all the way to just about there in 2019

It is with great pleasure (ok, I’m squealing!) that I announce my second (full-length) book of poetry, all the way to just about there, has been accepted for publication by FutureCycle Press. It is scheduled to publish next summer. The title is the story of my life, really (#unfinishedbusiness), and the poems range from seasonal poems that cycle a year in the mountains, wonderment over space exploration, grief over the tragic things humans do to one another, acute parenting moments, hope, healing, redemption, and the power of imagination. (Also, a lot of breath-holding, now that I think about it.)

As a bonus, if you read the book, I’ll let you in on “The Secret Life of Groceries.”

I’m thrilled to be working with such a discerning and respected press, whose catalog features such powerful poets as Paul Hostovsky, Amy Riddell, Tanya Runyan, J.P. Dancing Bear, and Colorado poets Robert Cooperman and Joseph Hutchison (Colorado’s current Poet Laureate). Woo hoo!

As always, I am grateful to all who have helped me by reading early drafts, attending my readings, and generally accepting me for who am: a poet mama with a lot on her plate and a dream in her heart. I consider this a group effort, y’all, so thank you!!!

P.S. I’ll be reading from my book The Magic Rectangle from Folded Word at BookBar in Denver on Feb. 3, 2018. Come see me!

Florida flower

Every day a miracle….

 

Posted in all the way to just about there, creative process, poetry, The Magic Rectangle | 2 Comments

Great Way to End 2017

Ice World by Sandra S. McRae

Photo: Sandra S. McRae

Well, it’s been a rough year for the planet, democracy, and civility for sure. That is why I am oh so grateful that I can end my year on a high note. As announced on my publisher’s blog today, my poem “Quarry Song” from The Magic Rectangle has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, along with some fine pieces from other Folded Word authors! I am honored just to be nominated with so many great writers. Congratulations to all the nominees! I hope you, dear reader, will take some time to check out all these fabulous pieces from Folded Word announced on their blog.

My book is also one of three that Folded Word’s editor in chief has submitted to the New England Book Show. JS Graustein designs beautiful books–she is truly an artist–and I am so pleased and honored with the book she designed for my manuscript. The other books are simply stunning: Water Ways by William O’Daly and JS Graustein, and After Rain by Gary Schroeder. I will be reading with Gary at various venues this winter, including at BookBar in Denver on Fed. 3, 2018 at 5:30, so I hope you’ll come listen–I’ll post info here.

And while you’re reading around, please make some time to read this profound memoir piece by my friend Nicole Piasecki, published in Hippocampus. Nicole’s piece was also nominated for a Pushcart. Nicole’s story is heartbreaking and beautifully wrought and I wish she never ever had to write it. Read it. You will be moved and I think it is so important to bear witness to stories like hers.

As always, I am grateful for your support and hope to see you at a reading in 2018. I wish you a Happy New Year–may you be richly blessed in this new season of hope!

Happy New Year! Photo: Sandra S. McRae

Happy New Year!
Photo: Sandra S. McRae

Posted in good poets, poetry | Leave a comment

It’s Here! The Magic Rectangle Available for the Holidays!

Cover image for the book The Magic RectangleHooray! My prose poem collection, The Magic Rectangle, is available now from Folded Word. I just love this cover, designed by Folded Word’s Editor in Chief JS Graustein. I think you’ll like the inside, too—more than 20 prose poems that explore the weird and the divine, the natural and the domestic, and hunger of all kinds. You can read three FREE sample poems by clicking on the order page. Just scroll down to read “Junk Drawer,” “Cassini’s Mistress of the Night,” and “Knife Fight with Coconut: Dénouement.” (Let me know what you think in the comments below!)

But wait, there’s more! We have an awesome pre-sale event going on right now—order before Dec. 10, 2017 and save $$ off the cover price. You can order signed or unsigned copies, in singles or three-packs. (We’ve already broken a press record for most multi-packs sold—thank you, devoted fans!) Signed copies make GREAT holiday gifts, but if you’re local, I can sign it for you anytime at my readings. I will be reading in Evergreen, Colorado, at The Place on Dec. 10, 2017 (27886 Meadow Drive), and at Book Bar in Denver on February 3, 2018. I’ll announce other venues in the near future.

Ordering by Nov. 25 shows your support for small businesses!

Ordering by Nov. 25 shows your support for small businesses!

Another great thing about this pre-sale: My publisher is an artisanal literary press, so you when you order your copies, you’re supporting a small business with sustainable, eco-conscious practices. As they put it, “We strive to make literature a sustainable and accessible art form through ecologically-aware production methods and disability-friendly ebooks.” Their Sustainable Edition of my book, which you get with a pre-sale order, is “printed locally (in Maine) without chemical solvents or plastics.” So you not only support the presses (and me!) by buying direct, you help the environment. And as you can see from the image above, Folded Word’s covers have brighter colors that are protected by a water-based UV coating and their natural papers are eco-friendly. (That makes this nature freak very happy.)

I’m also proud of Folded Word’s devotion to accessibility. Their digital editions are published on the Kindle platform, and can be read anywhere on any app-based device. Text is reflowable with text-to-speech and enhanced typesetting enabled. This edition will be available on December 10, 2017. This is of course offered to those with a Kindle Unlimited membership from Amazon as well.

So there you have it: Great book, great price, great publisher. What more could I ask for? Oh, yeah…readers! So please order your copy today! Remember that Saturday, November 25th is Small Saturday–when we shop to support small businesses like Folded Word. Thank you, as always, for your support. I think you’ll be entertained, moved, and maybe able to see the world from a slightly different slant once you’ve moved around in The Magic Rectangle.

 

 

 

Posted in Beauty, creative process, Poems, poetry, Prose, writing process | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment