I synthesize my life’s work daily as I prepare my manuscript of new and selected poems to come out next year from Red Hen Press. I am, indeed, very pleased but also very apprehensive. I search all old and half finished work as well as try to sniff out current work with promise.
It becomes daunting to finalize — once and for all — all aspects of a relationship between myself and the page. Almost like a marriage (if I place a comma here, should I take out the line break), a contract. Hundreds of words to remind myself about things I’d rather not think about. Hundreds of words from a career that began in 1968 as a freshman in college. Lots of words. Lots of poems.
Hi Laurel Ann
I am from Belfast Me. thanks so much for judging our contest. My dear friend Helena Lipstadt is one of your students.. So it goes around.
karin
Thank you for your kind message. As they say, any friend of Helena must be a terrific person.