Notes from the Margins #38

LOTS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!

Firstly, the first Impossible Archetype is out in the world! Featuring 30 excellent poets – from established names to first timers – Issue 1 is out now and can be read for free here.

Secondly, I have sent off the full-length version of How to Live When Life Subtracts to my favourite publisher. Say a little prayer, do a little sacrifice, drop those cakes, send me those vibes – you get the idea.

Thirdly, remember Circumference (aka. Book 1 of American G.I.)? Well, I’ve cut 40 pages out of it, and honestly, it’s never been better. I’ve rewrote a good bit of it too, and as a chapbook it’s finally the book it’s always meant to be. Have a publisher in mind too, and have been thinking about approaching books two and three with the same format.

Fourthly, my poem Dorsal, a very imagistic poem of mine about horses and gay love and keeping ones head above water will be published sometime soon on Animal Literary Magazine. I’ll post the link in my publications page once it’s out.

Finally, I’m running the 3rd Annual Ballyroan Library World Poetry Day Competition.
Open to Dublin poets only, we are accepting entries until 21st April 2017. Full guidelines here:

Notes from the Margins #37

It’s been three months since I blogged? Really? Wow.

First up, I’ve two new poems out. The first, Basic Training, rang in the new year on the excellent The Good Men Project. I love that poem so much! You can read it here.

Secondly, the day after Valentine’s Day (hah! I see what you did there!) my poem, The Imaginary Friend was on Headstuff, continuing their “It’s The End of the World As We Know It” and me finally getting published in Irish markets. You can read that one here.

Other news? Firstly, I have completely remade my poetry MS, incorporating a lot of new work. It’s a much bigger, better and stronger book and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been with it – it really feels, for the first time, like a finished, complete book and I’m on the hunt for a publisher.

Also, on a bus ride into town, the name Impossible Archetype popped into my head, and I decided to start a LGBTQ+ poetry journal. Submissions were accepted until yesterday, and the first issue will be out later this month! Lots of amazing work from poets all over the globe, some who have published many books, some who have never published a single poem before!

Notes from the Margins #36

LOTS of news!

I’ve had three poems published this month (Three! That’s mad!).

Firstly, my friend, and fellow poet, started a new poetry journal

My poem, Exemplar, is online here, and the rest of the issue features excellent work from some local poets, Alicia Byrne Keane and Raven.

Secondly, I’m delighted to have my poem, Blackbird, featured in Volume 2, Issue 2 of Studies in Arts and Humanities, a new journal based out of DBS that mixes academia and arts.

My poem is here, and the issue also features some new drama, as well four academic articles.

Finally, I’m delighted to be back in Australia’s premier literary journal, Tincture.

My poem, Local, is featured alongside a whole host of new poetry and stories. You can purchase/subscribe here.

I’ve two more poems forthcoming very soon, and I’ll write a post about them as soon as they’re out, but until then, Happy Christmas!

Notes from the Margins #35

SO! MUCH! NEWS!

Firstly, LINGO is Ireland’s most amazing spoken word festival.

AND I’M IN IT.

I’M EVEN ON THE POSTER!

I’m appearing at the Festival Klub event in The Cobalt Cafe on Saturday 22nd October with some of my favourite people (Vickey Curtis! Ailish Kerr! Alicia Byrne Keane! BeRn!). And it’s totally FREE.

It’s going to be MEGA. Here’s the full blurb for it:

The piece I’m going to be performing is from a while back, a play-in-verse Blue Boy. There’s a page on the blog here about its initial run of performances in 2013/2014.

In even more amazing (and weirdly directly related news), five days after what’s probably going to be the last performance of Blue Boy ever, it’s getting published in Assaracus: A Journal of Gay Poetry #24, published by Sibling Rivalry Press!

You can order it direct from the publisher here, or it’s available on Amazon here, and The Book Depository eventually (not there yet).

And my last bit of news, my poem ‘Blackbird’ is going to be published in an academic journal, Studies in Arts and Humanties, in Volume 2, Issue 2, which will be out in December. You can view the journal here.

GOOD TIMES!

Notes from the Margins #34

ROUNDUP:

FIRSTLY, two reviews for Threesome: Him, Him and Me, in which my story, Fancy Dress, as Chris Colby, gets some nice praise.

Review one, from Love Bytes Reviews
“Fancy Dress is the story of three college flat mates who have vaguely referenced attractions to each other, and which remain unacknowledged until one Halloween night…

Ok, and well there isn’t really much more that can be said about this story. It’s pretty much one big smutty sex scene that sees all three roomies get off in the kitchen. I tend to like more story than smut, so kudos to the author for making me love it. I can only assume that it was the author’s skill that carried it off, but to be honest I was too wrapped up in reading the lascivious on page action to pay that much attention to the writing!”

Review two, from Rainbow Gold Reviews
Fancy Dress – Chris Colby – College campus during Halloween. Three roommates, all very different. The narrator, at first, thinks they are all straight. Then he overhears a phone conversation of one of them, and finds out at least one isn’t. But, he has a tendency to say and/or think the wrong thing at all times. Until he dresses up in drag for Halloween. On a dare. Becoming a catalyst. And then everything seems to go right for him I enjoyed this one.

SECONDLY, two interviews,
First one is Nathan Burgoine interviewing me on his Sunday Shorts series as Chris Colby about Threesome and other stuff. 
Second one is me as Mark Ward for Matt Bright’s new Queer Lit Q+A series. 

THIRDLY, I shall be on Sunday Shorts as Mark Ward and on the Queer Lit Q+A’s as Chris Colby soon too (yes, I know, it’s a little confusing, but essentially: four interviews with me)

FOURTHLY, work is going apace on the first Chris Colby novel, which currently has the working title of Under Surveillance. It’s planned to be the first of a series of books. I’m about fourteen chapters into it at the moment.

FIFTHLY, I have been sending work out to beat the band, and hopefully I should be hearing back en masse soon. I’ve also been sending out How to Live When Life Subtracts a bit more, so hopefully that will get picked up!

Notes from the Margins #33

My poem, Yggdrasil, is featured in the anthology below!
There’s more information about it (and how to purchase) here. You can also purchase it through Amazon but please consider buying it direct from the press. Thanks!

 

Notes from the Margins #32

And another bit of news, that just happened right now!

My poem, Gown, has been published on HIV Here + Now! Go read 😀