Don't wake a swarm of bees beneath me

[sovay]

My poems "Acceptable Documentation" and "ἄρκτος ἦ Βραυρωνίοις" have been accepted by Sycorax Journal. This is a new market and I'm honored to be part of its inaugural issue. Both are political poems; the former was written out of a nightmare and the latter is not an accurate rendition of the cult of Artemis Brauronia.

I forgot to mention that on my way to the NYTF yesterday, I asked the total stranger sitting next to me on the downtown 1 train for directions since the ones I had written out for myself turned out to use street intersections rather than station names and not only did he give me his best guess at the station, he passed me his phone when service resumed and said that if I typed in the address, he'd double-check it for me. His phone was in Polish; he had a perceptible accent; after I thanked him for his help (which got me to the stop I had wanted, Rector Street) he said diffidently, "Us immigrants should stick together." I have no idea if that was a non-native New Yorker joke or points back to the way people in my childhood always used to ask where I was really from, but it was warming and thematically apropos with the rest of the afternoon.

This is a very good article about Jean-Paul Sartre, Lloyd Alexander, and Prydain. Now I want its author to write about the Westmark trilogy.

I have a gonging headache from the weather and did not sleep as much as I had hoped and just ran a mercilessly cardio game of tag with my five-year-old niece, but I am still happy.

Comments

[yhlee]

Yay poetry!

[sovay]

Yay poetry!

Thank you!

[gwynnega]

Congratulations on the poem sales!

[sovay]

Congratulations on the poem sales!

Thank you!

[rosefox]

This is a very good article about Jean-Paul Sartre, Lloyd Alexander, and Prydain. Now I want its author to write about the Westmark trilogy.

READERCON PANEL IDEA KLAXON

[sovay]

READERCON PANEL IDEA KLAXON

I APPROVE OF THIS KLAXON

[selkie]

Oh, it was unclear from the torture arena email that you had sold my poem! How lovely.

[sovay]

How lovely.

Thank you! Would you like a dedication?

[selkie]

*adorable seal lashes*

Yes, please and thanks!

[sovay]

Yes, please and thanks!

Done! Writer name or actual name?

[selkie]

Either writer name, or just Selkie will do nicely, as you prefer. I am so attached to it I almost-don't want Writer Name, but that isn't a very rational... thought thingy.

[sovay]

I am so attached to it I almost-don't want Writer Name, but that isn't a very rational... thought thingy.

I have asked for Selkie. You can always link it from your Twitter when it goes live, which will make the dedication obvious.

[selkie]

Many hours later, I recalled that the phrase I wanted was thought process, so I would like my intellect points to balance my aphasia points once again, but mostly, thank you. It really is a sneakily brutal poem and perfect in its moment and I love it and now it has a HOME.

[asakiyume]

That Lloyd Alexander article was good.

And let's hear it for the generosity of strangers--and congratulations on the poetry acceptances!

[sovay]

That Lloyd Alexander article was good.

I don't see a lot of critical study of Alexander that isn't fan-based. I really think there should be more. He deserves it.

And let's hear it for the generosity of strangers--and congratulations on the poetry acceptances!

Thank you!

I like good interactions with strangers. They make me feel the world is running properly, which is all the more important now.

[thisbluespirit]

Congratulations on the poems! I hope that the headache clears soon, though.

[sovay]

Congratulations on the poems! I hope that the headache clears soon, though.

Thank you!

[cmcmck]

The owner of our local Chinese restaurant has the distinctive West Midlands accent.

I once heard her being asked by an elderly couple where she came from and I treasure the reply (which was nothing more than accurate.

In that wonderful local accent she replied:

Lichfield. :o)

[sovay]

Lichfield.

Excellent.

[drwex]

That's a really cool random interaction story.

[sovay]

That's a really cool random interaction story.

It made me really happy.

[kore]

SONYA LOOK https://www.criterion.com/sale

(it's the sovay-signal, like the Bat-sign)

[sovay]

(it's the sovay-signal, like the Bat-sign)

Thank you! Hmm.

[kore]

I let myself get one (1) UNO because otherwise....anyway. I had to flip a coin between Belle et la Bete and Fire Walk with Me (FWWM won).

[thawrecka]

That article on Prydain and existentialism is fascinating.

[sovay]

That article on Prydain and existentialism is fascinating.

I knew Alexander had translated Sartre, but I had not thought about applying it to his written worlds, and I really like the results. The Chronicles of Prydain were formative for me.

[thawrecka]

They were formative for me, too! I suspect that every time I try to write a coming of age story I'm really trying to write something that speaks to the way Taran Wanderer spoke to me when I was growing up.