wormtown prodigal)Alex Charalambides (poet, hometown hero, person to watch)Cha-Cha Connor (chanteuse & punk/hip-hop revolutionary)Lea Deschenes (Write Bloody author, Scrabble shark)The Duende Project (poetry/music fusion by Tony Brown and Steve Cafaro)McKendy Fils-Aimes (New Hampshire poet prodigy)Sarah Sapienza (Worcester's slamanatrix and Asylum warden)Patricia Smith (Shortlisted for the National Book Award/Four-time National Poetry Slam Champ/personal hero)Speaker for the Dead (punk-edged folk music by Greg McKillop)Jade Sylvan (Boston poet/singer-songwriter/artist without borders)How much: No cover charge, but donations will be accepted to help throw money at the performers. Also: Yeah, it's a birthday, but NO GIFTS. Instead, please think about buying fine books or CDs from some of the amazing performers. Oh, and buy stuff from the bar. They make the best Manhattan in town. I'm just saying.
Like I said, I neither want nor need gifts. My gift is giving Worcester an amazing night of poetry and music. And it WILL be amazing. BE THERE!
January 10, 2012
That Ain't Workin'/That's the Way You Do It ...
I was pleased to see yesterday's Pop Culture Notebook, "Manchester poets don't want their MTV," is among the Telegram's most read stories today. If you've not read about Slam Free or Die's conflict with MTV over the characterization of the reading's Vote Free or Die political poetry reading -- which MTV initially characterized as a Ron Paul rally, before slightly amending their story -- I sincerely recommend it. I found it to be extremely illustrative about what happens when independent artists get involved with corporate media. It's not always a conflict, but it's the sort of thing you have to go into warily. I was terribly pleased yesterday to see the New England poetry community and the national slam community rally around Manchester co-hosts Mark Palos and Sam Teitel. The MTV debacle will pass, but that sort of love and support is hard-earned, well-deserved and, ultimately, what lasts out of messes such as these.
