Lit Hop 2017

Y'all, the Deep Ellum Lit Hop was super fun! Many thanks to Courtney Marie and Sebastián Páramo for inviting me to participate again this year. I read for the Pegasus Reading Series at Kettle Art, which was one of the final events of the festival. I sent books home with people and made some new poet friends. Very successful, all in all. Check out this photo from the show:

Also, I forgot to mention the Spring 2017 episode of the Voicemail Poems podcast went live! Better late than never. Don't forget to submit! The deadline for the next issue is June 15.

Y'all be good out there! And as always, check back for more good news.

Script 2017 and Other Things

So many updates! Okay, so Pandora's Box on April 21 was an absolute blast! Always a pleasure to read for them. Of course, it was hosted by Deep Vellum, where I dropped off some more copies of my books. Check out this photo from the show:

Also! Script launched the 2017 issue! I am so unbelievably proud of this year's student editorial staff. This was a crazy semester. We got a truly astonishing number of submissions and this staff tackled some of the most challenging conversations with respect and grace. They made a stunning publication and it is an honor to be their teacher. Check out that cover art:

In other news, I'll be participating in the Deep Ellum Lit Hop again this year, June 3 at venues throughout Deep Ellum. I'll be in the Pegasus Reading Series show at Kettle Art. This event was a blast last year and I can't wait to be a part of it again!

Also, I found out I'll be participating in the Art & Words show this year! I've participated in the past and loved it. Opening night is October 7. I'm so looking forward to it.

I have more good news coming soon. Some poets have all the luck. Y'all be good out there.

Happy National Poetry Month!

So much news to tell! First, my poem "Permian Sea" came up over at Split Rock Review. Honored to be included in this gorgeous magazine. Y'all know I love making audio, so I'm happy they asked me to record myself reading the piece. I also love poems about place, so this magazine is perfect.

Also, Spiderweb Salon included me in their National Poetry Month celebration! Check out the poem and prompt I provided for them. This collective is such a gift to our literary community. So happy to know them. They also gave "This is not my first grey hair" a new place to hang out on the internet, so I'm glad about that.

You didn't think I'd make a news post without mentioning Deep Vellum, did you? They also highlighted me and my work for National Poetry Month. So pleased to be described as a Deep Vellum Books favorite; the feeling is so mutual.

I wrapped up my online Poetic Imitation and Innovation course for the Writer's Garret. It was a blast! I had a great group of students. One of them had this super kind thing to say: "Loved the instructor and valued her insightful feedback. The model poems she chose made the imitations challenging. She had a way of emphasizing what was working as well as how to take the poem to the next level. I'd love to study under Logen some more." I'll let y'all know if I have more workshops coming!

I also participated in a fantastic reading called Other People's Poetry. We read the entirety of Adrienne Rich's The Dream of a Common Language. It was such a lovely, powerful experience. D Magazine did this pretty sweet write-up about it. Many thanks to organizer Joe Milazzo for making it all happen.

Happy 5th birthday to Voicemail Poems! The Spring 2017 issue is underway right now. Get ready for my podcast follow-up! I'm really stoked about it.

I've got a reading coming up for Pandora's Box! April 21, 8PM, Deep Vellum Books. Be there! I'll read to you, you'll be surrounded by books and lovely, talented people. It'll be a beautiful thing.

'Til next time. Y'all be good out there.

Dark Moon and Other Things

It's been a while! I've been busy. Dark Moon Poetry & Arts celebrated its birthday with a stellar reading at Deep Vellum Books. Many thanks to Fatima Hirsi for making the magic happen! Check out this photo from the show:

The semester is off and running! I'm teaching the Academic Cooperative at Tarrant County College again this Spring, making Scriptwith my student editorial staff. I also just kicked off 4 weeks teaching an online version of Poetic Imitation and Innovation for the Writer's Garret.

In other news, I'm proud to present the Winter 2017 episode of the Voicemail Poems Podcast! I am joined by VMP contributor Allyson Whipple. Take a listen! If you'd like to support VMP and this podcast, please SHARE, join our Patreon, and review us on iTunes.

I'll have more good news for you soon! Y'all be good out there.

Poetry March

Y'all. The Poetry March was truly amazing. Many thanks to Courtney Marie and Sebastián Páramo for making the whole thing happen! We had a great turn-out despite the sudden and bitter cold. We marched through Deep Ellum and stopped along the way to read some beautiful and powerful poems. I got to read "Home" by Warsan Shire and I'm reading "Good Bones" by Maggie Smith in the photo below.

I know I keep going on about Deep Vellum Books, but seriously y'all. They hosted the march and have shown themselves to be a true home for writers and artists. I am so grateful. I am also delighted that they keep selling out of Letters to Petrarch. This gorgeous little book would make a great holiday gift! Check out the latest copies Unicorn Press sent me. Aren't they pretty?

Y'all be good and take care. I keep thinking about the phrases we chanted at the march, so I will leave you with those thoughts. You are not alone. We will not be silent.

Mad Swirl and VMP Podcast

I had a great time at the Pandora's Box Christmas show! I am ever so grateful for the community Pandora's Box creates. Deep Vellum is a truly beautiful bookstore and I'm so glad it came into our lives. They sold out of my books and I gave them more. If you're looking for a holiday gift and a way to support a local business, you know what to do!

In other news, I had a poem come up over at Mad Swirl. Always a pleasure to be in mad company!

The next episode of the Voicemail Poems Podcast is also live! I had the pleasure of talking with fellow editor Amy Saul-Zerby about three outstanding poems from our Fall 2016 issue. If you'd like to support VMP and this podcast, please SHARE, join our Patreon, and review us on iTunes.

Also SUBMIT! The deadline for the next issue is December 15.

I'm looking forward to the Poetry March on December 18! Stay tuned for a recap of that and more good news. Y'all be good out there.

Recaps and Pandora Xmas

The Dallas Texas Poetry Calendar show was a blast! The holidays are coming, y'all! This anthology makes a great gift.

My Terrible Poems workshop for the Marine Creek Creative Writing Conference was also a ton of fun. TCC-Northwest hosts this event every year and it's terrific! If you missed it this year, be on the look-out for it next Fall.

In other news, registration is currently open for my Spring course at TCC-South! It's ENGL 2389, the academic cooperative, where my students serve as the editorial staff for Script. If you've got credit for ENGL 1301, composition I, you're eligible! Come make a magazine with me! Use the CONTACT form if you want to know more.

Also, I'll be joining Pandora's Box for their Christmas show this year! It'll be December 9 at 8PM at Deep Vellum Books.

Deep Vellum is also hosting the Poetry March December 18. Check it out! Get involved! It's important. More to come.

Stay strong out there, y'all.

San Antonio Recap

Y'all! I had a blast reading in San Antonio for the Texas Poetry Calendar. The Twig was beautiful, as you can see from the photo below. It was my first time reading in San Antonio. I was happy to meet some of the local talent and honored to be included among so many excellent poets! Many thanks to the editors for putting it all together and hosting the show.

I'll join the Texas Poetry Calendar folks again for their Dallas reading, Friday November 4th at 7PM at the giant Half Price Books off Northwest Highway. Be there!

In other news, I will be teaching my Terrible Poems workshop for the Marine Creek Writing Conference on Saturday November 5. It's hosted by Tarrant County College's Northwest Campus. It's fabulous and FREE. Contact mary.lounsbury@tccd.edu to register.

'Til next time y'all!

HPF 2016 Recap

Y'all, I had a blast participating in the Houston Poetry Fest as a juried poet! I arrived Friday, attended the kick-off event and the first evening reading. I got to see my friend Tria Wood read among some other fabulous poets.

I attended the open reading on Saturday afternoon and I was in the juried poet line-up for that evening. I attended HPF as a juried poet in 2013; it was lovely to see so many familiar faces and make some new friends as well. Many thanks to my friend Toni Holland for the video below. That's Tria's amazing purple hair. I read a bit from both my recent chapbooks. I hope you enjoy!

I was exhausted so I headed home before the final reading on Sunday. I am so grateful to all the wonderful folks who put this fest together and honored they included me and my work this year. I sold that last copy of Letters to Petrarch but don't worry! I had a new shipment from Unicorn when I arrived home. Every set of books I receive is a surprise! No two copies are identical. Check out these gorgeous covers:

I've got a couple readings coming up for the Texas Poetry Calendar. Y'all stay tuned for those recaps!

Be good out there.

Easy Street Best of the Net

Great news, y'all! Easy Street Magazine nominated my poem "Laws" for Best of the Net! Honored and thrilled about this. Many thanks to the editors, particularly Camille Griep, who was lovely to work with. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

In other news, Voicemail Poems kicked off the Fall 2016 issue yesterday. I am so damn proud to be a part of this magazine. Stay tuned all month for a new voicemail every weekday!

I'm getting ready to head to Houston for the Houston Poetry Fest! I was selected as a juried poet for this year and will be reading 7:30PM Saturday October 8 at the Willow Creek Pump Station. I was a juried poet in 2013 and had a blast. I'll write a recap for y'all like always, so get ready!

Cheers!

Reading Recaps, VMP Podcast, and Other Things

Been busy, lately, y'all! I participated in two readings for the Dallas Poets Community Cattlemen & Cadillacs anthology, one at the big Half Price Books in Dallas and one at the Benbrook Public Library. Both were a blast! DFW is home to so many amazing writers and I'm honored to be included in the anthology.

I also participated in the LGBT reading for Pandora's Box Poetry Showcase. Thanks to Christopher Soden for including me! We did this super cool radio show with KNON 89.3 to promote the reading. You should listen!

In other news, I reinstated the podcast for Voicemail Poems! I made an episode highlighting three outstanding poems from the summer 2016 issue. The fall issue will roll out during October and I'll follow up with the next episode. I hosted a literary radio show back in college and I'm stoked to get back to making this sort of thing. Take a listen! I get real nerdy about how much I love the poems.

Script threw its awards night last Friday! The editors and contributors brought their families, we had dinner, and celebrated everyone's accomplishments. Special guests included former faculty editors and a former student contributor who spoke about their experiences and shared their work. So thrilled and proud to serve as faculty editor for Script. My students are relentlessly inspiring. Check out this awesome photo, compliments of the school newspaper, The Collegian. Yes, I'm wearing the cover art as a cape. Read the full article here.

More good news to come. Y'all be good out there!

Readings and Rogue Agent

Y'all! So many good things happening. On Friday July 29, I went to a show in Oak Cliff put on by Poets on X+ host Opalina Salas. It was this crazy long fantastic open mic with sing-alongs and shenanigans.

On July 30, the Deep Ellum Lit Hop happened and it was amazing! Deep Vellum Books hosts the White Rock Zine Machine, so we all did a reading while folks made their own zines. It was way cool. You should gather up your quarters and go get a zine there! Check out the gorgeous machine:

I also played host for a mini version of the Art&Words Show. Allyson Whipple, Cole Dalton, and Matthew Pitt joined me in sharing work from past rounds of the show. It was a blast. Thanks to Bonnie Stufflebeam for being the mastermind behind it! Check out this photo from the show, mostly the bad ass horse painted behind me:

The Lit Hop was a great success and I hope we do it again next year!

The Dallas Poets Community is gonna do a reading this Friday August 5, 7PM at the giant Half Price Books in Dallas to celebrate their anthology. I'll be there!

Also, I had this poem come up over at Rogue Agent. Honored to be included in this lovely magazine.

Til next time y'all. Be good out there.

YCR Review for LtP, Texas Poetry Calendar, Deep Ellum Lit Hop, and VMP Summer 2016

Happy 4th, y'all! I've got some great news. Yellow Chair Review published this thoughtful, lovely review of Letters to Petrarch. I am so grateful my weird little book got some love from this fantastic magazine.

In other news, I got my contributor's copy of the Texas Poetry Calendar from Dos Gatos Press and its gorgeous! Honored to be included with so many great Texas artists. Go get yourself one!

WordSpace is presenting the Deep Ellum Lit Hop and I will be there! It's July 30, 2016 starting at 6PM in various Deep Ellum venues. I'll play host for the Art&Words event so stay tuned for more details!

Proud to say the summer issue of Voicemail Poems kicked off today! Stay tuned for a poem each weekday during July. This is the first issue I served as editor. I'm having a blast so far! Excited to keep the good news coming.

Y'all be good out there.

Voicemail Poems and Pandora's Box

Y'all know I love Voicemail Poems, right? Well, I'm proud to announce I've joined their editorial staff! The submission deadline for the summer issue is June 15, so submit! Call us up, leave it at the beep.

In other news, I'm going to read at the Pandora's Box show on June 22 at 8PM in its new home at the Contemporary Theatre of Dallas. It's a poetry party and you're invited!

I'll have more good news for you soon. Cheers!

Script 2016 and Other Things

Y'all, this has been quite the semester! I am proud to present the latest issue of Script!. This edition celebrates the 30th anniversary of the magazine. We added a couple of very special sections. We've got THEN & NOW, which showcases two former faculty editors and two former student contributors. All four of those artists were kind enough to send me new things to publish alongside their past contributions to the magazine. One of my editors is also a reporter for the school newspaper. He wrote this article about an incredible painter we included. We also included a RETROSPECTIVE that starts with the first year, 1986, then gives you a sampling of pieces throughout the history of the publication.

My students were amazing this year. The cover art is a handmade quilt created by one of my editors. She started making it as a gift to me, something I could hang in my office to help promote the magazine. The other editors watched her labor over it and collectively decided it ought to be the cover. I enthusiastically agreed with them. Our resident reporter also wrote this article about the magazine. We are in the heat of deliberations in that photo; I promise we looked happier than that most of the time. My students also built this Facebook page and created this amazing archive of the past issues. Seriously, I couldn't have asked for better. I was profoundly moved by their dedication, heart, and creativity.

The magazine isn't the only one turning 30. I told my students that I will turn 30 this summer. One of them made this awesome card for me. Check out Buffy on the back! She passed it around so everyone could sign, and made it with multiple pages so each person would have plenty of space to write their message to me. I am so grateful to these students. They are brilliant and inspiring and it's an honor to be their teacher.

In other news, I'll be the judge for Yellow Chair Review's 2016 chapbook contest! The submission window is June 15 through August 15, 2016. I absolutely adore YCR and I'm so glad they asked me to judge for them.

Stay tuned for more good news, y'all! I am always, as ever, a very lucky poet.

Cheers!

TCC-Northwest and storySouth

Had a lovely time reading at TCC-Northwest! We celebrated LeeAnn Olivier's new chapbook. So happy they included me!

In other news, storySouth published this interview about Still. Many thanks to them for featuring me in their latest issue!

We're closing in on the end of the semester. I'm super excited for this year's issue of Script, the literary and art journal for TCC-South. This is my second year as faculty editor and I am having a blast! I can't wait to share this very special issue with y'all soon.

Cheers!

Readings and Other Things

The Pandora show at Crown and Harp was amazing! Digging the new venue, for sure.

Happy to announce I've been invited to read at Tarrant County College Northwest Campus on April 28. It'll be in the library at 12:30 PM. Looking forward to it!

Proud to say I'll be included in the DFW Metroplex Anthology produced by the Dallas Poets Community and the 2017 Texas Poetry Calendar produced by Dos Gatos Press!

As always, stay tuned for more good news!

Pandora at Crown and Harp

I had a great time representing Pandora's Box at the Wildcatter Exchange! I joined the Pandora crew for a round of bread crumbs, a series of collaborative poems. Megan Peak and Joe Milazzo also featured. It was a great show on a gorgeous day!

I also had a blast performing for Spiderweb Salon at the Greater Denton Arts Council ARTS ALL NIGHT event. It was an honor to be included alongside some super talented folks.

I've got another show coming up for Pandora's Box, 7PM April 9th at the Crown and Harp in Dallas. I'll be reading from Letters to Petrarch and we'll perform bread crumbs for the Dallas audience. Since Unicorn Press makes the books by hand, every copy is different. Check out the latest shipment I got:

Come see me and get one of these gorgeous books to take home with you!

Wildcatter and Spiderweb

Happy to report I've got two readings coming up:

I'll be at the Pandora's Box show at the Wildcatter Exchange on March 26th at 5PM outside Landers Machine Shop in Fort Worth. Check out the full line-up of events. It's going to be a blast!

You can also come see me at the Spiderweb Salon show at ARTS ALL NIGHT on April 1st at 7PM at the Greater Denton Arts Council. Super excited to be included!

Also, my poem "Thanks for Lunch" came up over at Mad Swirl!

Cheers!

Letters to Petrarch Live

Y'all! I keep meaning to tell you that I made an audio companion for Letters to Petrarch. Remember the launch event at Stage West back in November? I recorded that reading/interview hosted by Gayle Reaves to create Letters to Petrarch Live. You can hear all the poems and the whole nerdy story behind the book. If you've purchased the book, contact me and I will send you instructions on how to download it!

In other exciting news, artist Michele Mikesell shared these gorgeous paintings, partially inspired by my poem "Rainmakers, 1891."

I never get enough of Voicemail Poems. They made a playlist for Valentine's Day and included "Condolences." Very pleased with them for that.

Cheers!