[Jeff Holt]

I know I only pop in here once every few months or so, but at least I don't feel so badly about that now as I talk to a number of you on Facebook. FB is much simpler to keep up with for a full time case manager/full time father/part time poet!

I have a couple of publications to share, the first of which is quite bizarre to me, and therefore merits a story. In early 2011, I received a request from a Dr. McDermott in Jamaica to reprint "The Stalker's Villanelle" in a textbook for secondary school children. At first I thought it might be a scam, but as there was no money or even personal information involved, I just agreed. About 2 months ago I received an email from the professor asking for my address so that he could Fed Ex my copy of the textbook, "CAPE Literatures in English Poetry Module." I gave him the address, received the book, and was a little overwhelmed to find a chapter devoted exclusively to villanelles, with Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" compared with "The Stalker's Villanelle!" I looked up CAPE, and it turns out that it is the official "achievement" test students must pass in the West Caribbean in order to move on to higher education; I suppose our parallel would be the SAT. Anyway, sorry for going on about this--the experience was simply the most unusual one I have had in publishing.

The other news is that I have just sent the corrected proofs back for my chapbook, "The Harvest," which will be coming out from White Violet Press in April or May--definitely before the West Chester conference. The cover and the layout are very attractive--Karen Kelsay-Davies always does great work!

Jeff

[Quincy Lehr]

Good going, Jeff!

[Maryann Corbett]

Very good going indeed, Jeff!

[Tim Murphy]

Congratulations Jeff. One's first chapbook is a pretty exciting moment in a writer's life, and I am confident it will be a corker.

[Jim Burrows]

Congratulations, Jeff! Looking forward to your chapbook.

[Will Gourley]

Jeff, kudos for your pubs. I am not surprised about the attention to the villanelle. I referenced it a few years ago in a presentation to a local once-a-month poetry readers group as an example of the skillful use of the form-fits-the-content mode of poetry. So, it is gratifying to learn that the work continues to get read, used, and appreciated. Kudos. I'll look for the chapbook.
Cheers wkg

[Jeff Holt]

Originally Posted by Will Gourley

Jeff, kudos for your pubs. I am not surprised about the attention to the villanelle. I referenced it a few years ago in a presentation to a local once-a-month poetry readers group as an example of the skillful use of the form-fits-the-content mode of poetry. So, it is gratifying to learn that the work continues to get read, used, and appreciated. Kudos. I'll look for the chapbook.Cheers wkg

Thanks Tim, Quincy, Maryann, and everyone else! And especially thanks to you, Will, for having referenced my villanelle in a presenation--it's always a little amazing to me when I hear things like that.

If I make it to West Chester this year, I hope to see most or all of you there!

Jeff

[Catherine Chandler]

Jeff,

Thank you for sharing your good news. Congratulations on all counts!

[Rick Mullin]

Congrats. Looking forward to the chapbook.
RM

[Bill Carpenter]

Congratulations, very interesting!