I've been screening for several contests and I've noticed many people using and misusing section breaks. So I will provide you with visual examples of some of the things I've seen and a minor rant.

***

This is a section break:  stuff || stuff

And sometimes there's this--a section break followed by a longish poem, and then another section break, which, visually, looks like this:

stuff||longish poem||stuff

Sometimes there are no section breaks: stuffinonelongsequence.

Sometimes there are multiple section breaks: stuff||stuff||stuff||stuff||stuff||stuff

Do what you want with a section break, just make sure your readers are crossing those breaks with you.

People are using section breaks to put away disparate material. This is fine, however I must say this--don't sprinkle poop on the ice cream.

A book manuscript is an organism. It moves. It grows. It has a personality. When you put material that just doesn't fit, you're doing a disservice to the other material.

***

My long poem class had the opportunity to speak with Allison Benis White, and they were stunned by her process. She basically put the manuscript together by adding poems and then re-reading the manuscript with each new addition. So, for example, she put "From Degas' Sketchbook" and "Waiting" and read the two together. Then she added "The Bellelli Family," and, from the beginning, read through the whole manuscript together. Then "Seated Dancer, Head in Hands." Then "Absinthe." Etc.. That's a hell of a process.

What I'm finding is that lots of these manuscripts have very excellent poems, but the sectional breaks in the collections as a whole are not intuitive. The tonal qualities of the "stuff" in one section doesn't match the other "stuff." Or the tonal qualities of the "stuff" in one section doesn't offer a bridge, a transition, movement, clarity, etc.. There's no evolution occurring in the breaks between sections. No inertia.

***

Okay. I'm done complaining.

***

Students in my long poem class are doing some amazing things for their final performances. One student created a reticulated image to represent his work. Another created a sculpture. And still, another did a swing dance.

So . . . wow.

***

For those of you who've inquired about the anthology, we're still reading through the submissions. We got submissions from almost 300 poets. That's a lot of poets and a lot of poems.

***

Current Spin:

Here by Jay Robinson: Review of Requiem for the Orchard

So I wound up missing the Midlake concert. After the first venue closed due to unpaid tax issues, I chose not to head to town on a rainy evening to look for the new venue. I ate the $13, and I felt okay about it.

Instead, I caught up with all my grading, which is far more important at this time of the year. Now, had the concert been on a Friday night instead of a Sunday night, I definitely would have gone.

Ah well . . . that's adulthood for you. Hard choices have to be made.

While I graded I also did not listen to Midlake. I didn't want to torture myself . . . so I listened to NPR instead.

***

Check out Kundiman's new website: http://www.kundiman.org/.

It's who we are and what we do. I love the community stuff on there, too. Come on in and join the discussion.

***

I had this crazy idea while driving to work today--since I'm a big college hoops fan, I thought, wouldn't it be cool to get a whole bunch of like-minded poets to participate in an NCAA Bracket, where the stakes were copies of each entrant's books? If you already had some of their books, you could always donate them to a literary organization or some kind of foundation, but wouldn't it be fun?

***

I'm already out of copies of Requiem for the Orchard. I gave a copy to Aimee and Jon, I gave one to my parents, I traded one copy for another book, and then I sold the rest. I ordered 30 more copies, and hopefully they come soon. Lots of my family members want free copies. Egad. I don't even get free copies, people.

***

Current Spin:

RIP Mark Linkous--I'm tired of poets and musicians taking their own lives. The world needs more music and more art.

So there was a dinner conversation when I visited PittState that entailed what one could claim on their taxes.

Here are the things that went up for debate:

Clothing--Can you claim it? The answer is yes, but the clothes must be expressly used for work. My thinking, this is a risky claim unless you can establish that the suit you bought and claimed on your taxes will only be used at work. My guess--this tax exemption is primarily for military personnel, emergency workers, law enforcement, etc..

Contest Fees--Can you claim them?  The answer is yes. They are professional expenses. I do wish there were better ways of keeping receipts for these other than cancelled checks and non-winning notifications, though.

Subscriptions--Can you claim them?  The answer is yes. They are professional expenses. They can also be construed as donations to non-profits, depending on the type of journal.

Other things to claim that people forget--Computer purchases, printer purchases, anything that has to do with writing, postage, shipping expenses.

Gas is tricky. You can't claim fuel costs if you drive your car to and from work, but you can claim fuel when going to reading engagements.

Sorry to bore you, but I just got my tax refund and I have an excellent accountant--whose expenses, by the way, I can write off on my taxes.

***

My reading trip to Los Angeles is shaping up.

I've got a reading at the Cobalt Cafe on April 27th, at 9PM.

A reading on the campus of Cal State Fullerton on April 28th, at 1PM.

A reading for the Third Area Reading Series on April 29th at 7PM.

And there's one other event I'm working on with Ching-In and Neil Aitken, Kundiman alumni.

More on the other event as I gather information.

***

I've been reading a lot of submissions for the persona anthology I'm co-editing with Stacey.

Trends--a lot of mythological personas and a lot of Civil War personas. This is just from the sample that I've read and I should be reading more right now, but instead I'm blogging.

***

This is the last high-prep week of the academic quarter. Next week will consist of presentations and conferences. I'm ready to move on to the next bit of teaching. Trying to assist students with long poems is quite taxing. There's a lot of reading and back reading--I'd teach it again, but not for awhile.

***

Current Spin:

I've got tickets to see them Sunday at the Nightlight Lounge. Should be subdued.

I've been getting asked about my writing process a lot these days--at readings, via e-mails, from friends and colleagues. I always have to tell people that my process is weird and I stress to them that they shouldn't do what I do.

So basically, here's my process--I don't write for eleven months, and then for one month I read and write frenetically. Again, don't do what I do.

I used to write every day.

I used to write long hand in a journal.

I used to have lots of time to read.

Now--I compose using the word processor.

I don't write many drafts.

I don't save any drafts.

I edit as I write.

I listen to music as I write.

I try to write the poem in about an hour, though often I sit at my desk writing for upwards of three hours.

I'm part of a writers' group, so the knowledge that others are writing elsewhere spurs me on.

I often have multiple books and magazines open while I'm writing and listening to music.

It's a crazy process, but it has worked for me for the past five years.

***

I had to buy pens with acid-free ink. U. of Akron decided to produce hard back copies of the book and so I have to sign 125 special edition copies and place a very cool holographic sticker in each book.

I'm a sucker for special pens, so I bought six--five black and one red.

***

I went on the prowl for a booster seat--not the kind you put in a car, but the kind you get in restaurants and movie theaters. L. is not happy with his highchair. He wants to be a big boy. He wants to eat at the table.

***

Current Spin:

A wee bit of electro-pop for your computer commute.

The National Poetry Review has published "Ablation as the Creation of Adam" in Issue Number Nine, in stores and magazine stands now.

So after a weekend of taunts from my designer and my editor, the books arrived this afternoon. It's even more beautiful in person, if I can say so myself. The cover designed by Amy Freels is really surprising. Andie deRoux's "Light II" actually reflects a little, while the rest of the forest imagery is matte. Very surprising and lovely.

***

Happy.

***

Available at Amazon.com or at your local book store!