On Anne Sexton’s Not-So-Great Short Stories October 20, 2011: Liz Langemak wrote a post for ABOUTAWORD that explores Anne Sexton's struggles to publish short stories. Her piece centers on a story called "Vampire," that while, according to Lagemak is wholly unsuccessful, did demonstrate Sexton's determination. The piece includes scanned images of letters from publishers and her editors. Even as I sorted [...] by Harriet Staff

The Collected Cake Recipes of Emily Dickinson October 20, 2011: So, this is awesome. Emily Dickinson, according to this post from the NY Times blog, was quite the accomplished baker. Some of her cake recipes have endured and will come to life at a reception as part of an exhibit through Poets House. From the post: Whatever you happen to think about when you think about Emily Dickinson, it’s probably [...] by Harriet Staff

Thom Donovan wraps our hearts and minds around Somatic Poetics October 19, 2011: We'd like to point you to a "part essay, part proposition, part thinking in motion" by our friend Thom Donovan over at Jacket2. Donovan focuses on Somatic Poetics--being careful not to define, but to continue "a discourse that has become visible to [him] in the past few years." His conversation partners in this vein are many, and include Daria [...] by Harriet Staff

Poet Jose Antonio Rodriguez and his Shallow End of Sleep October 19, 2011: You should check out this interview with first-book author Jose Antonio Rodriguez, whose debut collection The Shallow End of Sleep was published this year by Tia Chucha Press. Mexican-born Jose Antonio Rodriguez was raised in south Texas and has just received his Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing from Binghamton University. Lauro Vazquez of [...] by Harriet Staff

Lemony Snicket on Occupy Wall Street October 19, 2011: Lemony Snicket headed down to New York's financial district to watch the Occupy Wall Street protests from "a discreet distance," as he says, and then he offered up thirteen observations, Wallace Stevens style. Here are the first five: 1. If you work hard, and become successful, it does not necessarily mean you are successful because you worked [...] by Harriet Staff

Can you teach creative writing? October 19, 2011: Last week, Lily Hoang made a post at HTMLGIANT built from a class in which she asked her students the following questions: Can you teach creative writing? How? How would you teach creative writing that is different from your MFA? How would you “innovate” or “renovate”? What have you “learned” from your MFA? What has been the [...] by Harriet Staff

Head On Over to the Ted Hughes Festival, Look for Gnomes October 19, 2011: The Guardian lays out the events surrounding the annual Ted Hughes Festival, which takes place October 21-23. Gnoming is by far the coolest thing we can imagine taking place at a poetry festival. From the post: The annual Ted Hughes Festival , organised by the Elmet trust whose patron is Simon Armitage, takes place this weekend, 21-23 [...] by Harriet Staff

Complicating the Distinction: An Interview with Nathaniel Mackey October 19, 2011: Connor Southard took part in an interview with Nathaniel Mackey for the Duke Chronicle. The interview focuses on the roles of being a teacher and a poet before turning to Mackey's work: Your work is often described as being “mystical,” which seems to imply a separation from the concrete stuff going on around you, from the mundane. [...] by Harriet Staff

Help The Appalachian Prison Book Project October 18, 2011: Thanks to a tip from the folks at Poets and Writers, we got word that The Appalachian Prison Book Project has lost funding. But you can help! From the article: The Appalachian Prison Book Project, a program that aims to rehabilitate inmates by giving them free books to read, has lost their funding and is looking for book donations. The [...] by Harriet Staff

“…the self-conscious cautionary tale of a woman who failed Manifest Destiny”: A Review of Becca Klaver’s L.A. Liminal October 18, 2011: The last book of poetry Lauren Eggert-Crowe loved was Becca Klaver's L.A. Liminal and she tells you all about it at The Rumpus: If there were a literary version of the film Los Angeles Plays Itself, Klaver’s book could find a place alongside Nathaniel West, Raymond Chandler and Francesca Lia Block. Los Angeles becomes a character in these [...] by Harriet Staff