Orphans and Apocalypses

Hi friends. Some new pieces of mine are up at a couple sites, so I'm sharing the news and links.

Today the latest issue of Literary Orphans went live. It's the Orphans' gang's 12th issue and it's themed around Ireland and Irish writers--with master satirist Jonathan Swift serving as the issue's granddaddy and inspiration, and master storyteller James Claffey serving as the issue's guest editor (taking over the role from LO's ed-in-chief, Mike Joyce). Here's a link to Claffey's editor's note with his thoughts on the issue and how the pieces in it confront and challenge Ireland's long literary history and Irish writing's more tried and tired themes.

There's a piece of mine in this issue. It's called "All Apocalypses, Bitter and Sweet." It's about a few things. An Irish saint named Gobnait, for one. Also bees, women, broken hearts, apocalypses, the Aran Islands, and the search for resurrection. Given that today is Easter, the ultimate day of resurrection in the West, maybe you'll find my story a good fit for Easter reading. In any case, I hope you give it a read and hope you enjoy it too.

Cill Ghobnait on Inis Oirr, looking towards mainland

Altar of Cill Ghobnait, Inis Oirr

 

Humble Cill Ghobnait with grave in foreground

I should say that this particular publication is a pretty big deal to me. Literary Orphans is a fine and fearless literary project--and homegrown in my hometown of Chicago to boot. As well, I recognize a few of the names attached to this issue--there are some true rising-star writers here and it's an honor to be featured in an issue alongside them. I hope you give all the pieces in this issue a read. And thanks again to James Claffey, Mike Joyce, and Scott Waldyn (managing editor at Literary Orphans) for accepting my piece and for all the hard work they put into this issue.

There's also a new pic of mine up at Rockwell's Camera Phone, which in itself has a spanking new look. It's a picture I took in Ireland, on the Dingle Peninsula, last September.

Finally, another poem of mine has been accepted at Eunoia Review. It will be published in August.