Got John Witte's The Hurtling (Orchises Press) in the mail today. John is the editor of the Northwest Review which took two of my very early poems. I submitted the same poems a number of times and he really worked with them. It takes me back to when those acceptance letters gave me a high for the whole month, made me want to call my mom to tell her my good news. Now I just tell her about my acceptances via blog. When The Man Suit (my first manuscript) gets picked up, boy--thats worth an immediate call.
Anyway, John Witte. The Hurtling looks promising. I've read the first section thus far and have gotten into it. It's the first I've read of him. It takes some adjustment, and I'm adjusting. I'll probably review this for Octopus #5. This reminds me: Octopus is open to review (and recovery project) suggestions anytime, any place (well, at editor@octopusmagazine.com). Send me your books to review. Or send me your reviews of books. Or send me your suggestions of reviews you might want to do. Or send me a tin of peanut butter cookies.
1 comment:
Zach,
I just bought that very book from Witte today. He's hocking them out of the NWR office. Actually, I asked if he would bring me one, since I didn't want to be bothered to go look for it in a bookstore. In any case, it's a gorgeous book, and it has Alcatraz on the cover, and "Flies" is one of my favorite contemporary poems of the past decade. It's beautiful.
I remember when we took your early poems, Zach. I filibustered the meeting (there was one editor who was unconvinced. I pummeled him into submission with my logical arguments for your lovely poems).
Good to know you, Pal.
BTW, John is going to AWP this year too. Maybe we can work a reading...
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