Dark Moon Poetry & Arts

I had the honor of featuring for Dark Moon Poetry & Arts on February 8th. It was the second installment of a new reading series hosted by the incomparable Fatima Hirsi. Other features included some super talented folks from the Writer's Garret as well as a couple of poets who got up on stage for the first time that night. Many thanks to Fatima for including me in this wonderful event.

The Wildcatter Exchange will be the last weekend in March this year. Not sure on the details just yet, but I ought to be there alongside the fine folks from Pandora's Box. Stay tuned for more info!

Interview with Yellow Chair Review

Proud to announce that Yellow Chair Review published this interview about Letters to Petrarch. I am a big fan of this lit mag and its editor Sarah Frances Moran. I've also accepted Sarah's invitation to judge their 2016 chapbook contest! I'm honored to be a part of the community Yellow Chair Review creates. This year is off to a great start!

Happy New Year!

Thanks to Voicemail Poems for giving me one last piece of good news for 2015. They made a list of their top ten most-listened-to poems for the year and "Condolences" is on it. I am ever so pleased!

Some bittersweet news to kick off 2016. My final IndieFeed feature aired today. So sad to say goodbye to such an incredible and influential podcast, but so happy they've been good to me. Special thanks to Mongo, who always says such kind things about my work.

I'm excited for 2016, y'all! It's going to be a great year.

Easy Street Poet in Residence

This has been an incredible year, y'all. So many good things have happened. I have some great news to round out 2015. Remember when I went to the Art & Words Show back in September? I had the pleasure of meeting the wicked talented Camille Griep at that event. She's editor over at Easy Street; many thanks to her for including me as their December writer in residence. They published four installments of poems and interviews throughout the month. Check it out:

Week 1: Logen Cure: December Poet in Residence featuring "Flash Floods"
Week 2: Take Five with Logen Cure featuring "Grey Fox"
Week 3: Spoken Word & the Aurality of Poetry with Logen Cure featuring "Chaparral"
Week 4: Why Poetry Matters: A Discussion with Logen Cure featuring "Laws"

I'm happy some of the hometown poems found such a lovely publication. It was a pleasure working on everything with Camille. I think it's the perfect way to finish off 2015.

I also got to feature for the holiday installment of Pandora's Box. It was a spectacular show, as always. Pandora's Box never disappoints. They've been doing their thing for about two years now. Cheers and thanks to my poetry family!

Thanks also to you, dear reader. This whole crazy poet thing wouldn't make any sense without you. Happy holidays and y'all be good out there.

Wildcatter Telling Stories and TCC Workshops

Many thanks to the Fort Worth Writer's Boot Camp, the Wildcatter Exchange, Gayle Reaves, and Stage West for the Letters to Petrarch launch. I had a great time! The intimate setting resulted in a lovely conversation about poetry, voice, influences, and teaching. I got to tell the super nerdy story behind the book, from my first experience with a Petrarch poem to this stunning publication by Unicorn Press. I'm pleased to say several copies of the book found new homes.

I had the pleasure of teaching a couple of workshops this week at Tarrant County College. The South Campus Writing Club included me in their visiting writer series. I had a blast teaching my "Terrible Poetry" session. We wrote dreadful drafts on purpose (since every first draft is awful anyway) and talked about strategies for making them into great poems.

I taught "Poetic Imitation and Innovation" for the 4th Annual Marine Creek Creative Writing Conference at the Northwest Campus. The conference had a fantastic turn-out and a schedule jam-packed with great sessions. I had a ton of fun talking with other writers and community members. I hope to do it again next year.

Also, check out what Finishing Line Press sent me:

There's nothing quite like seeing a whole stack of your own book. I'm so pleased with the way these came out. Peter's cover art looks beautiful.

We're in the home stretch of 2015, y'all! Believe it or not, I have more good news on the way. 'Til next time!

Book Launch and Voicemail Poems

Happy to announce the Fort Worth Writer's Boot Camp and the Wildcatter Exchange are throwing a launch for Letters to Petrarch. I'll feature November 18th at Stage West in Fort Worth for the Wildcatters Telling Stories series. The legendary Gayle Reaves will host. The handmade books are gorgeous, y'all. No two are exactly alike. Come hang out with me and take one home with you.

In other news, "Condolences" came up over on Voicemail Poems. I love this publication. Submitting was nerve-racking, I have to admit. Leaving a voicemail is oddly personal. I'm so pleased they liked my poem. Many thanks to the editors.

Y'all, I can't believe how incredible this year has been. I think the most important thing anyone can say is thank you. I am grateful to all the editors, organizations, poets, readers, family, and friends who support my work. Stay tuned for more good news.

Pandora's Box and Natty Roots

Another spectacular week. Pandora's Box went down Monday at Shipping & Receiving in Fort Worth in partnership with the Boot Camp and the Wildcatter Exchange. Many thanks to everyone for having me. The theme was poetry of place. The venue was fantastic and we had a stellar line-up. I sold some copies of Letters to Petrarch. I got to give a shout out to Sarah Angle for supporting my work, like in this Xs & Os column for the Fort Worth Weekly. Check out this photo from the reading:

I also had the pleasure of judging a youth slam on Wednesday for Natty Roots & Rhyme. It was a blast. I'm glad I got this opportunity. It's so important to pass on the magic to the kids.

Cheers, y'all. I am always, as ever, a lucky poet.

BookWoman and Arts Goggle

I had a fantastic time featuring for Cindy Huyser's Second Thursday reading at BookWoman! We had a great turn out. The open mic was top notch. Some of my best friends were in attendance, including the incomparable Peter Meilleur, the cover artist for Still. BookWoman is a badass feminist bookstore that's had a long, proud tenure in Austin. I am grateful to Susan Post for providing the venue and putting some copies of Letters to Petrarch on the shelf. She also took this photo from the reading:

I also did a show at Arts Goggle for the Fort Worth Writer's Boot Camp and Wildcatter Exchange tables. The festival was huge! Several blocks of Magnolia Street were blocked off for artist booths, demonstrations, musicians, and so much more. It was kind of strange to read poetry literally in the street, but people definitely stopped to listen to me. I had a pretty healthy crowd at one point. It was fun. Check it out:

I also got to talk to people about my upcoming reading and Boot Camp workshop. The Wildcatter Exchange and the Boot Camp are joining up with Pandora's Box for the October reading. The theme is poetry of place and we'll be at Shipping & Receiving Monday October 19 at 8 PM. On Saturday October 24, I'll be teaching my terrible poetry class -- we write awful poems on purpose, the worst we can come up with, then we fix them. It should be a great time!

I am honored to have the support of such amazing people and so many terrific opportunities. Check back here for more good news!

Lost Keys

I had the pleasure of being included in the first annual Lost Keys Literary Festival in Macon, Georgia this past weekend. Poet and chairwoman Danielle Quesenberry has been a dear friend of mine for 15 years. Many thanks to her and her team for building the festival from the ground up and bringing me to Macon to be a part of it.

Lost Keys honors Macon poet Seaborn Jones. Appropriately, we kicked off Friday evening with a memorial reading of his poetry. Thanks to Danielle, I'm familiar with his work. The reading was packed! Such a lovely tribute.

We followed that up by heading over to The 567 for a moving and memorable one-act play by Josy Jones. Then Danielle hosted an eclectic and unforgettable open mic. Quite a Friday!

Saturday started early with my Advanced Poetry Workshop. I received drafts from the participants beforehand. Many thanks to my students for their enthusiasm and the privilege of discussing their work. We talked about important topics like the balance of page and stage poetry, different ideas behind breaking the line, and constantly questioning our own habits as poets.

Next, I attended the poetry reading by Sara Hughes and Kelly Whiddon. Both poets were excellent. They had some things in common--meditations on childhood and family, how stories intersect with our lived experiences. The discussion that followed was thoughtful and illuminating. Very glad I went.

After lunch I had the honor of reading alongside the incomparable Anya Silver. Her poems were beautiful and devastating. She read them with such grace. I was humbled to share a stage with her. I traded her a Letters to Petrarch for a copy of the gorgeous I Watched You Disappear. I am particularly grateful for this part of the Lost Keys experience.

Later that afternoon, I listened to the fascinating Beauty Bragg discuss her book. I am glad Lost Keys offered such a range of topics, including this thought-provoking talk. I think that's what you want in a festival--the art, the beauty, the craft, the academics.

We closed out the festival, took a break for a few hours, then partied speakeasy style that night. I met so many lovely, talented, and interesting people. It was great to get the chance to relax and chat with all of them at the speakeasy. All in all, the festival was a tremendous success. Thanks to everyone; I felt so welcomed by the Macon community. Check out this photo of Danielle and me:

In other news, I had a couple poems come up over at The Boiler. Many thanks to the unstoppable Sebastian Paramo for including me in this fine journal. I'm a long-time fan of The Boiler; they do such amazing work.

Stay tuned, y'all. I've got my Austin reading this Thursday. Check out this interview Cindy Huyser and I put together. I'll also be at Arts Goggle in Fort Worth this coming Saturday. As always, I'll report back here about all the fun I'm having. Cheers, y'all.

What an amazing week!

I know I say this all the time, but y'all, I am such a lucky poet. I've had such an incredible week!

I kicked off this week with the Pandora's Box banned poetry event at the Wild Detectives. The whole night was filled with poetry that has been banned somewhere, including work by poets who are being censored and punished for their work today. Very important, indeed. I got to read one of my favorite poems, "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks. It was a great night at a fantastic venue. Many thanks to the Pandora's Box masterminds for including me. Check out this photo from the reading:

Also, my poem "Make it Memorable" came up over on IndieFeed. It's always an honor and a pleasure to be included on this podcast. IndieFeed will be coming to a close at the end of this year. While I am sad to see it go, I am grateful for everything they've done for performance poetry over the past decade.

The Fort Worth Weekly put out their Best of Fort Worth issue this week. I am incredibly grateful to this fine publication for selecting Still as the best book by a Texas author for 2015. I am thrilled by the response; people are so amped. In a world where someone posts a "poetry is dead" article on the internet every other week, I am particularly satisfied to have hard proof that poetry is alive and as important as ever.

Last night, I got to read at the opening night of the amazing Art&Words Show at Art on the Boulevard in Fort Worth. This annual collaborative show pairs visual artists and writers who create pieces in response to each other. Many thanks to curator Bonnie Stufflebeam for including me. I responded to the haunting and gorgeous work of James Rosin. The extremely talented Gale Johnston responded to my poem, "Illumination." Check out these photos from the show:

I am having a blast and I'm not done yet! Next week, October 2nd and 3rd, I'll be in Macon, Georgia for the Lost Keys literary festival. I'll be reading and giving an advanced poetry workshop. That following week I'll be in Austin October 8th to feature for the BookWoman 2nd Thursday reading then I'll make an appearance at the Fort Worth Writer's Boot Camp table at Arts Goggle October 10th in Fort Worth. Then I'll feature for Pandora's Box October 19th at Shipping & Receiving in Fort Worth for poetry of place and I'll teach a workshop October 24th for the Boot Camp.

I've got copies of my gorgeous handmade chapbook Letters to Petrarch to sell at all these events. Come see me! I'll read to you, I'll teach you stuff, I'll send you home with a beautiful book.

Stay tuned. I'll report back about everything here. Cheers, y'all!

Yellow Chair Review Best of the Net Nomination

Heck yeah! Yellow Chair Review nominated my poem "This is How I Know" for Best of the Net! Many thanks to editor Sarah Frances Moran for including me in the inaugural issue and believing in my work.

This makes my second Best of the Net nomination for 2015. Dirty Chai nominated me, too. Maybe this is my year! I was a finalist in 2013 thanks to Sundog Lit. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such dedicated and gracious editors.

Cheers, y'all. It is always, as ever, good to be a poet.

Evenings at Westside

Y'all! Check out this video of my reading from Evenings at Westside from July 11th:

This show is also going to be aired on the Southside Pirate, a local Forth Worth radio station! The show will air Saturday August 29 at 4 PM and Monday August 31 at 9 AM.

Many thanks to Evenings at Westside, Southside Pirate, and the host of the poetry show, Mike Guinn!

The Power of Poetry and Pandora

I am proud to say The Poetry Question included me in their Power of Poetry series. I've really enjoyed the other pieces they've published so far. Poetry is powerful to me in new ways all the time. These essays are a great opportunity to think about it and appreciate it. Working on my little essay was a lot of fun. It was good to look back at the 19-year-old poet.

Also, Pandora's Box this month was amazing! The sizzle and smoke theme was a hit! All the poems were supposed to be passionate about something. I read my steamiest, smokiest, hottest, and most explosive pieces. Many thanks to the Pandora's Box team and the other features. Everyone was top notch. Check out this photo from the reading:

As always, stay tuned! I've got more good news on the way.

Y'all be good out there.

Glitterwolf and Dirty Chai

Happy to report that my poem "Elementary" has been published in Glitterwolf's Issue Nine: Gender. My friend Christopher Soden is also in this issue! On top of having a fantastic name, this UK-based magazine does the important work of showcasing LGBTQ artists. I am proud to be included.

In other news, Dirty Chai's Issue Seven: Revolt includes an interview about Still. I had a great time talking with editor Erica about rebellion, growing up, and not saying sorry. I am so grateful to her and the other editors for showing my poems so much love and doing the hard work of making a fearless lit mag.

I've got more good news on the way! I'm reading for Pandora's Box on Monday August 17. The theme for the show is sizzle and smoke! Should be an interesting evening; Pandora's Box never disappoints.

I'm also getting ready to start my Creative Writing course this Fall at Tarrant County College. Contact me if you or anyone you know would like to improve writing skills while exploring fiction and poetry. English Composition I is the prerequisite. Fall registration closes August 24!

Cheers, y'all. It's a great day to be a poet.

Bread Crumbs and Best of the Net

The July installment of Pandora's Box was a blast, y'all! Many thanks to the folks in charge, Gayle Reaves, Paul Koniecki, Mark Noble, Christopher Soden, and Dan Collins, for including me in the Bread Crumbs project.

Bread Crumbs was a collaboration. Gayle started by writing a poem in response to a Rilke piece. She sent that to Paul, who wrote a poem in response, then sent that to Mark for a response, and so on. We did two rounds and performed all the pieces together as one of the feature spots for Pandora. It was interesting and a ton of fun! Check out this photo from the reading. Mark couldn't be with us, unfortunately, so Gayle played his part. When she wore the hat, she was Mark; minus the hat, she was herself.

I'll be performing at the August Pandora's Box show, as well! The theme is sizzle and smoke. I can't wait!

In other awesome news, Dirty Chai nominated "PTSD at 28" for Best of the Net! I am ever so grateful to the editors. Stay tuned for more great news about this lit mag and my work.

And last, but certainly not least, thank you ALL for your enthusiasm and support during the advance sales period for Still. Y'all helped me to exceed my goal! Of course, you can still order copies and tell your friends (please do), but I am relieved to say that the pressure is off. The book ships in September, so get ready!

I am always, as ever, a very lucky poet. I've got more exciting stuff on the horizon.

Cheers, y'all.

Two Readings and a Review

I'm having a great time lately, y'all. This past Saturday, July 11, I featured at Evenings at Westside in Fort Worth alongside a huge cast of talented folks. This was the first poetry event for this venue and I hope they'll keep it up. Check out this photo from the reading:

Sunday, July 12, I featured for the Fairmount Community Library in Fort Worth with my good friend Gayle Reaves-King. I really love this little venue. The crowd is warm and enthusiastic. I'm so happy they included me.

Speaking of happy, The Poetry Question wrote a review for Still. I am super pleased. I enjoy the articles on this website tremendously. Advance sales are open for Still until Friday, July 17. The more y'all buy, the more Finishing Line Press makes! Take advantage of discount shipping now and help me spread the book as far as possible.

It's a good time to be a poet, y'all. Cheers.

Boot Camp Reading, IndieFeed, America

June 26, 2015 was a big day for me, y'all. Love conquers hate. That is harder to believe some days than others. But yesterday -- yesterday we won, y'all.

The reading at the Fort Worth Writer's Boot Camp was awesome. Gayle Reaves-King and Paul Koniecki were absolutely brilliant. The crowd was celebratory and warm. The open mic was lovely. I gave everyone a postcard broadside to thank them for coming and encourage them to go ahead and buy that book. This poem is for my wife, because she's the reason I believe #LoveWins every single day, even the hard days:

Also, the title poem from Still was featured on IndieFeed yesterday. Mongo, the host, said such lovely things about my work. You know, I was a fan of IndieFeed for a long time before they featured me. That first acceptance came with a "welcome to the family" from Mongo, and I gotta say, I am proud and grateful to be a part of the IndieFeed family.

Oh, and don't forget, I am a wedding officiant. You know no one celebrates with words better than poets. If you or anyone you know needs a beautiful custom ceremony, you know what to do.

All good things, y'all. Cheers!

Speaking of Marvels

Speaking of Marvels features interviews with writers about their chapbooks, novellas, and other short forms. They've graciously included this joint interview with JeFF Stumpo and me.

JeFF and I have been poet-friends for a very, very long time. He did the cover art for the Make it Memorable EP. Our interview is a conversation about our new chapbooks, both published by Finishing Line. JeFF's is Villains, a series of villanelles. The interview was a lot of fun to work on. I feel very fortunate to have such a talented compatriot. You should go get his book (while you're getting mine, of course).

Thanks so much to Speaking of Marvels for including us!

Wildacres Retreat

Wildacres was intense. It's way up in the mountains. Like, the last big portion of the drive up there involves a bunch of hairpin turns. I spent one week living alone in the Owl's Nest, reading, researching, and writing poems. My days were long, many of them rainy. I slept in, ate meals at the lodge with the staff and other residents, walked around in the woods, and spent a lot of time reading poems out loud because there was no one around to mind it.

The rainy days were the most productive, I think. I managed to produce several drafts. I read a lot, which was very needed. I spent a lot of time in books of poems. I did a lot of pretty eye-opening research about Midland and the desert, creatures, plants, weather, historical events. I've got lots of new ideas for where the project is going. I feel good about my progress overall.

The staff was delightful. They were welcoming and kind, patient with me locking myself out of my cabin and fretting over the many critters I shared it with, including mice. They were all creative in different ways themselves. It was a privilege to get to know them a bit over the week. Also, the other residents, two musicians and a fellow poet, were lovely people. I was happy to meet them and share the experience with them.

Little Switzerland was the nearby town. It was something out of storybook, I thought. A cafe, a general store, a bookstore, and a town hall that hosted an arts and crafts fair during my time there. There was a wedding going on that day at the chalet, so there were lots of fancy-dressed folks around. I really enjoyed the little town.

Here are a bunch of photos from my stay:

I am so grateful for this opportunity. I learned a lot. Solitude is strange. It's taking me some time to adjust to my everyday world. I think I gained some much-needed perspective, on my project, on the things I'm researching, on myself as a writer. All good things.

For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook, here's a video I made of "Residence or Refuge," a poem from Still I thought was fitting to my adventure:

Don't forget to reserve your copy of Still today using the Finishing Line Press website. Share about the book with #StillLogenCure to get prizes.

'Til next time, y'all.

June

I've got a lot happening in June, y'all! I'm kicking it off by spending the first week at Wildacres Retreat in North Carolina for a residency. This will be my first residency. I am super excited about the opportunity. I can't wait to see gorgeous North Carolina again and have some time to get some serious writing done. I will report back about my experience here.

Also in June, I will have two events with the Fort Worth Writer's Boot Camp. The first is a reading, Friday June 26 at 7 p.m. in the loft at La Mancha. This reading celebrates the publication of Still and two other wonderful books from fellow poets Gayle and Paul. This event is free, but do RSVP using the Boot Camp schedule.

The following day, Saturday June 27, I'll be teaching my Craft and Confession workshop at 1 p.m. I hope you will join me if you're in DFW. I'm really looking forward to it. This workshop is such fun. Check out what one of my students LeAnn had to say about it:

"I have done this workshop before and wanted to inform others of what a great experience it was for me. Logen gives great suggestions on how to improve your work and hands-down has great intellect when it comes to poetry. She digs deep into the concepts of confessional poetry and really helps you to understand how to master it on your own. I felt really inspired afterwards. If you were debating on going, I'd definitely urge you to try it out."

I'll finish off the month with my birthday! You know what would make my birthday the best? If you got yourself a copy of Still. Don't forget to share using #StillLogenCure so you can get one of my sweet rewards!

Cheers, y'all.