Label Me Latina/o publishes my poem "In Memory of Borges"

 After auditing a class, The Library of Borges, with FIU professor Rhona Trauvitch, I was inspired to write this poem, In Memory of Borges, which was later accepted for publication by Label Me Latina/o and published in the Fall of 2024. 

Arte Latino NOW 2023 published my sonnet "Dismissed"

 

ARTE LATINO NOW 2023: Virtual Exhibition, Performance and Readings

Sponsored by The Center for Latino Studies at Queens University of Charlotte in partnership with artist Edwin Gil, and Queens’ Department of World Languages and Department of Art, Design and Music, ARTE LATINO NOW seeks to highlight the exciting cultural and artistic contributions of Latinos in the United States

Published my sonnet "Dismissed".

Duo: Poetry by Women anthology by Linen Press includes my poem "The Fourth Brontë Sister"

Duo: Poetry by Women anthology by Linen Press.  

Arte Latino NOW 2022!

Very gratified to be included in the virtual exhibit Arte Latino NOW 2022. which includes my poem in two parts--"Native."

Beatriz F. Fernandez: Writer - ARTE LATINO NOW 2022 Virtual Exhibition, Performance and Readings (dropmark.com)

This poem was inspired by a class I attended in the Fall, 2021 with Presidential Inaugural poet Richard Blanco, and by his new book, How to Love a Country.  

Celebrating National Poetry Month 2022 with two publications!

 

A little late, but now announcing two of my historical poems were published during National Poetry Month in a new Copperfield Review anthology, Made by History: An Anthology of Historical Fiction!

"Nova's Voice" a feminist, persona poem published in MER (Mom Egg Review) 20!

Inspired by the iconic final scene in the original The Planet of the Apes film, "Nova's Voice" was published in Mom Egg Review's Mother Figures issue--just in time for Mother's Day!  I sent my Mom a copy--she's 99 years young!  She always encouraged me to write and kept everything I ever wrote from Kindergarten verses on.

Poetry Publication: "Departures" in Anacua Literary Arts Journal

 Very happy and honored to have a new poem published in the new issue of the Anacua Literary Arts Journal!  

Departures

Many thanks to editors Odilia Galván Rodríguez, Prickly Pear Publishing

and

Edward Vidaurre, FlowerSong Press

"We go into neighborhoods and areas where high school students and community members have not normally had the opportunity or been empowered to tell or write their own stories or do other kinds of creative writing such as poetry, creative non-fiction, memoir, or fiction. By offering no or low cost creative writing workshops either on a one time basis or preferably in a week long project, we are able to work magic. "

Palm Beach Poetry Festival 2021

 Last week I attended an online Palm Beach Poetry Festival 2021 workshop:

the Conventions of Free Verse with Kevin Prufer as an auditor.

It was a wonderful experience!  

We were asked to provide a recording of one of our own poems.

Strange Horizons Podcast of My Poem "The Time Tourist" in a Bilingual Edition!

Many thanks to Strange Horizons magazine and Poetry editor A.J. Odasso who chose my poem to feature in both English and Spanish!  Thanks also to Poetry Editors Romie Stott and Ciro Faienza for their help!

Podcast: The Time Tourist | El Turista del Tiempo

Print version of The Time Tourist

Strange Horizons is "a speculative fiction magazine, available free online, with a record of finding and supporting exciting new voices in SFF."  They "support speculative fiction—science fiction, fantasy, horror, and all sorts of crossed genres between them—as an open, global tradition. In the last few years, we have published specials on Nigerian SFF, SFF from the Arab League community and diaspora, trans and nonbinary writing and experiences, as well as pieces on race, resistance, and disability."

Sonnet shortlisted in the Better than Starbucks 2020 contest!

My previously published sonnet "Point of No Return" was shortlisted for the Better than Starbucks! 2020 sonnet contest. 

Better Than Starbucks 2020 Sonnet Contest

​

 

              Winning poets receive:

              First Place $350.

              Second Place $100.

              Third Place $50.

​​

Out of more than 900 blind-read entries, a short list of 45 sonnets were chosen. From these, three winners and seven runner-up sonnets will be published.  So we all have close to a 1 in 4 chance! 

Good luck, fellow competitors! 

Sonnet For Her Husband by Max Gutmann

I Dreamt of a Broken Bird by Ciarán Parkes

The Rule by Michael Stalcup

Last Call by Kit Rohrbach

To the Person Who will be the Last to Speak My Name by David Rosenthal

In Living Color by John Beaton

A sackful of heads by Mercedes Webb-Pullman

James Holman by Timothy Sandefur
The Miller’s Daughter Gives an Exclusive on Rumpelstiltskin by Melissa Balmain

The Palace of Forty Pillars by Armen Davoudian

Disremembered by Lee Nash

Forms and Forming by Richard Wakefield

Drystone by Jane Boxall

Onset by Max Gutmann

The Point of No Return by Beatriz F. Fernandez

Forms and Forming by Richard Wakefield

Something That Was Once Lovely by Carlene M. Gadapee

Saturday morning by Mercedes Webb-Pullman

Obviously by Hibah Shabkhez

Made of Gauze by Donald Zirilli

Museum of a Former Marriage by Jennifer Davis Michael

Release by Tim Taylor

After Mom, Pop, and Older Sis Left the Circus by Devon Balwit

Ornithology and its Discontents by Enriqueta Carrington

Asylum for Joshua by Maroula Blades

The Assumption (Mary speaks) by Conor Kelly

Paper Town by Midge Goldberg

Viparinama by Terence Culleton

Street Dreams by Linda Banks

The end by Steve Lang

Salvage by Catherine Chandler

Sonnet for a 25th Wedding Anniversary by Carolyn Martin

For Trevion in the Local News byBarbara Loots

Vampire by Daniel Ranson

Metal on Metal by Elizabeth Faris

Sonnet for a Homeless Woman Named Beth by Debbie Hall

Winning by Daniel Ranson

Erasure Sonnet by Martin Cossio

Winter Ravens by Matthew King

Pigeon by Catherine Edmunds

Using Our Words by Brett Mertins

On a Theme From Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz by Mark J. Mitchell

Shoes by Andrew Kuck

Tree by John W. Steele

Bones by Mark McDonnell

Another Love Poem by Melissa Balmain

Copperfield Review publishes "Abelard's Lost Letter to Heloise"

The Copperfield Review, " the world’s online home for short historical fiction and historical poetry" and  (20 years this year!) published my poem "Abelard's Lost Letter to Heloise" on July 6th!

Feminine Rising contributors read poems on YouTube.

Feminine Rising Anthology, Cynren Press, (and 2019 Foreword INDIES Finalist!) editors Andrea Fekete and Lara Lillibridge are posting contributors' readings of their poems on YouTube and various social media outlets.  Here is my reading of my poem "Reunion."  Each poet's reading is preceded by an introduction which includes biographical information about the poet and of course information about the book.

The Best Late News--Pushcart Nomination 2020!

I just found out (having been out of touch in social media lately) that the Editors of Fiolet & Wing: An Anthology of Domestic Fabulist Poetry, nominated my poem "A Modern Day Amazon Visits the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston" for a 2020 Pushcart Prize back in November (along with four other poets published in that volume.)  Thank you, Stacey Balkun and Catherine Moore!

This honor came at a good time for me, since I haven't been writing or submitting much lately and I needed a good kick in the pants!

This is my 3rd Pushcart nomination:  2014, 2017 and now 2020!  I hope it's a good portent for the year to come!

Year in Review: 2018--Year of the Anthology!

2018 turned out to be the year of the anthology for me!

Five new anthologies do/will include my poems:

• Nuclear Impact: Broken Atoms in Our Hands, by Shabda Press, available now.
• Feminine Rising: Voices of Power and Invisibility, by Cynren Press (April 30th, 2019)  
• Fiolet and Wing: An Anthology of Domestic Fabulist poetry (forthcoming, 2019)
• Boricua en la Luna, an anthology of Puerto Rican Voices, May, 2019.
• Running with Water by V Press LC, later this year.

Other publications/acceptances this past year:

"Meeting on the Turret Stairs" an ekphrastic poem after the eponymous painting by Frederick William Burton, was accepted by V Press LC.

Falling Star Magazine published another of my poems in their summer issue, leading to my making the acquaintance of fellow Falling-Star-published poet Joseph Zaccardi, an excellent poet and former poet laureate of Marin County, CA.

New Reader Magazine published two poems in June.

Ending the old year on a positive note: Boricua en la Luna anthology!

I'm very excited and honored to announce that Boricua en la Luna: An Anthology of Puerto Rican voices just accepted two of my poems for their upcoming publication!  It's a great way to end this year, which doesn't have too many good things associated with it, in my mind.  Boricua en la Luna's profits will benefit the Hispanic Federation's efforts on behalf of the island's hurricanes Maria and Irma recovery effort.  Many thanks to editor Elena Aponte for her vision and effort on behalf of the island and support for diverse voices in literature!

From their site:

We want diverse voices from Puerto Rico: stories, poems, and essays that will help the world understand the wonderful people who live on the island, a place that has given the world immensely talented artists, actors, writers, poets, musicians, librarians, politicians, humanitarians, scientists, and athletes-- a place that still needs our support and our love.

Boricua En La Luna will be available in Mid-2019 in both electronic and print formats.

Space Operas galore--Corey, Chambers, Wells and Foner

Novels that take place as humanity expands its presence in the galaxy are perennial favorites.  (See previous post on Catherine Asaro's work as well) I've come across several contrasting and vastly entertaining series in this subgenre lately.

Fans of The Expanse (one of the most well-reviewed series on t.v., which was recently cancelled by Syfy and subsequently saved by Amazon) will be glad to know that it is based on the novels (Orbit Books) by a team of two writers under the pen name James S.A. Corey.  Both the show and the novels are fantastic.  In my case, since I began seeing the show before reading the novels, the two have melded in my mind in a very pleasing gestalt.  Leviathan Wakes is the first of the series.  The crew that comes together in the ship Rocinante are the first that remind me of the Firefly crew in their likable motleyness and unity.  In this first novel, the point of view shifts between the idealistic Holden and Miller, the hard-bitten detective, a contrast that works very well.  My one criticism is that the main female characters, Naomi and Julie Mao, are idealized to a point and not allowed to be totally human.  But that's a common issue in sci-fi, I find.

A series that contrasts well with Corey's rather dark and militaristic vision, is Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, which Tor.com describes as a "joyous, optimistic space opera."
The debut novel has been followed by two more, one just published, so enjoy!  Her novels have attracted much attention and awards for their quality and different approach.  Her emphasis is on the characters and their emotions.

In between these two series, as far as tone and ambiance, I would place Martha Wells' (read EVERYTHING she's ever written, not just this series, you will not regret it!) Murderbot Diaries novella series, the first of which, All Systems Red, just deservedly won the Nebula and Locus awards.  In this four-part series, we get inside the mind of an AI security unit that goes quietly (and then not so quietly) rogue.  The last novella in the series will be released in October.

On a totally different plane, is the hilarious, quirky Union Station series by E.M Foner (this interview by K.C. Sivils will tell you much of what is different about the series, beginning with the author!) While not technically a space opera, this series does take place in a future populated by aliens and AI superminds that interact in strange and surprising ways with the all-too-human humans!  It's a laugh-out-loud funny series that bring a welcome optimistic flavor to what is often envisioned as the dark and doomed future of humanity.

Feminine Rising: Voices of Power & Invisibility--anthology update

My poem "Reunion" was accepted for publication in this anthology a while back. I just visited their site and I'm happy to find out they found a publisher, Cynren Press! It's available for Pre-order here:
Feminine Rising

We've officially signed a contract with Cynren Press!
Contributors will hear from us as soon as possible about next steps. We are so grateful to you all for sharing your voices with us, for making this labor of love something really worth loving.
Sincerely,
Andrea Fekete and Lara Lillibridge, editors

Last Year's Best Frugal Choices: Work, Home and Travel

My road to frugality has not led me to what most frugal gurus would call a minimalist lifestyle but it has gotten me to where I wanted to be. I still have more stuff than I know what to do with, or that I could use in many lifetimes, so decluttering our modestly sized home is still a priority. This is why I really think twice before I bring anything into my life that doesn't add to its quality significantly.
That said, this past year a few purchases have greatly added to my quality of life:
Three identical pairs of pants from Kohl's (different colors) at about $30 each. They have elastic waists so if my weight goes up or down a few pounds I don't have to worry. They are dark so they don't show stains and they don't need ironing. This is my uniform system for work: each pant goes with almost every shirt I own so getting dressed for work is simplicity itself! I've divided my closet into work clothes, weekend clothes and in-between clothes (read: "retired" work clothes that will serve in a pinch!)
A medium sized oscillating fan ($30--Lasko brand purchased via Amazon) which immensely helps disperse a/c to specific spots where I need it instead of just turning the a/c to a lower temp. It would be nice to have ceiling fans, but this fan is perched on a bookshelf and does basically the same job much more cheaply! It reaches two "hot spots" in the house where I regularly hang out.
An under the seat carryon suitcase with wheels: $60. (London Fog brand, purchased at Tuesday Morning store) This simplified my traveling greatly--it's much smaller and lighter than the usual carryon so I can lift it with ease if necessary. I have fewer things hanging off my body so it's easier to get around the airport. And it serves as a leg rest when I'm in the waiting area and a bathroom door guard as well--when the stall door doesn't lock properly I prop it up against it to keep it closed.
Speaking of frugality gurus, I'm happy to see that Get Rich Slowly is back in the hands of its originator, J.D. Roth. I'm glad to see this trend away from corporatization of the frugality movement. I hated it when The Simple Dollar's Trent Hamm sold his site, for example. It's never the same once they do. You can see the differerence on the sites for yourself. They both have lots of advertisements but The Simple Dollar is obviously a commercial site now.

First acceptances of 2018--New Reader Magazine

I haven't been sending out poems as often as I used to, so it was very heartening to receive my first acceptances of the new year from New Reader Magazine, an Arts, Literature & Cultural Quarterly. They have an exciting mixture of prose and poetry from writers all over the world. Their site is very fresh and visually pleasing as well!

My two poems, The Little Sunfish and Mistress Prynne Dreams of Her Youth were accepted for their June issue. The Little Sunfish is my latest poem, written about the robots used to clean up after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2017. The robot they called Manbo, which means "little sunfish", was the one that helped discover the source of the leak and thus saved many lives.

Mistress Prynne refers to the epilogue about Hester Prynne's later life in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter which not everyone remembers after reading the book, but which obviously made an impression on my imagination!

K.M. Peyton, an old favorite discovered anew!

Frankly, I thought K.M. Peyton (of Flambards fame) was no longer with us, but I just found out she's still here and still writing!! Her most recent novel, Wild Lily,

was a very enjoyable read. Peyton has not lost her fascination for me, after all these years. Her books have a quality unlike any other (which may not be to everyone's taste) and over the years I've tried to analyze exactly what that quality consists of. For one thing, her books are always about love: whether it's love for another person, an animal (frequently horses), an occupation (flying, sailing), or a place. And it's the kind of all-encompassing love that one sacrifices everything for--the kind of love that few people seem to experience but which Peyton knows all about. Sometimes it's reciprocated, but sometimes it's just a unrequited devoted love for another that never fades.

Another distinguishing trait: her characters--there is always a mad, bad, fascinating character who dominates--for better or for worse. There is always a character who is quietly strong and good to the core. But none of her characters are totally black and white--the good ones can be silly, the bad ones often humane, and the clash of good and evil takes place in at atmosphere where luck sometimes favors one over the other.

The last two books by Peyton I read were _Small Gains_ and _Greater Gains_, a two-part series which thankfully ended happily! When Amazon describes something as a "tragic saga set at the turn of the 18th century," you have to worry! Granted, the happy ended was a bit forced (and unlikely) but I'll take it.

My all-time favorite of hers, besides the Flambards series, is _The Right-Hand Man_, which Wikipedia describes as "the book is set in 1818 in Essex and London, during the Georgian era. It tells the story of Ned Rowlands, a talented stagecoach driver who meets the three creatures he loves best on the same day: a horse, a woman, and the man who will become his employer."