UFR Weekly Newsletter #26: Getting Somewhere Better (When Your Heroes Become Heroes Again)

[David Cotrone]

I've been thinking about all of you. It's been a long time, and a lot's been happening. New today, we have a new look: http://usedfurniturereview.com/. 

The old site always bothered me. I never really felt like it was good enough. But you believed in it and now I think we're getting somewhere better. I think now your words and stories really take flight and sing, not that they didn't before. There are still some tweaks we've yet to make, but these are the basics. What do you think?  

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When I was younger I listened to Anis Mojgani's poetry. It was like when I first learned that if you wait long enough for your eyes to adjust you can see the dark. With poems titled "For Those Who Can Still Ride Airplanes for the First Time" and "Milos" and "Come Closer" and "The Branches Are Full and These Orchards Are Heavy," I couldn't get away from the way he played with words, even if I tried. I still can't. 

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Our new site is possible because of you. Thank you for all you've done. You can help us keep it up in three ways. First, keep submitting your work, even if you've done so before. Second, when you submit, you now have the option of choosing "General Submissions & Donation," which sends a small donation to us along with your writing. (Of course, please still feel free to submit regularly. That's completely and totally fine.) Third, if you've published a book or chapbook and would like it to be our "Featured Title of the Week," let me know. This week's title of the week is Meg Tuite's Domestic Apparition. 

Sorry if that was all too much. I think it was.

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So much good work has gone up, it's hard to highlight just a few. But I'll try: 

Lacey N. Dunham's 10 Myths About Bookselling (also mentioned in Shelf Awareness)

I Am Speaking the Language by Ashley Bethard

Five poems by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz

Devotional: Via Cruci, Dolorosa, Sancti: A Lyric Essay by Jamie Iredell

The Magic Fish by Sara Lippmann

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I read a story about how Anis was at a slam and how he was on stage when the lights went out, the power off. He didn't stop. His words kept going, kept coming out of him like a river. His voice rising and rising. And now he's published five of his poems with us. When I saw that he had submitted his work I realized that it really is possible for things to come full circle, that your heroes become heroes again when they reach out and say hello, whispering into your heart.

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Thanks for all your patience. I know there's still some work that we've accepted from you and are yet to run. But please know it's here in our queue and that even if it's been a little longer than you might have hoped it will be up and ready for all to see soon. And speaking of full circle, new columnist Greg Houser set up his Alabama Card Table with Brian Oliu, one of the very first contributors to UFR.

Hope your holidays are as warm as your favorite sweater. 

Always,

David