Katie's Blog

It's been a pretty fantastic year for Katie the Poet! And before I get all excited about what next year will bring, I think it is equally important to kind of meditate on what this year meant, what I've accomplished, and what I could have done better as both a writer and as a person. I remember at the beginning of this year, I was less than enthusiastic. I was feeling terribly nervous about my MFA thesis, and I was just worried about the general uncertainty of my future. Anyway, let's flashback to January 2010 where I reflected on this:   What creative projects to work on this year? Absolutely 100% focus must be directed towards finishing my thesis. All other noise must perish... Once my thesis is completed, I plan to continue editing it and prepping it for submission to publishers. I'm really hoping to be able to do this by May. That would be nice :-) Another goal - do more readings! I need to get more involved in the poetry community. Lately I've ...

And never ask a writer how many times they've been rejected B-) Though, to give you a teaser -- both will be revealed by the end of this blog post. Ah Facebook -- colossal waste of time? Well, today a post on facebook by my good friend ire'ne lara silva , a poet I admire, got me thinking about 2011 and beyond. As writers, we're always quick to celebrate our successes, share them with our friends and family to gain encouragement and for those oh so valuable "congratulations." I thrive on that sort of thing :) :) :) But what about the rejections? Those I usually tuck away in the back of my mind. Somewhere along the road, I've thickened up my writerly skin and have decided to not let them get to me, really. I mean, as a poet, you really do indeed have to be that way. Otherwise, well... you won't last very long! So anyway, let's get back to ire'ne -- she was brave enough to tally up her rejection/acceptance stats for the year and share th...

On the eve of Christmas Eve (hah!), I got an early Christmas present. I signed my book contract with Slough Press! Woohoo! Now I had always imagined contract signing to be a very... mmm... scary ordeal. Someone is out to screw someone, right? And it's legally binding and and you have to negotiate and such, right? But this experience was nothing of the sort. Editor and I met at Starbucks for coffee, chit chatted a bit, and he explained to me what was in the contract. I had done a bit of reading on what to expect from a book contract (on the poets and writers website ). So everything sounds good to me, and I am feeling very comfortable and confident about the project. One reassuring aspect of this process is the fact that my editor and I are both active participants in our local poetry scene -- which means that we know each other already! Phew, so having my precious project in the hands of someone I know and trust? Well, that makes a big difference. I am very happy to rep...

I was recently asked by a good friend of mine for some assistance with assembling her poetry manuscript. Apparently, she's heard that I'm pretty decent at it. Where she heard that? I haven't a clue! But it got me to thinking -- how does it all come together? It's kind of a mysterious process, but it doesn't have to be so mysterious! Anyway, I thought it might be helpful to share MY process. Maybe it'll work for you, too? So for my first poetry manuscript, The Garden, Uprooted, was actually a real challenge to assemble. I had a pile of poems on my lap. And they were precious poems to me, they were really all I had as a writer. You see, when you put together your first poetry manuscript, you're pouring in years of learning the craft. These are the poems I grew with, learned from... they are the ones who chronicle my journey from wannabe to... well poet! Luckily, I had a lot of support when it came to pulling it all together. This manuscript was actuall...

So, I had a pretty lovely weekend. My new editor (oh how I love typing this... not that I don't absolutely love old editor, who isn't old at all... who is actually still my editor, but now I have two... oh man this is wild) invited me to his home this weekend for a poet's dinner. I had such a wonderful time! I wish I had taken pictures, but I didn't want to be, you know, that tacky girl at the end of the table throwing peace signs and giggling on about Facebook y mas. Anyway, I mean, it's not a big deal, right? Getting together with a small group of friends, sharing a meal -- it all sounds pretty standard. But... you know, there's something magical that happens when a bunch of poets get together and talk, and... er... drink. Our discussion topics started off pretty prim and proper, but quickly got into the nitty gritty silliness about maracas, naked Saturdays, and tequila. It was really nice to get together, to get to know some of the poets in my local commun...

But today I was having one of those days. You know the type -- when you have an exuberant amount of crushing self doubt? It happened to me today as I was driving home for lunch. You see, I'm working on this poem, and... I started thinking to myself -- ugh, I'm nothing but a big ugly ball of cliches. And when I write poems, I'm doing nothing but piling up a big ol' skein of words that have already been written, and regurgitating them, Katie style. How utterly depressing, right? And then I started thinking about my NaNo manuscript. Who would ever want to read it? It's pathetic, and stupid, and also a bunch of plot cliches all wrapped up together and spit out mixed with my very acidic stomach fluid. I wanted to throw my USB drive in the toliet in one big emo temper tantrum. Ack. Self doubt. I hate it. But I'm working through it. How about a sexy tidbit about trees? You know you love it: But even trees rejoice the snow’s arrival, leaves of oaks fall ...

Ok, so it's not completely my first semester TEACHING, but teaching college students. Tomorrow's my last day with the kiddos -- they're turning in their final writing portfolios and it will definitely prove to be bittersweet.On the one hand, yay, I did it! And I feel amazingly proud of what I've accomplished. I came into this semester slightly unsure of myself. I was nervous, mainly because I've been working so hard to get to this point, to be a college instructor. And what if I hated it? What if it was hard, and horrible, and what if the students were awful and mean to me and made me cry? But... in the end, I had a wonderful semester. I got to know my students, and I hope they learned a thing or two from me! But perhaps moreso, I learned from them. I learned that I am capable of doing this, and that teaching is something I'm good at -- something that makes me feel alive. I love being in a classroom. I'm an attention whore -- all eyes on me please! :-) ...

Today there was cause for dancing in my office... I have just received word that Slough Press will be publishing my first full manuscript of poems! I had to read the email about fifty million times before the news sank in. And then, I couldn't breathe :) Tenetively, it's titled The Garden, Uprooted . I'm not married to the title, so let's see what editor has to say. Oh my I'm just so unbelievably excited! But you know what else I feel? Suspiciously empty. This manuscript's been in the works since 2007... that's four years of writing, crafting, editing, musing, loving, and hating. I've gone through about a million zillion drafts... And now... it's off in the hands of a very able editor... but it's out of my hands... I'm having some type of... seperation anxiety from my poems! I totally need to get over it. Back to the happy dancing! :D You know there will be many more details to come!

Victory! Victory! It tastes so unbelievably sweet :-) Ahhh... so I did the mad dash to 50K words, and my novel isn't done. Here are a few things I learned from NaNoWriMo: 1. Writing a novel is very, very different from a poetry manuscript How so? Ugh... writing a novel is all about consistancy, about keeping the creative energy flowing. Poetry, on the other hand, is about bursts of brilliance, and then expanding on them. When I was working on my novel, I never had that frustrating "writer's block" I get with poetry. I'd just meditate on my novel's central images, and the words would keep flowing. 2. Noveling is like writing poetry! LOL don't you love the way I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself ;) No, but in all seriousness, at times I would treat my prose like poetry, and that's when the magic would happen. I think poets can make great novelists. I'm a poet, but certainly not a "great novelist," yet anyway. Whi...

First and foremost: I will be a featured reader at Carino's Italian on November 18th (which is close to my birthday, just sayin', in case you want to like, buy me a tiramisu?). Excitedness! Poetry Pasta, and Vino -- Otto Time Friday, November 18 · 7:30pm - 10:30pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location Carino's Italian 421 E. Nolana Loop McAllen, TX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Created By Edward Vidaurre -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Info Pasta, Poetry & Vino Otto! Carino's Italian and Barrio Poet Edward Vidaurre welcome you back to the 8th Pasta, Poetry, Vino & Arts Dinner event. We welcome back as Master of Ceremonies: Brenda Nettles Riojas along with the benefactor of this event: The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center. The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts...

So where to begin? I've been really down about a few things. I think I'll begin by listing those: 1. My car. It's sick. My beloved Cabrio. Now you might be asking, what on earth does this have to do with poetry? It does, be patient. I was really looking forward to this weekend's first annual Beat poetry festival in Bryan , TX for a few reasons. First of all, let's just be honest and say that Beat poetry is kind of cool. And I was seriously hoping some of that coolness would rub off on me and my dorkiness. And second -- I kind of wanted to check out Bryan/College Station. Because... well, A&M kind of has a Creative Writing PhD and I'm kind of looking into their program. So what a great excuse, huh? Ok back to my sick Cabrio... It's not going to be able to make the trip. Unless, unless, my beloved Bruno is able to fix it in time. But... but... he's so unbelievably swamped with work lately that he's just not going to be able to do it...

If only, right? Yikes, life's gotten busy and complicated and beautiful. Who knew? So it's been about three weeks now since I've had time to put pen to paper and write. The quiet white page awaits, but my mind's simply been occupied. With? Teaching, readings, working, editing... Is it a coincidence that I've also successfully loaded a PSX emulator on my netbook and am replaying old RPGs? Oh, no no no... that has nothing to do with my most recent poetry failures... lol. So I think I need to get back to prioritizing. It's a constant struggle, but one that is oh so worthwhile :) In other more cheery news: I have some readings lined up! Tonight I will be participating in this: Sin Fronteras Virtual Poetry Reading Time Friday, October 14 · 8:30pm - 10:30pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum Distance Learning Center ----------------------------------...

I'll be busy getting my poems ready :-) Hope to see you there! Here's all the details (but, they've been hanging out on my sidebar for awhile now.. ahem): Time Saturday, October 8 · 8:00pm - 11:00pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location Jitterz Coffee Bar 1625 N. Conway Ave. Mission, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Created By Daniel Garcia Ordaz -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Info October 8: Featured Readers: Katie Hoerth, award-winning author ofAmong The Mariposas and Wikki Writers. Featured Musician: Kim Snyder. M.C. Daniel García Ordaz, author of You Know What I'm Sayin'?. Art That Heals, Inc. is gearing up for a new (9th) season of Coffee Talk Series @ Jitterz Coffee Bar in Mission, Texas monthly on Second Saturdays from 8 to 10:30 p.m.. Coffee Talk Series was sta...

Just in case you missed the flash mob poetry event, Sunfish Records was kind enough to get a video of me! Katie's On YouTube! Now I officially feel cool. The flash mob event also got international media coverage (harharhar) Ok, so a journalist from Reynosa was there and wrote an article in La Manana. But the best part? My picture is there! Would you like to check it out? Of course you would! Read about Katie in Spanish So now I'm feeling cool. Why don't I leave you with a beautiful picture of the talented poet Kamala Platt, who also read at the event. Kamala Platt at 100,000 Poets for a Change  There's a lot coming up. This is exactly why I love the fall. Keep an eye out for future announcements on all the exciting poetry stuff I've got planned :) Well, to me it's exciting anyway. I'm off to think of new ways to torture my students (as if hammering MLA into their little heads wasn't enough). Adios!

Well, there weren't 100,000 poets at the McAllen event.... but! That didn't mean we didn't enjoy ourselves. Here's Daniel's write up on the event. I'll share, since, well, I'm lazy to do my own. Readings for the first-ever 100 Thousand Poets For Change (www.100TPC.org)--a global event focused on social change--were held on Sept. 24, 2011 at over 700 events in 95 countries. This event set a world record as the largest poetry reading in history. In the coming days we'll be uploading documents--such as photos, fliers, and poems--that will be archived by Stanford University, in recognition of significant Web-based events; i.e., Stanford archives important Web sites for posterity. The Rio Grande Valley focused on environmental issues and protesting the proposed expansion to the Border Wall. We had a cozy crowd, but it allowed us to make new friendships, make new connections, and start conversations about future collaborations between artists, a...

Booya! Ok NOW I feel cool to finally be a part of a FLASH MOB! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Rio Grande Valley will be one of the hosts and participants of the global event, "100 Thousand Poets For Change," being held simultaneously on Sept. 24 in 350 cities and 70 countries as part of the largest poetry reading in history to promote environmental, social, and political change. A "flash mob poetry reading" is planned for 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, at the McAllen Creative Incubator (1001 S. 16th St., McAllen, Texas.) Poets reading in the Valley will be focusing on local environmental issues and speaking against the proposed expansion of the Border Wall, which is cutting off access to ecotourism for the region as well as cutting off access to water for ocelots and other felines and other mammals, cactus wrens and other birds, such as chachalacas. Amalia Ortiz, Katie Hoerth, Kamala Platt, Kim Snyder, Ray Perez, Francisco Pina, Katy L. ...

LOL, I heard a story this morning on Kurt Cobain on NPR. It brought be back to my teenage years, listening to Nirvana, thinking I was so unbelievably cool B-) But now I'm a poet, and so much cooler. Ok anyway, I know I've been a terrible blogger lately. I really wanted to hit this blog with a fantastic post outlining my goals. And then it hit me -- what are my goals? You know, in the past I've always been so goal oriented, and now, here I am, achieving them one by one... and it leaves me feeling, I don't know, mysteriously empty. So for the past few weeks I've been doing a bit of, oh I'll just throw this cliche out there, "soul searching," and I think I've come to a good place in my life. My goals? Are to be the greatest person I can be. And, however that materializes, well, I know I can handle it. So anyway, I took my GRE last week and it went well. It's another step towards applying the the PhD programs I've outlined, so that ...

And so today marks the end of Blog Year II! Let's blast to the past - this time last year and... two years ago (almost) I love it! So this blog is pretty much all about me, my struggles to become a better writer and professional. Its been a great journey. This year was super eventful for Poet Katie. I remember feeling uber resolved to finish my MFA, publish publish publish, and.... ::drum roll please:: teach! I did it, I did it all :-) What a fantastic year! And now, here I am today, wide eyed, bushy tailed, and ready for my next adventures. Here's a few favorite highlights: 9/14: "I've never stripped. Nor do I have a scar riding across my abdomon from a tummy tuck or c-section. Nor do my boobs sag (promise)" 10/22: Chocolate Sundae  published in McAllen Monitor 11/11: " 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....

Yesterday marked the beginning of Fall 2011, the first day back for many college students. And, I'm not a college student anymore. How strange does this feel? Very, indeed, very. My adult life has always been centered around the university. I started college as a wide eyed and bushy tailed 17 year old, and I've never left the university enviornment. It sure is cozy here... I think I'll stick around! :-D But this fall, I'm done. No more classes to take, no more degree plans to follow, no more academic goals in mind. And it feels awfully strange. I had seriously thought about taking a graduate English course this fall, but then with my new teaching assignment, I figured I kind of needed to focuse. Plus, I've still got my PhD apps to work on, though, that future is looking a bit cloudy at the moment. Its so hard to figure out life! LOL. I'm really happy where I'm at right now. I'm writing, I'm publishing, I'm teaching (and so far I LOVE it...

:-D I'm excited. I just got the news that I'll be teaching an English 1301 course at South Texas College this fall. I'm really fortunate to have this opportunity, and not to mention... did I mention? I'm excited about it! If you've read this blog, you'll know that this was probably my biggest and loftiest goal for the year -- to teach a college level class. This will be my first experience teaching post-secondary education, I mean, I've been a teacher before, but with college students? And at night? That means that probably, the majority of my students will be older than me... (I'm still in the under 25 club, ahem). Ah I'm up for the challenge! So now, I shall be busy with syllabus, going over my text book, and come Monday, meeting my oh so lucky students. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! My main worry is keeping my motivation up for other things. Typically, when I teach, I kind of get absorbed into it. I live/breath/eat teaching. So my challeng...

Check out the latest issue of Conte: A Journal of Narrative Writing here! You may especially be interested in my poem :-D South Texas Lawn Song. So happy to see it up on the site. So check it out, ok? More exciting things to come!

Well well well... I've always wondered what it was like to read poetry slush... what thoughts editors might have while going through "the stack," what makes them pull one poem aside for that ever illusive "maybe pile". Well... I'm about to find out! That's right folks! I'm reading poetry submissions for Fifth Wednesday Journal ! Today I read my first set of submissions. Its a bit... well... strange, to be on the other side of the desk. I certainly don't profess to know everything there is to know about poetry. My aesthetic is just that, an aesthetic. So, I'm a little nervous to maybe "not get" a poem and chuck it to the "no" pile, just because something's too obsure, or or or overly confessional, or my own bad mood. LOL. But that's how the editorial process is, isn't it? And there's something (I think anyway) inherently magical about "good poetry," that makes the toes curl. Whatever ...

Today I received an email from AWP informing me that my panel, Border Bodies: Womanhood in Verse, has been accepted for inclusion in the 2012 conference. For me, this is a moment to savor. A year ago today, I was down and out about my AWP rejection. But I've always remained positive that my year was coming. Here I am today, making plans to head off to Chicago to present among some of the most talented poets and writers of our time. I'm trying not to be so giddy about the whole thing, trying to compose myself with the professionalism I'm supposed to have... but it's soooo damn hard :-D :-D :-D Ok here goes!! ::HAPPY DANCE:: I just can't believe how far I've come in a year... how everything is just coming together, and how all the hard work is paying off. So here's a note to my future self: If at first you don't suceed, keep on trying. Eventually (and sometimes sooner than later) you'll get what you're working for. Oh happy happy day :...

I'll be back ;) Here's all the juicy details of my next reading: Time Wednesday, August 24 · 7:30pm - 10:00pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location Carino's Italian 421 E. Nolana Loop McAllen, TX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Created By Edward Vidaurre -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Info It's back! "Pasta, Poetry & Vino" Some of the proceeds from this event will help the non-profit organization ... The McAllen Arts Council. The McAllen Arts Council is an organization comprised of local artists representing various artistic disciplines. It meets monthly, and oversees several projects: ArtE Magazine Published quarterly, ArtE covers the arts in McAllen. Staff oversees the editorial, sales, layout, printing and distributing of the magazine. McA...

So remember a few days back, when I received a wonderfully encouraging rejection letter from COR? Well, at the end of the note, the editor invited me to submit to the next issue. The issue I submitted to originally was "The American South". I have a complicated relationship with the "American South." I live, as you know, in deep south Texas, which really isn't considered a part of "the south" proper. But we're kind of south? I mean, you don't really get more geographically south than say, south Texas. And not only that, but... I'm not from here. I just have to open my mouth and people know I'm not from here. Whenever anyone asks, "where you from?" and I answer, "south Texas," I always get a smile -- "yes, but where are you ORIGINALLY from." I always get that. So I think me considering myself a southerner is irrelevant. I'm not one. My voice gives it away -- the way I say "about" and ...

:-D Today, I got an email from none other than Molly Peacock! If you've read my West Chester Saga, you'll know the story: Girl decides to wear six inch heals, Girl gets caught in Philadelphia rain, Girl meets poet, Poet offers girl ride, girl feels giddy and talks poet's ear off, etc etc... Well long story short, Molly wanted to read my thesis. A few weeks ago (After taking an nth glance at it myself) I send it her way. And she got back to me today with some very encouraging comments. :-D Molly's pretty much my poetic idol. I've loved her poetry for... er... ever? And then when I met her, I was so unbelievably impressed with her as a person, too. Ok, so I have a poetry crush. Get over it. No, I can't get over it. Anyway, this made my day. In other slightly less interesting news, I've received two rejection letters today and I really don't care.

Yes, this rejection letter went up on the fridge.  It came in the mail yesterday, from Crab Orchard Review. I sent in my submission back in the dinosaur days when I still bought stamps, oh, 250 days ago. (note to self: buy stamps again) The first sentence: "Though your poems weren't selected for publication" and I stopped reading there, folded up the paper, and set it down near the trashcan. I didn't need to read the rest, I didn't get in... what else matters? Well, a few hours later, after I'd "gotten over it" and perhaps cracked open a certain beverage, I returned to the letter and proceeded to read it in its entirity. Afterall, I had met the editor, Allison Joseph, at West Chester a few months ago. If I loved her poetry and personality, maybe her rejection letters aren't all that bad. Turns out, its a personal rejection, encouraging me to submit again, and letting me know that I made it to the final round of consideration (hence, the 25...

As promised! Ileana Garcia-Spitz once again took some great photos of the event. Love love love the way she does it!  Me! Brian Carr Brenda Nettles Riojas Edward Vidaurre, the man who put is all together. Me, again. Ed Clint, the talented guitarist, songwriter, poet.

Ok so my life's once again filled with poems. First, I'll begin with the best news. Conte will be publishing my poem, "South Texas Lawn Song." Conte's actually the only place I sent the piece, since it was so new! I've never had a poem accepted on its first run, so this is super encouraging. This summer, my poetic style is kind of morphing, and I think this is a sign that its morphing in a good direction. "South Texas Lawn Song" is different from my other poems, and took forrreverrr to get perfect. But now its perfect, and will be in a wonderful journal :-) The best part is that Conte is an ejournal, so you'll be able to read it right when it comes out. Yay! In other good news: I'm going to be interviewed! That's right, Brenda Nettles Riojas, the voice of Corozon Bilingue on our local public radio station, KMBH 88.1, asked me if I'd be willing to appear on her show sometime in the near future. I'll have details to come. But m...

So now you have another place to access my lovely work on the net! Check out Breakwater Review Issue 5 . Please do it right now I promise you won't regret it. And if that's not enough Katie poetry for you, may I also send you here: to the Writers of the Rio Grande website, where they've reprinted Chocolate Sundae. That's one of my favorites to read, since its about ice cream and other delicious things (like boys).  In other Katie news, I'm going to be reading at the next Carino's Cares event! Here's all the juicy details: Time Wednesday, July 13 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm Location Carino's Italian 421 E. Nolana Loop McAllen, TX More Info Enjoy an incredible night of Poetry paired with Pasta & Vino. Our MC for this special engagement is: Brenda Nettles-Riojas Brenda Nettles Riojas is the author of La Primera Voz Que Oí. She is working on her MFA in creative writing through the University of New Orleans and has completed resi...

I had a nice long weekend. Ok, backtrack -- I had a crappy long weekend. I've been sick to my stomach again, so much of my glorious time off was spent in bed. When I was up and about, I was either cleaning the house, or shopping for Bruno's birthday present. I promise, long winded story will have some significance, ok? I'm even going to quote Anzaldua. So be patient. On Friday eve, Bruno was feeling a bit antsy having been home with me the entire day. And he suggested we go to the movies. "Fine." I conceed. Whatever, I'm thinking to myself. I'm either about to vomit here, or about to vomit at the theater. What's the diff? He asks me what I want to see, and I tell him it doesn't matter. Whatever he wants. Next time, I'll choose! Bruno, being a man, wants to see Transformers III. Under normal circumstances, I would have wildly protested. But, eh, fine. Let's go. So off we go to the movies! $25 later we're in seated in the theater,...

Another one of my poems will be featured in the summer 2011 issue of Breakwater Review . Hooray! Hooray! This particular poem, "The Cornfields," has gone through so many revisions... so I'm excited to see the final version in print. It was originally a poem written about one of my students as a teaching in Santa Rosa, but its morphed into... something else... Of course, link will promptly be posted here on mi blogita once its published. Alongside "The Cornfields" will be "What They Told the Girl with Bite Marks on Her Lips," another poem that began as me writing about a student and morphed into... something else... slightly more sinister. What's my problem? LOL. I think I need to go back into teaching public school. I got some good material there, and then grad school morphed my brain into an organ that thinks rather strangely. On a lighter note: I gave a presentation yesterday on Caballero. But I got so caught up in the romance and d...

Yesterday I finished reading Jovita Gonzalez's Caballero. Wahhh It was a great book, great great great indeed I would have been sad to finish it, were it not assigned reading. Over the past few years, I've read a lot of books (ok, so not ENOUGH but still I'm always reading...something). I'm noticing a trend... My favorite books are either A. Historical Fiction or B. Romantic No, not romance, romantic, BIG difference (as I discussed with my younger brother recently). And some are both. And that was Caballero. Wahhh.... I think I cried twice while reading the book, it was just so good... Which brings me to my next point - good books make me cry. They do, I know its stereotypically sentimental woman of me but whatever. That's who I am and I'm ok with it. Anyway, there's much more to Caballero than just romance, though. It's about colonializm, class, feminism, machismo... there's war and there's death and there's life and ...