Category: Uncategorized

I decided a number of years ago that I wouldn't pass judgment on poems or collections other than to say that they didn't work for me for whatever reason. I try to articulate those reasons when I review books or talk about poems, but sometimes the answer is as simple as "I am not the … Continue reading Shakespeare in Translation

We live in a historic neighborhood, as in a named-on-the-National-Register-of-Historic-Places neighborhood. It's the only neighborhood we've lived in during our time in Iowa. We didn't rent or buy here because it was historic. We chose this neighborhood because it's convenient to work and downtown, and because it's walkable to both areas. The big thing you … Continue reading What’s Historic?

It didn't. I didn't even kill it, though I apparently put it into a long-term coma. And maybe this isn't a full awakening, though I think I'd like it to be. So why snark on Facebook in the title? Because somewhere along the way, I stopped writing for myself, and for the smaller audience I … Continue reading Facebook Killed My Blog

My father died while I was in the sky between Seattle and Denver Sunday morning. He was, as all people are, complex, and my feelings for him reflect that. He never should have survived to adulthood. He was dropped on his head at delivery, a moment he joked about his entire life, never knowing until … Continue reading Sam B Spears Jr 1940 – 2014

Some students at Drake, where I'm an adjunct visiting assistant professor, decided to throw a "Pigtails and Pedophiles" themed party. It wasn't a university-sanctioned event, so this isn't a failure of institutional control. Instead, it's just another example of how surrounded we are by sexism and rape culture. This one goes a little farther by … Continue reading On Pigtails and Pedophiles and Clueless Fratboys

I'd like to thank Anna March for inviting me to participate in this project over at Literary Orphans. She asked us to write about identity, so I went with my journey from fundamentalist Christian (Jehovah's Witness until I was 26) to atheist. Here's an excerpt: The biggest part of my journey might be due to … Continue reading An essay at Literary Orphans

This is how we decided to reveal the twins' genders at our baby shower yesterday. We're having two girls, just in case the symbols embedded in the cupcakes don't pop out for you. We waited until the shower to tell anyone (except a select few) about the genders, which might seem backwards, since "don't you … Continue reading We’re having…

Woke up yesterday morning to the pleasant surprise that I'd been included on this list of poets that will make you pay attention to poetry in 2013. What made it better was seeing lots of familiar faces--as in, people who have some connection to the Rumpus (which is what I was mainly cited for)--on that … Continue reading Good day yesterday

We have two embryos maturing into what we hope will become full-fledged human beings. They're currently as healthy as these things can be said to be--good heart rates and the proper size, etc--but we're still a long way from babies. We're excited, of course. When the IVF nurse who was performing the ultrasound said "you've … Continue reading Potential Humans

I had trouble sleeping last night after the George Zimmerman verdict was announced. I don't generally say things like "the jury got it wrong," because I trust in the idea that if I'm not in the courtroom and don't see all the evidence, then I can't really know that. But I'm willing to do it … Continue reading Guns and Cowardice and George Zimmerman