Falling off the Empire State Building, Part 1

Falling off the Empire State Building, Part 1

My chapbook of poems called Falling off the Empire State Building was one of three winners of the Rattle Chapbook Contest for 2019. We were selected out of 1,404 chapbook entries. That is a huge number of entries to be selected from. The three chapbook winners will be mailed free to all 7,000 Rattle subscribers. Mine will be the last one mailed in March 2020. We also receive a $2,000 prize. It is such a humbling experience.

It is hard to imagine so many strangers reading my poems. Paperback books with my name on it will be passed around across the United States and parts of the world. It is very hard to fathom. I cannot help but wonder what will be said on social media. I think it will be positive because the poems are accessible for the most part and relate to experiences many will recognize.

Here is a link to the post of the three winners:

https://www.rattle.com/chapbooks/c201...

I definitely have to stay alive until next March. What a thrill it will be to go to the mailbox and get a copy. I also wonder what the cover will look like. I am sure I will be happy with whatever the artist comes up with. I will also receive 500 copies to sell at readings. I hope to continue to do many readings in the next few years.