Season of poets

So, Barbara Jane Reyes is ranting over at Poeta En San Francisco about the usual things we face as Asian American poets, followed up by the aside that she's getting married next month, to which we at OTOSOTE say a happy congratulations, but we're too broke (being poets, after all) to fly out there for the occasion. :(

Still, we know she'll have fun! As long as BJR doesn't turn into Bridezilla or something. Or faces the peril of Groomzilla, a less-mentioned but no less a terrifying entity to behold.

Just got a note a few moments ago that one of the journals my work was going to appear in just went belly-up, a common hazard of the industry, although I have to admit in the age of online journals, that always causes me to scratch my head just a little bit.

BJR is making a note of the whole contest and submission fee business, a classic topic for kvetching if there ever was one.

Personally, at this point, I've largely restricted my submitting to a handful of competitions, notably the Tupelo Press Dorset Prize, which, at $10,000 really raised the bar for most other competitions, who typically only offer $1,000 and publication. There are a few others that also grab my attention as well, such as the New Rivers Press competition that also brought to print the work of Ed Bok Lee, a great local Midwestern Asian American poet, playwright, all-around good guy.

The New Rivers Press competition is somewhat geographically restricted, but if you live in the eligible area, it's a good one to consider. But I'm going to make you fine you own dang link to it. :P

On the plus side, although I'm not going to speak out of hand on the matter, I am excited to hear that certain previously defunct magazines and presses are preparing for that rarest of things, an actual, phoenix-like comeback. Hopefully a longer-lasting comeback than Yolk Magazine. But I'm going to hold my tongue on the matter until I see it, lest I spoil the whole thing.

One area where I find myself rather disappointed is that I've got my google news feed set to bring in stories about Asian American poets and poetry, but it almost never brings in anything relevant back.

I know far too many Asian American poets who self-identify as Asian American poets to say the lack of news stories is because there aren't any of us, but I'm going to be disappointed if the dearth is due to people thinking Asian American poets and poems just aren't newsworthy on a regular day.

For those of you who are living out in the Midwest:
www.mnsu.edu/cultdiv/aaa/apac/ is the official website for the 2nd Annual Asian Pacific American Conference at Minnestoa State University, and I'll be doing a ton of fun workshops out there including:

Why Are We Here: Explaining The Hmong and Lao Experience As Student Organizers.
1 Hour w/ Q&A and Multimedia presentation

Writing For Asian America
1 to 2 Hours w/ Q& A and Multimedia presentation

Communicating For Change In Minnesota. Asian Style.
1 Hour w/ Q& A and Multimedia presentation

and:
Your Future Up In Smoke
1 Hour w/ Q& A and Multimedia presentation

It's going to be fun. Hope you can make it!