in light and darkness

Posted by Daniela Elza on May 05 2017

Five poems got accepted for in light and darkness: suffering and the teacher’s life anthology.
The poems have been previously published. Three are in the weight of dew (Mother Tongue Publishing, 2012):

  • Plato killed a moth in my dream
  • it: attempts at definition
  • a shoreline to stand on

And the other two in other publications:

  • ode to the critic
  • (Poetic Inquiry: Vibrant Voices in the Social Sciences,Sense Publishers 2009).
    and

  • beauty is embarrassing
  • (POIESIS: a journal of arts and communication, 2013)

It is rare to get an acceptance email where the editor takes the time to say what they like about your work. Here is an excerpt:

I’ve finally had a chance to read your poetry, and it really takes my breath away. You remind me of Sappho a bit. Your writing is very beautiful and thoughtful; I love how you’ve combined your grasp of ancient literature and the erotic into these poems. I’d say your work has an almost mystic element… it definitely does what only poetry can do, which is awaken us to the ineffable and the something that is beyond words… which is exactly what this book is about!

What I also loved is how the poems cut across the different thematic divisions the book will be organized under. It speaks to my commitment to bridging distances between things divided, integrating things fragmented, and refusing to serve one category or another.

As I like to say: I work in the in betweens.

There is something delightful when the editor’s words in the acceptance letter make you feel they really get it; these multiple layers I work with and try to weave in one strand. Or, shall I say, grok it?

I will keep you posted here on when the anthology is due to come out. These books are a labour of love, and that takes time.

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