EMILY is here!

It’s been quiet in these parts, I know, I know. I’ve been up to my elbows in freelance work and poems. And I’ve mostly been functioning on coffee and guacamole. But somehow, in the chaos of the past few months, I managed to write a few poems to send to Porkbelly Press‘ EMILY anthology. Destroying the Western Cannon as usual, I went through some of Emily Dickinson’s letters and erasured them into new poems. Lo and behold, Team Porkbelly dug my work, and I’m appearing in this anthology that celebrates her life and her achievements. Ms. Emily D. might not have seen erasure before, but I’d like to think she’d approve of this work. And of the many wonderful works that appear in EMILY.

Porkbelly Press, February 2015.

In case a couple of poems from yours truly aren’t enough for your hard-earned $8.50, there’s also work by the following wonderful writers and artists in this LIMITED EDITION (like only 125 ever) anthology:

Natasha Arora, Sarah Feldman, Laura Garrison, Karen George, Sonja Johanson, Sarah Nichols, Jeremy Pataky, Nicole Tong, Robin Turner, Loretta Diane Walker, Hilda Weaver, & Laura Madeline Wiseman.

Emily Dickinson.

I know, I know! Such a dream team! I am honored to be here alongside these fabulous creators, and when I saw so many familiar names I was beyond thrilled. You should be, too. I mean, seriously. This is going to be a treat. Way to go, Porkbelly! (Here’s some more info from the PP site.)

Some of you may know that my not-so-secret, real-on-my-birth-certificate name is Emily. And I’ve written before about the magic moment that was finding a hardcover of Emily D.’s Collected Poems on the bargain table at a South Portland book store. How I used to read her poems to myself and pretend I was named after her. (Sorry, everyone I lied to in second grade). So this is quite a full-circle moment for me.

I’m hoping that I can take it even more full circle. I did buy a broken-down version of Emily Dickinson’s Collected Poems and a bunch of white-out and sharpies. With a little luck, I might be able to keep destroying the Western Cannon. Or, you know, making art. With Emily. For Emily.

And I’m also hoping that y’all will go check out Porkbelly Press, and buy yourself an EMILY. And maybe some other poetry books and zines, too. Because, damn, if they don’t make beautiful books! (I may be binging on Porkbelly products in the near future…)