I’ve made it through the first five days of the 30/30 Project unscathed! I’m happy to say that so far, I’ve achieved my goal of sending in things I would consider ready for workshop. It’s a little stressful publishing things you know aren’t completely finished, but that’s how it goes when you’re operating with a quick turnaround time, and I’m not ashamed of any of my pieces. One of the poems has already found a place within my Curved Tongue, Forked Road manuscript.
I’m also humbled by the other poets participating. They’re all sweet, encouraging, and inspiring. Just a few months ago, I didn’t know any of them, and now I’m hoping we all stay in touch when January ends.
Inspirations for the first five days: the morning air, Kate Greenstreet, the (impending) anniversary of Reesa’s death, The Cartoon Guide to Physics, Wendy Barker’s “A Crack in the Cup” exercise (found in Wingbeats), Georgia A. Popff’s “Tales from the Bathroom” exercise (also found in Wingbeats), and memories of my first year in college.
One of the participating poets, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, hosts a radio show called Accents, and this week, she concluded by talking about the project, and reading a poem from each of us. I was honored when she read my Day 2 poem, “Your Ghost.” That was a tough one to put out, but also one that was very important for me to write. Click here to listen to the broadcast archive (the 30/30 project is discussed in the last 15 minutes).
So far, so good! I’m looking forward to the rest of the month. And if you can afford, please donate to Tupelo Press!