Poetry, Obama shelf, vacation reading

There will be a poet reading at the inauguration. It gets better every day. I am going to have to get a working television by Jan. 19!

The poet is Elizabeth Alexander. She's African American and a professor at Yale. Her parents took her to the march on Washington in 1963. Beautiful.

Poetry is not my top reading choice. I've been bumping into poetry a lot lately, so it's time I integrated it into my reading. And I certainly can't wait to hear what she'll read.

I was in Books a Million last week and noticed a whole end shelf of Obama titles. Most I had not seen before, including two about Michelle Obama. They are a cottage industry right now. Hopefully it will give the book business a boost.

And, I'm working on a list of books to read over the holiday break. I'll post it if I enjoy them.

The boost of rejection

I had an unexpected boost today.

I received a rejection note - and it brought me a little smile rather than doom.

Typically I go for months and sometimes years without submitting anything. I cycle down into no one would want to read/publish what I write, so why bother to write at all doldrums.

I have submitted one or two things lately and this was a rejection of one. It would have felt better to have my pitch accepted - but it was a great reminder that I had written the pitch, put it out there and at least gone through the process.

There are probably scores of rejections out in the universe just waiting for me to send more things out for consideration.

Among them are acceptances as well.

I have work to do.