Being the messenger

Just finished sending an e-mail to the folks whose work was not selected for the ReBound Chapbook Series. It was a short list. We didn't have many entries, and some of the e-mails went out to those who nominated the chapbooks for republication . . .

[Eww. That word looks too much like "republican." But ANYWAY--]

. . . I still feel very strongly about this series: I think it has enormous potential, and I'm doing what I can to better get the word out this year. Even though there were less than ten entries, the decision was not easy, and in the end I had to just set the top contenders aside, not look at them for a few weeks, and then see which one had sustained the strongest impact in my memory. Then I re-read them all again, just to verify that yes, this was the right choice for this year's title.

Which I will announce over at Seven Kitchens as soon as I've heard back from the author.

For now, a message of appreciation to everyone out there who's running a micropress or journal or reading series on an insanely tight budget; who's taking the time to encourage a younger writer; who shares his or her knowledge and resources freely, generously, constantly, all for the collective advancement of poetry. We're doing good work. I'm proud to be one of us.