Shepherding an elderly parent through illness and death is a stark, unglamorous journey that demands clear vision and directness, and (especially if you’re a Jewish New Yorker) a fair amount of gallows humor. These qualities abound in Lesléa Newman’s latest poetry collection, I Wish My Father (Headmistress Press, 2021). Dedicated to Edward Newman (1927-2017), a
Lesléa Newman’s “I Wish My Father” Is a Tragicomic Elegy Read More »
As February is Black History Month, let’s start our links roundup with a nod to 20th-century African-American historian Edgar Toppin (1928-2004), who persuaded President Ford to institute this official commemoration in 1976. Never heard of him? Well, that shows why we need to teach more Black history! I discovered his story at the progressive politics
February Links Roundup: Exorcising America Read More »
Your humble transmasculine fashion influencer has had an intense year. As have we all. Greatest accomplishment: Staying alive. Other greatest accomplishment: Finished a draft of Origin Story, my second novel about butts and sadness. Currently writing: Poems about dinosaur masturbation and vat-grown human flesh steaks for my third collection in progress, Made Man. Soundtrack of my
Reiter’s Block Year in Review: 2020 Read More »
Thanks for your patience, readers. The link farm harvest is a bit late this month because I’ve been front-loading my Winning Writers work in anticipation of another school shutdown. The Young Master and I expect to spend the winter making art and lighting fires. Over a decade ago, when I was deep into Gay-or-Christian angst,
November Links Roundup: Testify to Love Read More »
First, let me just say: BIDEN/HARRIS: WE DID IT! During the darkest moments of Election Week 2020, I spent a lot of time in the graveyard across the street from my house, invoking the ancestors. Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali (1949-2001) is buried there. These delightful reminiscences from poet Steven Cordova on the Lambda Literary
Poem: “Strap-On Ghazal” Read More »
An Election Day poem by my book marketing guru, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the Frugal Book Promoter series. Also check out her human rights themed poetry collection Imperfect Echoes with cover art by Richard C. Jackson, known to readers of this blog as Conway. (He is still waiting for a hearing on his early release
Election Day Poetry by Carolyn Howard-Johnson: “We Will…” Read More »
Extra good stuff from the Internet this month. Fantasy/horror novelist Seanan McGuire (Middlegame) and illustrator Lee Moyer teamed up this spring to create the Small Gods Series. By turns whimsical, comforting, and pleasantly sinister, these short posts are encyclopedia entries about the minor spirits that might be watching out for us. Worried about offending an
October Bonus Links: Small Gods Read More »
This poem of mine was first published in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. 5, and reprinted at Flowers & Vortexes Online this month. I wrote it during 30 Poems in November 2019, the annual fundraiser for the immigrant literacy and job-training organization The Center for New Americans. Sponsor me again this year! Self-Portrait as Pastry Box
My Poem at Flowers & Vortexes Online: “Self-Portrait as Pastry Box” Read More »
I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed for Episode #10 of Joshua Corwin’s poetry podcast Assiduous Dust. As Josh does with all his guests, we produced an “On-the-Spot Collaborative Poem”, a format that he invented, which is generated by taking turns sharing phrases from found texts. He’s kindly allowed me to share our freestyle
On-the-Spot Collaborative Poem with Joshua Corwin Read More »
Hey, it’s time for another round of “Jendi discovers the obvious!” I have a hard time recognizing hypocrisy. Until, and even after, reality slaps me in the face, I assume that everyone is trying to live up to their publicly stated ideals. To be fair, that’s the premise behind most liberal political satire, too. We
September Links Roundup: The Rules Never Applied Read More »