http://www.lauriejunkins.com the poetry blog of Laurie Junkins Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:31:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en President-Elect Barack Obama has chosen poet Elizabeth Alexander to read at his inaguration.  Some of us have been waiting on pins and needles to see who he would pick. Full article here, with lots of interesting quotes by other poets on the subject.  I think Rita Dove said it best: "So ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/12/inaugural-poet/ I promised a full recap of the Big Day of the Poets Forum in New York, and yet here we are, two weeks later, and no recap.  I blame the sinus infection and bronchitis.  Antibiotics are my friend, though, and I'm almost feeling human again. Of course, now a lot of ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/11/old-favorites-and-new-discoveries/ Kim Addonizio recently wrote a How To Succeed In Po-Biz letter, which was posted on Poetry Daily last week.  I found it very amusing, if cynical, because of course it hit home.  Po-biz is a hard, hard road.  Why would anyone choose to be a poet?  Seriously.  What am I ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/11/its-so-funny-i-might-cry/ Last night I took the train into the city to attend the Poets Forum reading put on by the Academy of American Poets.  It was the kickoff event for their big poetry weekend in NYC (most of which I'll be attending and will report on here.)  They had all the ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/11/wherein-robert-pinsky-uses-my-lucky-pen/ There is NO EXCUSE for not voting.  This is the most important election of our lifetimes.  Please, please, please vote today.  Take someone with you so they can vote too.  Wait in line for as long as it takes.  Call in sick to work if you must.  But vote. I'd love ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/11/time-to-vote-yall/ Every time I post here, I feel like I should apologize for not posting in so long.  But most of the time, if I'm not posting, I'm writing and/or submitting and/or reading, so it's all for the cause.  Besides, is anyone actually reading this?  I didn't think so.  (Ha.) Anyway, since ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/10/not-dead-just-writing/ Today I was reading on the message boards for my MFA alma mater that it might be a good idea to have a Facebook page for the purposes of publicizing yourself in the literary community.  I agree to an extent.  I mean, I do have literary contacts as "friends" on ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/10/the-more-literary-goodness-out-there-the-better/ Yesterday I got my Fall/Winter 2008 copy of Nimrod in the mail, all glossy-covered, thick, smelling of paper and ink.  You know what I'm talking about.  Glorious.  It was even more glorious because it was the awards issue, where I expected to see my poem "Upon Cutting My Thumb While ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/09/lesson-learned/ Last night I attended the last of four Red Hen Press readings in New York, and it was outstanding.  (I went to the first reading as well--Friday night at KGB Bar--which was also wonderful.)  Being relatively new in town, I hadn't yet been to the venue, The Cornelia Street Cafe, ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/09/i-left-my-socks-in-new-york-city/ Thanks to my friend and fellow poet Linda Dove for sending me this link: National Endowment For the Arts Funds Construction of $1.3 Billion Poem My favorite bit:  "If the planners can secure an additional $6.2 million in funding, they may affix a long dash to the end of line three, though ... http://www.lauriejunkins.com/2008/09/the-onion-oh-how-it-makes-me-laugh/