from the stage to the page

For the past year and a half, I’ve been immersed in the world of performance poetry — i.e., poetry that is often written with the intent of being performed on a stage (as opposed to read on a page). Until now, my poetry had only appeared in one publication… Sassy magazine circa 1992. I remember it well. After submitting many poems I’d toiled over, the magazine chose a piece I’d written in about a minute. I remember it very well, in fact–my poem appeared in the November issue (the same month I turned 17) and Mayim Bialik was on the cover.

Last week was a big one for me in the world of publishing poetry. One of my poems (and photos) was selected for publication in Bourgeon, an online arts magazine. I could not have been more thrilled…until I learned that Beltway Poetry Quarterly will also be publishing a piece of mine in its January 2011 Langston Hughes tribute issue.

To say I’m honored to be published alongside the other artists featured in these publications is an understatement.

An interesting side note–my publishing credits started with a magazine depicting the actress who played “Blossom,” and the arts journal Bourgeon gets its name from the French word for “bud.” I’m also active with a community arts space called BloomBars. Hmmm…I sense a theme here.