Fishtrap Week 19: Reflections

[Apologies for no customary post yesterday—I am under the weather.]

It’s Week 19 and I officially have 1 day of teaching left to conclude my nearly 6-month residency here in the Wallowas. If I didn’t have other part-time teaching with teens on the near horizon, I might actually lament the last day. Instead, I find I’m already thinking of how to freshen up my prompts, where I can find more inspiring photos for said prompts, and how on earth I’m going to find 80 unwanted old books to do an “altered books” poetry session I have in mind for the kids this summer.

It’s been an interesting week: four more rejections (all from publications, no word on fellowships), but I made first cuts for a paid editing and online course position for a respected literary journal. Likewise, as more fellowship doors close, other residencies keep appearing on my radar and I’ve sent out a few additional applications. I’m a few steps further along with the packaged materials for agents and now I just need personalize each one. When I’m finished, I may post part of it this blog as food for thought.

Now if I could just kick this cold virus that’s trying to keep me indoors (when all I want to do is B-I-K-E!), I might actually be able to start getting back into shape.