Dreamland! Winter 2014

This is arguably the best acceptance letter I’ve ever received. I thank you, Jeremy Stewart. Would that all publishers wrote notes like that.

This is a pipe dream. As if. Having just received my latest “sorry, but” letter… “Difficult choices, great interest blahblahblah.” Don't get me wrong. I get it. It still smarts, though, even at my age. Ah well, c’est la vie. I don’t define myself by my writing and never have. Once in a while, though, it’s marvellous to get a YES.

In 2013 or 2014, Jeremy Stewart asked me to contribute to his new journal, Dreamland. I was delighted to do so. I had previously foisted my editing services on Jeremy when I was looking to build my portfolio and had come across some fucking stellar work he’d published in a journal. He was kind enough to let me cut my editing teeth on the book, which went on to win the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry.

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The piece here is from a manuscript in progress (its been in progress since I was in my 40s!!) called All New Teenage Love. It began as a novel about a woman who loved Tom Jones and Jonnie Love, a character from several issues of a few series of romance comics of the 1970s. There are very few of these Jonnie Loves that I don’t own, and you’ll know about my love of all things romance comics if you follow this blog at all.

That didn’t work, but I have a few of these uncategorizable pieces that I am putting together. I have about 100 favourite love comics, and the material is ripe for this kind of reimagining. Jeremy is the only journal editor brave or silly (I prefer brave) enough to commit one to paper, but as GAWD IS MY WITNESS, this book will see the light of day one of these fine years.

I offer up snapshots of the piece itself. The book will be looking for a home this year because, regardless of its strange format, I think there’s space for it out there somewhere.

I believe in this format, and I’m spending some serious time working it into a book. Time will tell.

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I’ve been moving away from editing tips on the blog and will do for the next while, as I’m looking to reduce my editing work, and to move into one-on-one consulting on how to become an editor. If you want to keep up on my progress, please feel free to sign up to my newsletter. It’s free and sporadic. I promise not to spam you.