Chapbook Rookie: Cover Art Teaser!

After AWP last week, I stayed in Chicago to spend time with my two best friends from high school, Heather and Casandra. Heather has lived in Chicago for the past five years and was preparing to move to Pittsburgh. Casandra came in for the weekend from Portland. She had been in the Peace Corp in South Africa, so neither of us had seen her in two and a half years. It was like we just saw one another yesterday. I love those kinds of friends. I'm lucky to have so many friends like that, ones I can call after months apart and we pick up right where we left off.

What I didn't realize about my decision to stay a couple extra days in Chicago was that it put me in a major crunch to get my chapbook documents to Finishing Line. I had a bunch of things to mail them by March 9th, including the cover art. Eek! 

So I got on the phone with Rose Desiano, my cover artist extraordinaire, leaving her a ridiculously long message about the deadlines. I worked on my end to finish revisions to the manuscript while Rose started revising the cover designs she made a few weeks earlier.  

When we first began, Rose asked me to search free font websites to make a list of fonts that I liked. The idea here was that fonts are a good way to bridge between the written word and visual arts. I loved this idea and happily sought out fonts I thought I'd love to have on my cover. I also told her about some general ideas I had as far as art was concerned. Earthy, movement, braiding, a little dark, messy even. When the first of the covers came back, I was surprised to find that the fonts I liked originally were not working for me anymore, but I loved where Rose began with the design. So I also spent some time in Chicago browsing through fonts again. 

Still in Chicago with my besties. Heather, who was preparing to move, also just had her second child, Sam. Hubby and first child were already in Pittsburgh, so we were there to help as much as hang. I hated being on my computer so much because I just wanted to hold Sam, but I really didn't want anything on my end to be the cause of delay. I revised my manuscript, Casandra helped me take an author photograph, and Rose toiled away over the cover.

we brought a baby to a bar. 

For dinner on Monday the three of us took Sam to a most delicious brew pub where they serve bacon fat popcorn that tastes especially delicious with their wheat beer. While there, Rose was emailing me cover designs and I was reply back on my phone with brief commentary about adjusting this or that. In one email she remarked at her surprise at the level of efficiency via email. About five or six emails and a few designs back and forth and voila! I had a cover. All while enjoying a good Belgian-style beer. And Sam did so well in the restaurant, allowing us ladies to enjoy our night out.

Tuesday in Chicago I'm preparing to leave for the airport when I get an email from Finishing Line with my production schedule. Squee! Pre-orders start May 29th and run until July 13th. My chapbook is set to arrive the week of September 8th, give or take a week or two for unexpected delays. Now I really wanted to get everything to them in time so as not to push this schedule back. 

Finishing Line typically does the design work for their authors, but since I'm a major control freak take-charge kind of lady, I opted to have Rose do the front cover artwork and the design for both the front and back. She had some final questions about what file types FLP needed, so Rose emailed the editor. On Wednesday morning, I wake up ready to print many documents, save many documents to a flash drive, and priority mail all the documents off to Kentucky when Rose forwarded an email she received from FLP. They said if we needed more time it was no problem at all. In fact, we could have all the way until June before they needed the full cover design, most likely since Rose was doing all of it. And if I needed extra time to finish my documents, that was no problem either. They said it would not affect my publication schedule at all.

*sigh*

The moral of this story, my fellow poets, is just ask. The worst that anyone can say is no. Plus, this bought Rose some extra time to really polish the design and me some extra time to make sure the manuscript is just so. This kind of flexibility with cover art and design is part of what makes working with a small press so fulfilling. Also, collaborating with a friend is even more awesome. I'm so glad Rose is making the cover! I admire her work and really love what she's created.

Speaking of the cover, it's done save for some polishing. I can't reveal the whole thing just yet, but I can share a zoomed-in square. Enjoy this little nugget. I'm so excited to reveal the full cover! So soon. Is it September yet? 

Next time on Chapbook Rookie: More Marketing! Marketing Galore! 

Top 10 Moments of AWP 2012

10. Book Fair: Paper Darts Table!

Seriously, the most fun table I stopped at by far was the Paper Darts table. This is a beautiful print publication. The editors are fun, outgoing, not-pretentious, and they had a puppy! Who can resist a puppy?

9. Not with a Bang, but a Whisper

I only went to three panels, but I learned so much from the poets who shared their thoughts on whispering and poetry and politics. Like many good discussions on poetry, the guidance and knowledge shared can also be excellent advice for living a full life. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom I gleaned:

“The lived life is a political life.” – Dorianne Laux
“Flinching is exactly what we need to do.” – Lia Purpura, on truly looking at and seeing what’s most difficult
“Write whatever haunts you enough to put pen paper.” –Dorianne Laux, on the poet’s authority 

8. Meeting Weave contributors

I met so many wonderful Weave contributors! This is my favorite part of editing: shaking hands (or better yet, hugging!) the brave and generous people who share their work with us. There was a bunch that stopped by the table when I wasn’t there. To those lovely contributors I say, See you in Boston! 

7. Reading for Chatham

Reading at AWP was thrilling. I don’t normally get nervous for a reading; I’m pretty confident in my reading abilities (I always practice). But this one had me shaken because while it was hosted by my alma mater, anyone could wander in. But once I got over myself and saw all the familiar, supportive faces of my former professors and classmates, I chilled. And the reading was so much fun. I made new friends and finally met Carolyn Whelan and was so happy to read with her and the especially lovely Sarah Shotland. Great night.

6. Post-Reading Beer and Milkshake Party

Sometimes things just work out perfectly. My friends Sarah, Jess, Lo, and I all went out for dinner at a diner down the street from the hotel. As we were sitting, we saw Heather McNaugher, our professor and poet extraordinaire, who joined us for dinner and fantastic conversation. There are so many people to see at AWP and I am so grateful I got to enjoy a meal with these exceptional people. I felt like myself again.

5. Gender Interrupted: Poetry of the Alternatively Gendered

There were 10,000 people at AWP this year. With numbers that high, it’s easy to feel the edges of yourself blurring into anonymity. This reading, featuring Stacey Waite, Joy Ladin, Ely Shipley, and Samuel Ace, was one of the best readings I’ve ever attended. The work of these poets is so varied, yet tied together with a common, universal theme: seeking a place, be in geographical or corporeal, where one feels at home. The room changed, the audience breathed, the poets spoke. It was beautiful.

4. Dancing with friends at the Dance

I love dancing, but I often forget it. But once a good song comes on (or even a really terrible one), I feel the rhythm. Gloria Estefan, you said it right: the rhythm is gonna get ya! It did. And I danced and saw old friends and made new ones and had a blast.

3. LGBT Caucus

Much like the Gender Interrupted reading, the LGBT Caucus felt like a slice of home. I often have trouble, for a variety of reasons, publicly embracing my queerness. The largest reason is because of the straight privilege I get from being in a relationship with a man. I pass as straight. But I soon realized that I was in the right room when I witnessed the exchange of thoughtful suggestions, honest concerns, and light-hearted laughter at this caucus. A community was born in that room. I’m so glad I’m a part of it.

2. Meeting Dorianne Laux

Nuff said.

1. Friends. Friends. Friends.

The best part about AWP is always the people. I did my best to not allow myself to blend, but to reach out and strengthen friendships and make new ones. I’m so grateful that my friends made time for me. I’m a lucky person.

AWP Sneak Peek

Pre-AWP 2012 Wrap Up PLUS Why I'd Make a Horrible Spy

I might be blowing my cover here, but I'm pretty sure only twelve people read this blog so it doesn't matter. Plus, it's just for shits and giggles.

me, super tired at the weave table @ awp 2009

I've been asked to be an AWP spy.

Spying on what, exactly? Not sure yet. My mission is still unclear. Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I'll be the worst spy in history. Especially since I told you that I am one. Also, spies have to be short, like Tom Cruise. At 5'10", even if I was a man, I'd be pushing it. I will stick out in the hoards of other anxious, awkward writers like a big, loud, sweaty, sore thumb. Well, I'm not that tall, but I like wearing heels these days.

Yeah so, it's almost AWP and I'm blogging about it now since everyone does their requisite "AWP wrap-up" post. I'm breaking the rules. That's what spies do!

So I'm going to wrap up AWP before AWP. Here's how it will go/goes/went:

WEDNESDAY: After flying to Chicago (which is crazy stressful) I am jumpy and excited when I see all my Pittsburgh/Grad School friends at the hotel. I also run into friends from other jobs and cities and I'm just as excited. I grab a drink with my friends, feel happy and excited to talk with East Coasters for an hour or so. But also I start yawning because I'm so beat from traveling. Head back to the hotel room early and hit the hay, since I want to be awake the next day for an early panel. I call Sal before I go to bed to tell him I miss him.

THURSDAY: Sleep late. Because of the time difference, I say. Then spend too much time picking out an outfit, one that doesn't look like I took too much time. I also wear makeup. Since I'm starving by now, I pay lots of money for a dry banana nut muffin and an apple. I then make a trip to the Weave table to ensure that my minions have what they need, before I do a few laps around the book fair. Part way through the book fair, I panic from the crowds. I probably panic in front of a table for a cool indie journal that gives away matchbooks or shot glasses. It takes me 20 minutes to find a bathroom where I splash water on my face. Deep breath. While leaving, I run into a friend who's going to a panel that sounds interesting enough. I forget the panels I wanted to see that day anyway and I left my list in the hotel room. Meet up with friends for lunch. I promise someone I'm going to try to make it to her off-site reading, knowing I probably won't. Head back to the hotel room to nap. Wake up, hit an afternoon poetry reading with my favorite poet. Skip dinner. Too nervous, because I'm reading tonight. Then back to the hotel room again to shower and dress for the reading. Read. See friends. They tell me how they love my dress, because it's really cute. I introduce these people to those people. Following the reading I am either exhausted or energized. Either way, I end up back in the hotel room by 9:30. Because of the time difference, I say. Call Sal before I go to bed to tell him I miss him.

FRIDAY: See Thursday. Minus the reading. End the night getting tipsy at the AWP Social Dance Thing, where someone with the AWP takes an awesome picture of the crowd and I undoubtedly make an equally awesome face, like this:

SATURDAY: Book fair day. My friend Angela and I take turns making awkward conversation with writers at the Weave table. I meet some contributors who stop by. Chat with editors. Wander the book fair and spend more than my budget on books. Lunch at the table. People come over to the table to find out what I'm doing tonight. I say I'm not sure yet, but secretly plan hide in the hotel room and read the books I bought. Once I get to the hotel room, I'm in my jammies reading and journaling when friends try to convince me to hang out. I try to convince them to stay in and order a pizza. Neither of us are convinced, so I say goodbye to my friends, cuddling under the covers to watch Parks and Rec on my laptop. Before I go to sleep, I'll call Sal to tell him I miss him.

Whew. I'm tired just from writing that imagined account. If this is your first time at AWP, check out novelist Leslie Pietrzyk's advice on surviving AWP. I'm off to buy some spy gear.

Chatham University Reception & Alumni Reading

photo from Wikipedia

Just a quick note announcing my first AWP reading! I'm honored to be a part of Chatham's first AWP Reception and I'm so excited to be included with my fellow readers. If you're heading to Chicago in March, I hope you'll stop by and say hello.

Chatham University Reception & Alumni Reading
Thursday, March 1, 2012 7-8:30pm
Hilton Chicago Hotel
Private Dining Room 4
Readers: Carolyne Whelan, Sarah Shotland, and Laura Davis
RSVP: Facebook