Poetry: General
Finalist
A Ligature For Black Bodies by Denise Miller
Eyewear Publishing
Finalist
Death, With Occasional Smiling by Tony Medina
Indolent Books
Finalist
Stars in the Junkyard by Sharon Berg
Cyberwit
Finalist
Touch My Head Softly by Eileen P. Kennedy
Finishing Line Press
Finalist
Warren by Karina van Berkum
MadHat Press
Finalist
Watermelon Linguistics: New and Selected Poems by Alexis Krasilovsky
Cyberwit
Experimenting is part of the creative process. Things can change at any stage in a painting’s or manuscript’s development.
The writing process is an exciting and adventurous process. It sometimes feels electrifying and at other times, downright discouraging. A writer needs to go in knowing that it might not work. It means that results don’t matter as much as the process, the joy and the journey.
I try to keep this in mind every time I sit down at a blank page. An athlete has to work out to get to a point where she wins the competition. A writer sometimes has to fail many times before succeeding. It’s part of the journey to that wonderful piece that finally works.
I’ll be blogging on Thursdays, and posting announcements, as they come, on Thursdays. Follow me on WordPress at http://www.eileenpkennedy.com
The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome.
–Derek Walcott
Derek Walcott writes about being comfortable in your own skin. In a world of war and international pandemic, sometimes we have to be our own friend.
As writers, we need to nurture ourselves. There is plenty of rejection and criticism out there for the writer, so being our own cheerleader is sometimes necessary.
We crave praise, awards, good reviews, and the affirmation of the publisher, but if we remember the joy of the creative process, we don’t need the positive feedback of others.
As a poet, I work often alone and in solitude. Books tend to be published quietly also. There may be a book launch, but aside from that, people buy and read our books on their own. This doesn’t mean that our books don’t touch people or have a lasting effect. A writers, we know the books that have made that special impact on us and we have to trust that our writing will have an effect on our readers.
Or as Derek Walcott so aptly put it “…peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life. “
I will be posting on Thursdays about the writing life, with announcements, as they come, on Tuesdays. Follow me at WordPress.
Eileen P. Kennedy Author 