For poetry month last April, I did two poem-a-day projects, something I highly recommend. One of those projects, done with Carol Guess, became the collection The Reckless Remainder, forthcoming from Noctuary Press. The other became a single, fragmented short story called “The Blush Reflex,” which has just come out in the current issue of Gulf Stream Magazine. “The Blush Reflex” is part of a series of remixed fairy tales I’ve been writing, and all the morals of the story come from the text of “Hansel and Gretel.” Finding the morals was the best part!

I’m very excited to report that three stories from the With Animal collection I’ve been writing with Carol Guess have received Pushcart Prize Nominations: “With Fish,” nominated by Passages North, “With Fox,” nominated by Indiana Review, and “With Hippo,” nominated by Storm Cellar. I’m so proud of our stories, and happy that the whole collection will be published this May by Black Lawrence Press.

A story from another series, “Your Sick,” also received a Pushcart nomination from Anomalous Press.

In other good writing news, I have former students, former classmates, and (current) friends who just received $25,000 National Endowment for the Arts Grants in poetry! Congrats to all!

And a good friend and former classmate, Michael P. Kardos, has had his new novel, Before He Finds Her, glowingly reviewed by Publishers Weekly. I’ve taught his short stories in my classes, and I truly love his writing, so check out his book when it comes out.