Alright, y’all. It’s a new year and it’s time for some good news. As always, I’ll pick up where I left off!
This fall, I had the honor of participating in two different projects for poets laureate. First, Texas poet laureate Amanda Johnston invited me to participate in the Praisesong for the People project. We were asked to “give an everyday Texan their flowers.” I wrote this poem to one of my college professors who meant a lot to me. In October, we did a reading at the Wild Detectives and it was so heartening and fun. I am proud to be included and grateful for Amanda Johnston’s brilliance.
Also, Dallas poet laureate Mag Gabbert included me in the Thanks-Giving Foundation’s Virtues project. The poets commissioned wrote pieces in response to virtues. You can find my piece “Presence” here. In November, we had a reading in the gorgeous chapel at Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas. The project is ongoing! You should check out the details on the website. Dallas has such a vibrant poetry community and I’m so glad Mag facilitated this opportunity for us.
In other news, I’ve been slowly working on a second master’s degree since 2018, and I finished! I graduated in December with an MA in rhetoric and composition from Texas A&M University Commerce. It feels pretty wild, honestly. I learned a lot; I’m glad it’s over. I’m proud of myself.
Also, I realized Inner Moonlight reached 4 years as a podcast! My first episode was December 2020. Don’t forget to tune in and come see us in person the second Wednesday of every month at The Wild Detectives! The series is such a source of joy for me, and I can’t wait to celebrate our 7th anniversary in April 2025.
The spring semester is fixing to start. I’ve taken on the role of faculty editor for Texas Wesleyan’s student literary magazine, Aries; I’m launching an Editing & Publishing course for the student editorial staff. I will also teach a senior-level creative writing course that focuses on poetry. I’m super stoked!
Alright, y’all. That’s it for now. I’ll update y’all again after a while. Be good out there.