Caught

I discovered the VoiceCatcher collective two-and-a-half years ago, when I was still predominantly a writer of prose. I submitted two prose pieces to VoiceCatcher 4. Neither was accepted, but with the second, I received a really thoughtful page of feedback for improving the story. I edited both stories, and the first one (“The Tao of Laundry”) ended up in a Cup of Comfort for Mothers, while the second (“The Power of Music”) won the first Chicken Soup for the Soul Wednesday Giveaway Contest.  Still, the VoiceCatcher stories and poetry tended to be a bit edgier than either of the above, so I did not submit at all in 2010, instead re-grouping. This was also the year I turned mostly first to general poetry, posted on Poetic Asides, Read Write Poem, and Big Tent Poetry, and then haiku. So when submissions for VoiceCatcher rolled around in February of this year, I was undecided on whether or not to attempt submitting again, and if so whether to go with poetry or prose. Finally, I decided to submit haibun, a form that had long intrigued me, but that I had only recently begun to write. And my haibun (“30 Degrees from the Horizon”) was accepted! I had the pleasure last night, of reading it aloud to a roomful of other women writers/poets/artist and collective members, at the book launch party for VoiceCatcher 6, an anthology I am truly proud to be a part of!

A limited run of VoiceCatcher 6 is available at Wordstock, any of the VoiceCatcher readings, Powells (Burnside and Hawthorne only), and New Seasons Markets, or it may be ordered directly from VoiceCatcher.

All proceeds support the VoiceCatcher mission:

“VoiceCatcher is a non-profit collective that nurtures women authors and artists in the Portland/Vancouver area and strengthens the local creative community by offering publishing opportunities, educational grants, and respectful editorial guidance.”

The Tao of Laundry

I was delighted to receive my contributor’s copy of A Cup of Comfort for Mothers (http://bit.ly/9HC4nv), containing my story The Tao of Laundry. I’ve wanted to be published in A Cup of Comfort ever since I picked up a copy of A Cup of Comfort for Women a few years back and discovered that they accepted submissions from anyone. I had some stories to tell, and here it seemed was a great outlet. I loved the idea of true stories by a wide cross-section of writers, who weren’t necessarily “professional writers”, but merely people like myself with “a story to tell”.

The story is about life, laundry and my mom. I only wish I would have shared the story with my beloved mother. With the second anniversary of her death  having just passed, Mom has been very much on my mind lately. I think the story would have amused her.

A Cup of Comfort Acceptance

I was thrilled to learn yesterday that my story, The Tao of Laundry has been selected as one of the stories to appear in A Cup of Comfort for Mothers, scheduled for publication in March 2010: http://bit.ly/X4KnT

I only wish my mother could be here to share in the excitement. It was her enthusiasm, and constant belief in my writing ability that propelled me on to continue writing and submitting, and to consider rejection letters as merely bumps in the road. She was right. But then, Mom was always right. I miss you Mom!