Jeremy Tells It Best

I’ve had it with modesty. While having a moderate estimation of one’s abilities, value, and talent is cool, the part about being reserved and proper in speech, behavior, and dress–that is the part that gets me.

I want to know about the successes of those around me. I want you all to shed reserve and propriety and share the news because: 

1) It makes me happy to know that people I love are feeling some love.

2) It is inspiring to know that, despite all the vapid things being produced, published, and praised, there is also good work that is getting produced, published, and praised.

3) When my people, most of whom are not particularly well connected, get attention it shows that some systems work, that one doesn’t necessarily have to cocktail-party-her-way to the top.

In one of my reading groups, (this one is comprised of female employees at the Colorado School of Mines) we are reading Women Don’t Ask. The book, written by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever, an economist and journalist duo, aims to uncover the reasons why women are in less powerful positions and earn less money than men. One of the problems is mentioned in the title. One reason women don’t ask for as much as men do is because we don’t generally feel entitled to as much. Unfortunately, I can relate to many of the points made in the book, especially this one:

[W]omen are much more likely than men to think that simply working hard and doing a good job will earn them success and advancement Read more »

No Choice but to Dive into this Beautiful Book

Some of you may remember that last spring Exquisite Disarray had a first book contest. I bet you’re wondering who won.

The winner is my beloved friend, Jeremy Halinen. In addition to being an outstanding poet, he is one of the best editors I’ve ever worked with. He and Brett Ortler (Barkster Extraordinaire) are the founders and editors of Knockout and were poetry editors for Willow Springs. The two of them are fearless, brilliant, and unstoppable. They’ll drive across the country and charm someone as charming as Thomas Lux into talking to them about poetry.

I found out last night that Jeremy’s manuscript, What Other Choice was selected by Kathleen Flenniken as the winning book, the one Exquisite Disarray is publishing in November 2010.

I asked Jeremy if we could have a taste of his new book while we impatiently wait for the chance to buy it. He sent me the following—a Bark Exclusive (until the book comes out next month and people all over the world begin reciting it to themselves for strength and vulnerability): Read more »

Your Book Could Be Next

Like so many publishers that deserve our attention today, Exquisite Disarray, is a non-profit. They deserve our attention because they are publishing beautiful, thoughtful, image-rich, linguistically refined art. Non-profit publishers don’t  need to sell their works in large numbers–don’t need to appeal to the boorish majority–because they are able to convince entities to donate money. In this case, the Tacoma Arts Commission is a primary funder. 

So far, Exquisite Disarray, which was started in 2008, has published two books, In Tahoma’s Shadow: Poems from the City of Destiny, an anthology of poems about Tacoma, and Fallow, a book of poems by William Kupinse. Exquisite Disarray is ready to publish its third book, a book of poems by a Washington writer. Manuscripts are due by May 15^th, and will be read anonymously. The judge is Kathleen Flennikan, who, in addition to being a widely applauded writer and president/co-editor of Floating Bridge Press, published a poem in Willow Springs issue 61 (“Mosquito Truck”). The Exquisite Disarray book contest is the only one I know of that doesn’t ask for a reading fee. (I’d love to be proven wrong about this.)  Read more »