Poetry Action Plan 2016

Honestly, I wasn't going to do a plan this year. I mean, 2015 was a pretty good year. Still, I haven't felt very goal-oriented lately (so unlike me!). But then this one posted hers, so I said, well, I need to do this.

So thanks, Carolee, for pulling me (part-way) out of my funk.

This exercise forced me to take a good hard look at what I accomplished in 2015, and what I hope to do for the New Year.

In 2015, I ...:

1. Supported Misery Islands, which continues to  receive good reviews and reach new audiences. My book also received the Massachusetts Book Award and a Paterson Award in Literary Excellence.
2. Wrote 76 poems (I think it was 76) 
3. Joined the board of AWP
4. Became actively involved in poetry advocacy with a consortium of poetry organizations focused on broadening the audience for poetry. (More to come)

What didn't I do in 2015? I did not work on my Juno poems. Admittedly, I didn't have the heart for it. As I involve myself deeper into academic life, I am less motivated to work on projects--too many committee meetings. For an artist, this busy work is exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. I need to put my head down and get to work.

To paraphrase author David Brooks, I don't have my loves in order.

So in 2016, I will:

1. Find a home for my next book
2. Publish in journals and magazines regularly. I'm hoping to up my game and publish in more top-tier places. You know which ones. 
3. Continue to support Misery Islands. It's only been out for 14 months but it feels like it's been out forever. Maybe because I've been supporting it forever. I have to think about how to expand its the audience while making the process fun for me. 
4. Take up yoga. Yoga? Yes, yoga! I've wanted to do this for a while and I think it will open up new modes of thinking. 

  FYI, here are my goals for 2014 and 2015.

So February is here. Not begins the process of getting my loves in order.