Katie's Blog

So tomorrow i'm going to be scrambling, trying to get the turkey in the oven, house cleaned and spiffied up for company, and proabably stressing like a mad woman at HEB with the crowds of other procrastinators. I likely won't have a moment to think about what I'm thankful for... but today I do :-) See, that's the beauty of serious procrastination. The calm before the storm. As I sit in my office this morning, I could think of all I have to complain about - having to be here at work on this lovely Wednesday while most of my family's off, I could complain about my lack of inspiration lately - my poetically dry disposition. I could also complain about my low pay, the messy house I have to go home to tonight - or the oodles of money I had to drop to host this stinkin' thanksgiving dinner... grumble grumble... I could complain about a lot of things :-P But... I won't (ok... maybe I just did). Instead - I'll be thankful that I have a job, one I actually enjoy...

So... yay I turned 24 on Saturday! If you've followed my blog even a little bit, you'll know I'm the type of person who thrives on setting goals, and looking back to see how many I've accomplished. It's an obsession, and one that sometimes gets taken to the extreme. But, birthdays always make me think. God's graced me with another year of life. What on earth did I do with it? Am I a good keeper of my own time? I told me dad - put your years to work for you, or else they'll slip away. He looked at me a little weird. I guess it IS a little weird to think of your time in that manner. But really, honestly, I can't help it. I'm incapable of enjoying moments of peace and nothingness. Every moment must be purposeful, because you know - we never know how long we have here. So... what did I do with year 23 of my life? Well... this time last year I was on a 'break' from grad school. Ok - so I admit it was a break because not only was I broke financiall...

Yay! Its out in the mail and I can't take it back now :-) So I submitted about 8 poems to them for their horticulture issue. It just seemed too perfect with my plant obsession as of late. So let's see if anything comes of this. Hmm... what else? Oh! I have a reading coming up. And I'm blogging about it on Chachalacas In Orbit! My latest post should be up pretty soon. I'm going to be reading at a Caribbean restaurant along with my poetry professor and some fellow students. My mom might even be showing some art :D so she's psyched about that, too. Details certainly to come. Hmm... I guess that's about it. Just in general, things are looking up for me. I applied for a teaching position at a university (hah, yeah...right!) which I know is a SUPER longshot but whatever I had to try. And I'm studying my GRE again... I'm giving myself more time, and resolving not to stress about PhD applications until next year. I get overwhelmed so very easily, and it was real...

And of course I must post some pictures! Ok, first one's my Mouthfeel Press panel! There's ire'ne lara silva, me, lau, and maria maloney (my publisher!) So I totally didn't control myself and I totally had to hug everyone. I'm a dork, a complete valley girl but that's ok I've come to terms with myself. And here's >>> me reading at Gallista Gallery! We went there afterwards, and all the talented poets read! Well, the talented poets and me... LOL. Ok, so honestly yes I had a great time at El Mundo Zurdo. It was all about the poems, true, but for me it was all about meeting people, too. I met all the wonderful ladies at my press (who were incredibly friendly and nice), plus leaders in the field, other talented poetas, and just plain old smart people. It was a blast! Oh, and most importantly - I DROVE ;) YES, I did it and I did NOT have a nervous breakdown along the way. Phew, so proud! I think mostly it was thanks to my GPS. That way I di...

Hurray! "We are so pleased to accept “Good Girls” for publication in the upcoming issue of /Cold Mountain Review/." Ahh! I'm so unbelievably happy right now~!! This little email just sent me to the sky and back X-D X-D X-D You see, there I was, just studying away for my GRE exam, in slight agony, when my phone went BEEEEP. I was angry because, well, I was in the middle of looking up what the heck scintillate means, when I opened up my email and there it was, titiled "YOUR POEM WAS ACCEPTED" ZOMG! I even have to sign a CoNtRaCt! So yes, I'm a dork, I know. I did a little research on the magazine, and it is so totally professional. Among the other contributors are creative writing professors, award winning novelists and poets, and even a Gugenheim Fellow. How is my little bitty poem, "Good Girls" going to look next to those? Pathetic. But whatever! It's pubbed, I'm estatic, and I'm giving myself the rest of the day off from gre study~!!! ...

Yay! I'm excited for tomorrow's conference. I'm excited to leave the valley for a day, meet lots of talented authors and scholars, and see the lovely riverwalk again. Once I get over the whole driving on the expressway deal, I think its going to be a bit like a mini vaycay. I'm reading at 4:30, and again at 7:30 at Gallerista Gallery, UTSA Downtown Campus. Anyway, I was writing an extended bio today about myself for the conference. I realized something, I sound like a mildly interesting person! :D lol. Here's what I pounded out between student appointments: Katherine Hoerth is an MFA candidate at the University of Texas Pan American. Her first chapbook of poems, Among the Mariposas (Mouthfeel Press, 2010), received the Nuestra Voz Poetry Prize. The chapbook speaks to living in the borderlands, belonging, and forging an identity along the muddy waters of the Rio Grande. Her poetry has most recently appeared in Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, and the Texas Journal...

Just thought I'd share.

Things that scare me: 1. A PhD - because it means the end of the road, that there's nothing left to teach me and if by that point i'm not brilliant then... well... I'm officially a dunce. 2. The GRE - MUST SCORE 700 MUST SCORE 700 ... stupid powerprep software is depressing me :( all the sudden I feel very very dumb. 3. Rejection letters that tumble in daily, though now I've learned to just delete them 4. My thesis, which piles up and gets bigger every day. I don't know how to break it down into bite sized pieces of work, and time is tick ticking away. 5. My professors. They're smart, confusing, and completely unhelpful at times. Ok, I'm a big girl and should take more responsiblity for my own education - yes I get the point. 6. Driving on the expressway. Nuff said. 7. Being in a big city, getting mugged, walking around at night, getting lost, missing the bus, crying in public... yeah, all stuff I will likely do. 8. Meeting new people, and not knowing what t...