My Favorite Poetry-Infused Experiences of 2014
by Juliet Cook
1. House on Fire by Susan Yount (the first Blood Pudding Press contest winning poetry chapbook of 2014)
2. Stick Up by Paul David Adkins (the second Blood Pudding Press contest winning poetry chapbook of 2014)
3. They Talk About Death by Alessandra Bava (the third Blood Pudding Press contest winning poetry chapbook of 2014)
4. Other poetry chapbooks/books by other poets/small presses, BUT I don't usually read fast or read based upon the year, so many of the chapbooks/books I've been reading this year were published in previous years and/or my reading is still in progress. (Two 2014 ones that I recently finished and very much liked were both published by ELJ Publications - "EveryHerDies" by Jennifer MacBain-Stephens and "Without Dorothy, There is No Going Home" by Alex Stolis.
5. Poetic interactions with Arsenic Lobster/Misty Publications (Susan Yount), Hyacinth Girl Press (Margaret Bashaar), Menacing Hedge (Kelly Boyker and Gio Guillemette), Dancing Girl Press (Kristy Bowen), The Rooster Moans Poetry Cooperative (Lissa Kiernan) at the very first AWP I ever attended, AWP 2014 in Seattle. It was wonderful to see/meet/spend time with other presses and poets there too, in person for the very first time with lots of them. It is awesome to develop friendships (and have passionate, creative interactions) with people whom you were initially aware of and admired them through their poetry and/or their presses.
6. Poetic interactions with Crisis Chronicles Press editor and poet John Burroughs, who introduced me to his press, invited me to read at several poetry readings, and invited me to participate in a fabulous OCT TONGUE 2 project, in which several different poets were chosen to write a poem every single day in the month of October (my favorite month) and his press will create a book of those October 2014 poems, to be published next year. I was thrilled to be invited and it was a great experience.
7. Having an unexpected, unique, fun new man in my life, who is not a poet, but is more than willing to attend poetry readings with me, which has given me the opportunity to read in more venues and locations than usual this year (even hours away to Chicago to be part of an exceptional Dia De Los Muertos event with the Chicago Poetry Bordello). Not that poetry readings are all we do together, but this is a poetry list, so thank you to Darryl for being involved with my poetry stuff (among other things).
8. Having a new chapbook of mine published by Shirt Pocket Press, RED DEMOLITION. Poetic collaboration resulting in having two new collaborative chapbooks accepted and coming next year - MUTANT NEURON CODEX SWARM by Robert Cole and me (forthcoming from Hyacinth Girl Press, next month) AND Dive Back Down by j/j hastain and me (forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press, later next year).
9. Being Nominated for a Best of the Net by Menacing Hedge for my "Evacuation"
10. Being Nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Hyacinth Girl Press for my "Undulation".
2014 didn't always feel all that vibrant all the time, but having a hard time narrowing this list down to ten poetic delights (and having an even harder time making it a semi-short list) causes me to realize that it was! Hopefully 2015 will be just as creatively exceptional!
Juliet Cook’s poetry has appeared in a small multitude of literary publications, recently including Arsenic Lobster, Diode, ILK, Menacing Hedge, and Tarpaulin Sky Press. She is the author of more than thirteen published poetry chapbooks, most recently including POST-STROKE (Blood Pudding Press for Dusie Kollektiv 5), Thirteen Designer Vaginas (Hyacinth Girl Press), POISONOUS BEAUTYSKULL LOLLIPOP (Grey Book Press), RED DEMOLITION (Shirt Pocket Press), a new collaborative chapbook with Robert Cole, MUTANT NEURON CODEX SWARM (forthcoming from Hyacinth Girl Press in January 2015), and a new collaborative chapbook with j/j hastain, Dive Back Down (forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press later in 2015). Juliet’s first full-length poetry book, “Horrific Confection”, was published by BlazeVOX. In addition to her own writing, Juliet is the editor/publisher of Blood Pudding Press (print) and Thirteen Myna Birds (online). You can find out more at www.JulietCook.weebly.com.
1. House on Fire by Susan Yount (the first Blood Pudding Press contest winning poetry chapbook of 2014)
2. Stick Up by Paul David Adkins (the second Blood Pudding Press contest winning poetry chapbook of 2014)
3. They Talk About Death by Alessandra Bava (the third Blood Pudding Press contest winning poetry chapbook of 2014)
4. Other poetry chapbooks/books by other poets/small presses, BUT I don't usually read fast or read based upon the year, so many of the chapbooks/books I've been reading this year were published in previous years and/or my reading is still in progress. (Two 2014 ones that I recently finished and very much liked were both published by ELJ Publications - "EveryHerDies" by Jennifer MacBain-Stephens and "Without Dorothy, There is No Going Home" by Alex Stolis.
5. Poetic interactions with Arsenic Lobster/Misty Publications (Susan Yount), Hyacinth Girl Press (Margaret Bashaar), Menacing Hedge (Kelly Boyker and Gio Guillemette), Dancing Girl Press (Kristy Bowen), The Rooster Moans Poetry Cooperative (Lissa Kiernan) at the very first AWP I ever attended, AWP 2014 in Seattle. It was wonderful to see/meet/spend time with other presses and poets there too, in person for the very first time with lots of them. It is awesome to develop friendships (and have passionate, creative interactions) with people whom you were initially aware of and admired them through their poetry and/or their presses.
6. Poetic interactions with Crisis Chronicles Press editor and poet John Burroughs, who introduced me to his press, invited me to read at several poetry readings, and invited me to participate in a fabulous OCT TONGUE 2 project, in which several different poets were chosen to write a poem every single day in the month of October (my favorite month) and his press will create a book of those October 2014 poems, to be published next year. I was thrilled to be invited and it was a great experience.
7. Having an unexpected, unique, fun new man in my life, who is not a poet, but is more than willing to attend poetry readings with me, which has given me the opportunity to read in more venues and locations than usual this year (even hours away to Chicago to be part of an exceptional Dia De Los Muertos event with the Chicago Poetry Bordello). Not that poetry readings are all we do together, but this is a poetry list, so thank you to Darryl for being involved with my poetry stuff (among other things).
8. Having a new chapbook of mine published by Shirt Pocket Press, RED DEMOLITION. Poetic collaboration resulting in having two new collaborative chapbooks accepted and coming next year - MUTANT NEURON CODEX SWARM by Robert Cole and me (forthcoming from Hyacinth Girl Press, next month) AND Dive Back Down by j/j hastain and me (forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press, later next year).
9. Being Nominated for a Best of the Net by Menacing Hedge for my "Evacuation"
10. Being Nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Hyacinth Girl Press for my "Undulation".
2014 didn't always feel all that vibrant all the time, but having a hard time narrowing this list down to ten poetic delights (and having an even harder time making it a semi-short list) causes me to realize that it was! Hopefully 2015 will be just as creatively exceptional!
Juliet Cook’s poetry has appeared in a small multitude of literary publications, recently including Arsenic Lobster, Diode, ILK, Menacing Hedge, and Tarpaulin Sky Press. She is the author of more than thirteen published poetry chapbooks, most recently including POST-STROKE (Blood Pudding Press for Dusie Kollektiv 5), Thirteen Designer Vaginas (Hyacinth Girl Press), POISONOUS BEAUTYSKULL LOLLIPOP (Grey Book Press), RED DEMOLITION (Shirt Pocket Press), a new collaborative chapbook with Robert Cole, MUTANT NEURON CODEX SWARM (forthcoming from Hyacinth Girl Press in January 2015), and a new collaborative chapbook with j/j hastain, Dive Back Down (forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press later in 2015). Juliet’s first full-length poetry book, “Horrific Confection”, was published by BlazeVOX. In addition to her own writing, Juliet is the editor/publisher of Blood Pudding Press (print) and Thirteen Myna Birds (online). You can find out more at www.JulietCook.weebly.com.