tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91532391705297979092024-03-16T01:36:21.708-06:00Jennifer Ruth Jackson, Poet<center>Musings and Ramblings of a Poet</center>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.comBlogger782125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-61294378136832736832024-03-10T02:09:00.000-06:002024-03-10T02:09:46.413-06:00Stirring: Word Search Verse<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Note: </span></b><span style="color: #800180;">If you missed my reading, you can watch the replay <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/ZkyP-HrC8Zg" target="_blank">here</a>. Comment on the video for a chance to win a copy of <a href="https://www.querenciapress.com/domestic-bodies-by-jennifer-ruth-jackson" target="_blank"><i>Domestic Bodies</i></a>. </span></span></p><p>Since I'm not starting a newsletter, I want to post the occasional Word Search Verse for those who liked the idea when I mentioned it last summer. I apologize for the blurriness of the puzzle... I don't know how to fix it. Solutions for current (and future) WSV puzzles will be available on request.</p><p>I use the word search generator found <a href="http://www.word-search-world.griddler.co.uk/Word-Search-Generator.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjjWRv0sNdaSCqt8X5gMEiO3I3wOLdvwknsYFpZ3WEiZ6wZQD6bo-u-4JJNtGx3D1W8J0Xz_bCjW3TrbfimOXfHq6kpTbP_1-ufegZKS8uaIx7HQW7o_kU_JEELTRulZe1HRw7kyKt-F61oqXyMLrJl05VR1_4Wu99SMhE03gUd3m2-qiW_ctrutYEkU/s1080/20240310_013105_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A poem in black text on a background with hues of blues. Text: She feels an echo, phantom heat pulsing through her body as she lies upon the permanent imprint his figure left in their marriage bed." border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="559" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjjWRv0sNdaSCqt8X5gMEiO3I3wOLdvwknsYFpZ3WEiZ6wZQD6bo-u-4JJNtGx3D1W8J0Xz_bCjW3TrbfimOXfHq6kpTbP_1-ufegZKS8uaIx7HQW7o_kU_JEELTRulZe1HRw7kyKt-F61oqXyMLrJl05VR1_4Wu99SMhE03gUd3m2-qiW_ctrutYEkU/w559-h559/20240310_013105_0000.png" title="Stirring" width="559" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchPFRlE_rrP8TOADNuEgSKrti6x9H-Lr-Gm9VlZ3QCD8Q50DpnH6UGSQCIUZTFCJPvDzXYoIJ93_pdnWX6yMBMo1HMZTME75VNh05QV293MMH_Xz0543wYjfrnFwdox5MFdkV1v7YzxgFu0WgmpKxdM-lK3FBVFtnLzrP09e6JYkix2U2Ugs5aRX2UnE/s1080/20240310_013059_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="553" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchPFRlE_rrP8TOADNuEgSKrti6x9H-Lr-Gm9VlZ3QCD8Q50DpnH6UGSQCIUZTFCJPvDzXYoIJ93_pdnWX6yMBMo1HMZTME75VNh05QV293MMH_Xz0543wYjfrnFwdox5MFdkV1v7YzxgFu0WgmpKxdM-lK3FBVFtnLzrP09e6JYkix2U2Ugs5aRX2UnE/w553-h553/20240310_013059_0000.png" width="553" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-91174519280261130352024-02-12T23:52:00.000-06:002024-02-12T23:52:41.879-06:00My First in-Person Reading <div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4gHylvO8vWb21xdzCdgXtvXlynq7gUdl0tgknndmMhY6K4wqDFVckt4RAvuzc1m_QFhlxmGtSN4bNk4jU84V2V6P-HwymiP88JLXdwhOzwc32AoKhLHvxsJNsfmauVKiu5JKKhEdsVmPV_TENbISv3DssNvTsal_Yg4Zmun_qoGnMaN1kJmQKJdmFcU/s1080/IMG_20240106_204830_560.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4gHylvO8vWb21xdzCdgXtvXlynq7gUdl0tgknndmMhY6K4wqDFVckt4RAvuzc1m_QFhlxmGtSN4bNk4jU84V2V6P-HwymiP88JLXdwhOzwc32AoKhLHvxsJNsfmauVKiu5JKKhEdsVmPV_TENbISv3DssNvTsal_Yg4Zmun_qoGnMaN1kJmQKJdmFcU/w320-h320/IMG_20240106_204830_560.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #800180;">On February 25th (Sunday) at 1:30 p.m. central, I will be reading from <a href="https://www.querenciapress.com/domestic-bodies-by-jennifer-ruth-jackson" target="_blank"><i>Domestic Bodies</i></a> on my <a href="https://youtube.com/@JenniferRuthJackson" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>. My husband and I tested streaming on YouTube, and everything appears to work! If it goes sideways again, I will probably swap over to my <a href="https://m.twitch.tv/jenniferruthjackson" target="_blank">Twitch channel</a>... but I hope it won't. Please join me if you have time!</span></b><div><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div>My first in-person author event was on an icy day early last month. I had poems picked to read, but the transition comments between pieces I thought would be best off the cuff. I set my book at a discount and gave all proceeds to the library, but I forgot to bring change for people who needed smaller bills. The librarian who runs the writers' group there monthly was supposed to give the introduction, but she got busy and wasn't even in the conference room until almost the end of the event. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm nervous when speaking publicly. I don't read well out loud. I was definitely out of my depth. My baby brother, husband, and sister were in attendance which helped more than I can express; I still messed up quite a bit, though.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the most important things I did was deciding not to read alone. When setting up the reading, I asked members of the writers' group if they wanted to read with me and two did. One author made change for one person who wanted to buy my book but only had a $20 bill. The other author let me borrow her pen until my husband could dig mine out of my backpack. Both of them read well and were extremely gracious. The three of us also drew a bigger audience than each of us could on our own.</div><div><br /></div><div>The audience was lovely and warm. I went on a tangent between poems about ableism and inspiration porn because my book's themes include disability and cancer. I try to do everything with authenticity but worried it was a little too much for my conservative town. But people thought it was interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div>In total, I raised $40 for the library by selling four books (two to my sister). My husband donated $10 and keeps asking me for a signed copy because he's my biggest fan. The other author selling books also donated his money to the library, though I didn't ask anyone to do it.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a pleasant time, and I'm glad we didn't read to three rows of empty chairs. I'd consider doing it again in the future. </div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-49995156805188926152023-12-23T16:57:00.001-06:002023-12-23T16:57:10.832-06:00Venn Diagram Christmas Poem<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhqu_bUvG0ym1S0d9PACK42JnlEBeaJ1aB1K5GFunj7O_BHcK54ztMPTW4MPPCGXkrN3a14KoF8K7MbOHp_j9DMpTp1kRGlp5s-E2Gf6Q_axIlQGWHPubJ04Ox3gAzVl_IvT6k5_hpqUtcfPr6rtZ1oVXReg_zQ92y7Z6eZjYrFy8zK9OW0frDVBEggE/s1920/20231223_140449_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhqu_bUvG0ym1S0d9PACK42JnlEBeaJ1aB1K5GFunj7O_BHcK54ztMPTW4MPPCGXkrN3a14KoF8K7MbOHp_j9DMpTp1kRGlp5s-E2Gf6Q_axIlQGWHPubJ04Ox3gAzVl_IvT6k5_hpqUtcfPr6rtZ1oVXReg_zQ92y7Z6eZjYrFy8zK9OW0frDVBEggE/w569-h320/20231223_140449_0000.png" width="569" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>While researching poetic forms last month, I came across a Venn Diagram Poem. I've never encountered those words in that order before. The idea was intriguing since it's a type of column poem, and I love working with those. But I balked at the fact that the left and right columns don't make sense on their own... until I realized why.</p><p>In a Venn Diagram Poem, only the middle makes sense on its own. It also ends the left column's lines and begins the right. When I write them, I try to make the circles different colors to help readers understand what belongs where. For example, the first line of the left poem reads: "There was once no sight better than your eyes" and the first line of the right poem reads: Your eyes tell me stories. Their lessons".</p><p>I had to take away my original final line from the middle poem because it wouldn't make a proper "bridge" between the sides. Some poets have extra lines in the middle without extending the left and right columns to the end, but I like things more uniform when I'm working with these.</p><p>I'm absolutely enamored with the form. Writing has not come easily to me this year, and toying with a new way to do things makes picking up my pen less arduous. </p><p><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>*~*</b></span></p><p><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Happy holidays, lovelies!</span></b></p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-82376340738136181972023-11-21T01:31:00.000-06:002023-11-21T01:31:38.394-06:00Failure to Launch (Party)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt7eiiu3NuyraSe9YrX6u_AitN2Tjr1pmh6VPexhYNoPgZjtLFZzVPDnPRp_IekDbw3QtqGVWFUyNwDYhUvruDHMi9xCr20hvYrstHfGG4sLPF1o6T7ZCZ9eJ5-mdIDbvebloHb5M7xL3CG4Lr2OrWosDxPtEGC9Cm3slYMLi-83b3NWS-ZGeeOUUIb8/s1500/20231119_110700_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEt7eiiu3NuyraSe9YrX6u_AitN2Tjr1pmh6VPexhYNoPgZjtLFZzVPDnPRp_IekDbw3QtqGVWFUyNwDYhUvruDHMi9xCr20hvYrstHfGG4sLPF1o6T7ZCZ9eJ5-mdIDbvebloHb5M7xL3CG4Lr2OrWosDxPtEGC9Cm3slYMLi-83b3NWS-ZGeeOUUIb8/w400-h134/20231119_110700_0000.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>On the 19th, I was set to have my book's virtual launch party on YouTube. I researched the key ingredients to a great event, created cute graphics, promoted it on social media, and made sure my Internet could handle the platform. I've had my channel for years and thought I tried to stream there before...</p><p>... but apparently not. I needed to verify my account. Okay. My husband frantically punched in the code while I laid out copies and swag on the table in front of me and tried not to cry as OBS Studio refused to let me go live. Then, we learned YouTube has a waiting period (24 hours) before streaming is enabled. And it was fifteen minutes after my start time.</p><p>I mentally panicked. I'm used to Twitch as a streaming service but not YouTube. I had my husband create a Twitch channel for my launch, told everyone about the change of plans, and went live ten minutes later. I knew few people would see the pivot. I knew I shot myself in the foot. I knew I didn't really have options.</p><p>The live ran smooth, and I gave it everything I had. I was approximately halfway into it before someone talked; he was the only person who did, but my statistics claimed six people stopped by (though one was a bot). It was a better turnout than I thought, but there weren't enough people to do a Q&A session or proper giveaways. </p><p>Twitch has a stream archive feature where replays are stored for a week and creators have the choice to upload them elsewhere. I decided to do the giveaways in my YouTube comments after I uploaded the replay there, only to learn the archive option isn't on by default. I was too upset to check before starting stream. So, no archive. No opportunity for giveaways. I almost broke down entirely but laughed instead.</p><p>Now, I'm faced with a decision: Do I try for another launch party next month, or do I just hold a giveaway on my blog/YouTube? I'm not sure. I feel as though no one will bother attending a relaunch, especially in December. My in-person event will be in January, so the holidays won't be as pressing. </p><p>And I have no idea what to do with the Twitch channel. Do any of you even want to watch me gab about random things once a month? </p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-9943826819855340492023-10-26T15:20:00.000-06:002023-10-26T15:20:55.417-06:00The Complicated Emotions of Publishing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOvb91RIjrjx3HaTEQapRj2zzA2BCdlFKr-KZsPO1528qmzDc_5NPoUiXe_giqmo1KGSrNHosQ_FUgtP-oBlzuw57PxvtKFU9ewWNKl0uIGkmX_Z4JJNxLwRqTZaGvBAH0x2l_3SZ0J2k35h87b_dYuGG_W5UJa5EP__6zFXGt5kYfRcBy2htB7UJGJo/s2250/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1520" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOvb91RIjrjx3HaTEQapRj2zzA2BCdlFKr-KZsPO1528qmzDc_5NPoUiXe_giqmo1KGSrNHosQ_FUgtP-oBlzuw57PxvtKFU9ewWNKl0uIGkmX_Z4JJNxLwRqTZaGvBAH0x2l_3SZ0J2k35h87b_dYuGG_W5UJa5EP__6zFXGt5kYfRcBy2htB7UJGJo/w270-h400/2.png" width="270" /></a></div><p>My <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199006554-domestic-bodies" target="_blank">debut poetry collection</a> comes out a week from tomorrow. It's a day I never thought I'd see. It's a day my mom and older brother won't see; I ugly-cried when I received the acceptance because I couldn't share the news with them. I felt scooped out like a melon... open, wounded, and bare to the world.</p><p>I'm so grateful I ended up with the press I did. My book received extensive editing (thanks, Alex) and no changes were ever forced on me. The cover is my concept with my talented publisher's execution (appreciated, Emily). It's the book I wanted it to be.</p><p>Around the sixth time reading my manuscript, I began to hate each poem. I saw them as flawed, shambling creatures waiting to grip me with the teeth of cliche or shred me with claws coated in grammatical errors. I still think I missed something obvious.</p><p>Early reviews are trickling in due to NetGalley and my press' efforts. Each kind word and positive rating only strengthens the surreality. It doesn't feel like people are talking about <i>my </i>work. To me, my book is still on the island of my hard drive with the cursor blinking in secret smugness: <i>I'm the only other thing seeing your words. ๐</i></p><p>I hope my book finds those who need it. My publisher told me two days ago that the collection has sold approximately 15 copies so far. Will one of those go to someone who will relate to it and feel less alone? Will it make someone evaluate a belief they hold? Will a metaphor inspire someone else to begin writing again? I hope so. I hope it changes someone (regardless of how minutely) for the better.</p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-78762311321164807882023-09-21T17:26:00.000-06:002023-09-21T17:26:02.804-06:00Poet Laureate Project <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYNqZRFN6B-8X7yip4hSH0U2y84pfWK_J90XsVB6UjzgrSgDojdUFMMtQxDfOM9dvXXINjcFhRb_iXgVS5In6UORElcFuC-M7q10bLgihpBSK9SETPNCJSdZsn6Ll49rR8yObHfnLn7EwU2fx0MUxX8O4Icw6boHckm0O_VooCSgj6VZY6L77InAyAU8/s1169/Screenshot_20230921-142040~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1169" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYNqZRFN6B-8X7yip4hSH0U2y84pfWK_J90XsVB6UjzgrSgDojdUFMMtQxDfOM9dvXXINjcFhRb_iXgVS5In6UORElcFuC-M7q10bLgihpBSK9SETPNCJSdZsn6Ll49rR8yObHfnLn7EwU2fx0MUxX8O4Icw6boHckm0O_VooCSgj6VZY6L77InAyAU8/s320/Screenshot_20230921-142040~2.png" width="320" /></a></div>One of my unattainable dreams is to be a poet laureate. Being an ambassador of poetry sounds incredibly cool, and it's made even better when I can choose how I spend my time as said ambassador. If I could do anything with poetry, I know what it would be. <div><br /></div><div>Even before the pandemic, I always pictured an expansive, online project connecting poets. The site would be completely accessible to disabled folks. It would operate fully on even the oldest internet-enabled device or slowest connection as to let people from any economic class take part. Navigation would be easy for those not as used to technology.</div><div><br /></div><div>The website would offer free workshops, readings, forums, and other ways to connect. Partnering with nursing homes and Community Resource Centers across the country, poets who have no access or funds would be given the opportunity to secure a device for their participation. Poetry lovers would have the chance to attend various events or find new favorite poets. Translations for live events would also be implemented (whenever possible).</div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry is a communal, cultural belonging... but we don't treat it as such. We parcel it out to those able to pursue higher education, live in a big enough city to attend events, or pay for workshop fees. It should be about connection, and life, for anyone who wants to join.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><i>"Poetry is eternal graffiti written in the heart of everyone." </i>โ Lawrence Ferlinghetti</span></b></div><div><br /></div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-73913068233458843052023-08-26T13:25:00.002-06:002023-08-26T16:47:45.483-06:00Let's Talk Pubby.co<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56BRLpA2YzS6LaTW-F0_J8XaViLN0W-5Y2AlyvK-QtIu9cOXrahUp6oD6hiSH4UVZdqqeCVSHKfTMsraZNpE6YFi_zDfkmtV7yOyyR-W9u6lKdJv9MIm6vJkxO4J3HM3vEVMT4BzEZ47c5GwUvZwBVhNjnIIoLGcaJzdj7Tcs12l1ywmy08LU49aL7B8/s1604/Screenshot_20230812-190218~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1604" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56BRLpA2YzS6LaTW-F0_J8XaViLN0W-5Y2AlyvK-QtIu9cOXrahUp6oD6hiSH4UVZdqqeCVSHKfTMsraZNpE6YFi_zDfkmtV7yOyyR-W9u6lKdJv9MIm6vJkxO4J3HM3vEVMT4BzEZ47c5GwUvZwBVhNjnIIoLGcaJzdj7Tcs12l1ywmy08LU49aL7B8/w299-h400/Screenshot_20230812-190218~2.png" width="299" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #800180; font-size: x-small;">This book doesn't seem to exist on Amazon. Truthful company already.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>My publisher pays for NetGalley. I didn't expect it, but I'm glad she does. Reviews are important for authors. They spread the word about how other readers (hopefully who like the genre) feel about the book. If less than 2% of readers review, and there are fewer people who read poetry, it's going to be uphill both ways to find readers who want to take their time with my words.<div><br /></div><div>Though NetGalley is the most well-known of the review sites, others (like Booksprout and BookSirens) exist. And then there's Pubby.</div><div><br /></div><div>Facebook, the delightful spy, showed me a video ad of a book on Amazon that proclaimed "Authors are getting 200+ reviews for their books using our tool." Huh. Interesting. The background was of a memoir with a 4.5 star rating out of 208 reviews. Pretty damn impressive, assuming Pubby is responsible for most of those reviews. There's a ten-day trial... enough time to get at least one review before committing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEfbgeqW0G8A_RDAMZL04UySzgeGrl9C3P77FHi7Sb7zteeRIaVLAsSj64nNGCNivcodypBj8ALoFbUtGrwWIuQBSKJyPQIO9IrywF3k3zc2jBvrMaKLgxE2yiktkdy4BNu0qzbo48fCTCnn3NU2CLFTQKPOLDjc1-oq3hGTzfJeGpDbubdazkSh2rBk/s1200/Screenshot_20230826-124949~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="1200" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEfbgeqW0G8A_RDAMZL04UySzgeGrl9C3P77FHi7Sb7zteeRIaVLAsSj64nNGCNivcodypBj8ALoFbUtGrwWIuQBSKJyPQIO9IrywF3k3zc2jBvrMaKLgxE2yiktkdy4BNu0qzbo48fCTCnn3NU2CLFTQKPOLDjc1-oq3hGTzfJeGpDbubdazkSh2rBk/w400-h64/Screenshot_20230826-124949~2.png" width="400" /></a></div><div>I started to read the comments. A few people got several reviews in the first month and <a href="https://melanierockett.com/should-you-get-book-reviews-on-pubby/" target="_blank">were thrilled</a>. People were posting their own books and asking other commenters to buy and review them. And then the warnings trickled along.</div><div><br /></div><div>One month of Pubby is $30 but you can choose to pay annually for a discount. You have to review other books in order to earn enough "snaps" to get your own book reviewed which can be quite time-consuming as it's not one-to-one. A couple folks commented that Pubby can soak up so much of your life that it's a full-time job; even people who praise the company say it's a significant time investment. I'm not saying it doesn't exist elsewhere, but I've never heard of a reviews site charging you and then requiring you to do a bunch of work to get what you paid for.</div><div><br /></div><div>The quality of reviews can take a hit in this system as some people can give you wonderful, thorough reviews while others speed read just to get their book read by others. Facebook commenters said reviewers would do things like say one character that died in the first chapter was the protagonist, make up entire plotlines, copy the description with nothing added as the review, have reviewers parrot things others have said that were inaccurate, and so on. Even though you aren't necessarily supposed to review the books of those who read yours, it happens and low-star retaliation has occurred more than once.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dBmfwnplZBqnVaP1OpyUDXxtLLKCGFqYzrc_Nn88Fo3z_hEsssD6qep12aX8ScOazj7l5buOEzK36be9gJZ-eYSSNiAEXlGJr2fZ9DbHo5FRGY3Wd9VmDGZQ8jiqZLYnn1Jo5x0d12IWLrYARNqF_2jc8v07oRYIShnC4b2OnQ-1KPr5nHQYA-uymuM/s1200/Screenshot_20230826-124525~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="1200" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dBmfwnplZBqnVaP1OpyUDXxtLLKCGFqYzrc_Nn88Fo3z_hEsssD6qep12aX8ScOazj7l5buOEzK36be9gJZ-eYSSNiAEXlGJr2fZ9DbHo5FRGY3Wd9VmDGZQ8jiqZLYnn1Jo5x0d12IWLrYARNqF_2jc8v07oRYIShnC4b2OnQ-1KPr5nHQYA-uymuM/w400-h73/Screenshot_20230826-124525~2.png" width="400" /></a></div><div>Since Pubby only has a review system for Amazon, those looking for coverage on other places (like Goodreads) aren't going to find it. The company claims Amazon won't take down reviews because writers aren't swapping them, but more than one client said they had all their reviews taken down because Amazon flagged them as being in a review ring. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vcLGE2-EYQPupNAgP0jnf_ICZSD0Js2EYDAghZcogbxW25xCaqpurZCmTQ_VY06bLMyTatOLaGwWFOH1ddWMm9WVHECbF5GtBx5jxZ9GulxWNt2VkPlLyvWSpkyX_XFdelJ5nWEnihvXBbHppDgDW5g5Mf-WWoJ7vQO6-knyAqGpNTxfCkYzXzzzmL0/s1200/Screenshot_20230826-125735~2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="1200" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vcLGE2-EYQPupNAgP0jnf_ICZSD0Js2EYDAghZcogbxW25xCaqpurZCmTQ_VY06bLMyTatOLaGwWFOH1ddWMm9WVHECbF5GtBx5jxZ9GulxWNt2VkPlLyvWSpkyX_XFdelJ5nWEnihvXBbHppDgDW5g5Mf-WWoJ7vQO6-knyAqGpNTxfCkYzXzzzmL0/w400-h64/Screenshot_20230826-125735~2.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Personally, I think it's a great idea with terrible execution. The price is high for what it isโit can't promise quality reviews for that $30 a month or how many reviews you'll receive (no one at Pubby checks what people write). It doesn't have a long, credible history. Customer service is reportedly not great and credit card misuse has more than one (dis)honorable mention in their website complaints. I'm steering clear.</div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-10189050784707151212023-08-03T16:39:00.000-06:002023-08-03T16:39:04.759-06:00The Unenviable Position of George R.R. Martin<p><b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #800180;">Note: </span></b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>My poem "<a href="https://www.arlijo.com/post/issue-182" target="_blank">Waterway Sojourn</a>" is in the new issue of </i>ArLiJo<i>. It will also be in my debut poetry collection </i>Domestic Bodies<i> published by Querencia Press.</i></span></p><p>I wouldn't want to be <a href="https://www.insider.com/george-rr-martin-winds-of-winter-update-2023-7?amp" target="_blank">George R.R. Martin</a>. The money is enticing. Perhaps the validation for years of effort would be swell. But I think the difficulty he is facing with his series is a nearly impossible predicament. </p><p>He promised his fans he'd be done with the next book by the time the television show got to a certain point but didn't even finish the first draft. He constantly tells people how much he's progressing through the pages with people believing him less and less. Is he losing faith in himself, too?</p><p>The current novel isn't even the last; there is at least one more in the distant future! If he hasn't completed <i>The Winds of Winter</i> in 13 years, how will he finish the series? I hope everyone lives a full life, but he has more of his lifetime behind than ahead (he's 74).</p><p>Now that he knows what people think of a possible ending to his adventure, will he end everything differently? Watchers of the show panned the finale and, even if he didn't write the episode, it could be based on what he envisioned. Is he stuck because so many fans are clamoring for something he never planned?</p><p>Personally, I think he's pacing on the page... when he writes at all. It's a lot easier to keep changing things than to let a beast you can barely tame out into the world. Good thing silk sheets absorb the sweat of nights filled with the phantom ticking of keyboard clacks and the accusatory blinking of a cursor.</p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-20366377493811498612023-07-13T13:04:00.000-06:002023-07-13T13:04:40.358-06:00Blurbs, Newsletter Snag, and Reviews <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMYPRhf9-5MtcEjiI6iCWiUJ-Yhke2mbuToUR6hLbmWN1aACzX4RcrsJ7aom_FBdFpCxr0wvcKA3Y5ADLtqKxhAK7gfk6OWQQt7cxRc68pwwydMjK0qCYWL6BABlKvLGjfQ7HtvKr4yyYj3qBMCFyMYo4T0-hznL7DdKQyGFnmn1neQltKXwmlBj-OjA/s2250/png_20230713_132506_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMYPRhf9-5MtcEjiI6iCWiUJ-Yhke2mbuToUR6hLbmWN1aACzX4RcrsJ7aom_FBdFpCxr0wvcKA3Y5ADLtqKxhAK7gfk6OWQQt7cxRc68pwwydMjK0qCYWL6BABlKvLGjfQ7HtvKr4yyYj3qBMCFyMYo4T0-hznL7DdKQyGFnmn1neQltKXwmlBj-OjA/w251-h400/png_20230713_132506_0000.png" width="251" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Note: This isn't the actual cover.</i></div><div style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: 700; text-align: right;"><br /></div><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Blurbs: </span></b></p><p>I reached out to one of my favorite poets a couple days ago, hoping he'd blurb my upcoming collection. I ended up fangirling and backpedaling in the initial message, but he said he'd be happy to blurb it! I'm terrified he'll hate my book. The unfavorable opinion of someone I admire might crush me (I'm feeling a bit frazzled over my debut).</p><p>Approaching people for things isn't easy. I don't want blurbs from people who consider me a friend or know me well because I want every word written about my collection to come without a perception of bias. So, I have to cold email and cross my fingers. A writer I know told me friends are supposed to blurb each other, but...</p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Newsletter Snag:</span></b></p><p>If you're going to start a newsletter, you need a physical address where you can be contacted put in the bottom of every edition <b>by law</b>. You aren't allowed to use a fake address. It doesn't matter if you are selling things or just putting out some Word Search Verse. I don't have a P.O. box and don't want strangers knowing where I live. I don't have a place of business where I receive correspondence.</p><p>A friend offered their P.O. box, but I don't want to use people like that. So, unless I magically find money for a virtual address or find another solution... no newsletter. I can still post word searches here if you want them.</p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reviews:</span></b></p><p>My publisher anticipates giving out over 100 galleys to potential reviewers. Approximately one percent of people who read a book review it. Poetry is a tricky genre to get people excited about. </p><p>I have a list of places I want to send copies of my book for a potential review. I wish I had more book bloggers or BookTok people to approach but will keep researching and using what I have. I can't afford to pay $50 or more for one review.</p><p><b><span style="color: #800180;">~~~~~</span></b></p><p>If you're a published author, what do you find most effective for promoting your books? How do you find reviewers? I look forward to your advice and ideas.</p><p><br /></p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-29596980276940345162023-06-22T17:20:00.000-06:002023-06-22T17:20:05.174-06:00Newsletter Arrives by July 30th...<p> ... if I can figure it out. I'm quite technologically inept (even with YouTube tutorials). But I finally found a way to do what I've always wanted for my readers. </p><p><b><span style="color: #800180;">Introducing Word Search Verse:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFjl0kzBGPo4fLQHFQlVi9c1C2fuwof5DXhlFsVvqi-ro1GXbTKmYS6GrRvP5eGwijD-Zp3yhGvmpbFLHJejDP-HntxFZsjjX4WBZBgyW2je35FoXWGXgX5TfddsF0wczp_je9EpYvXlHKw7yz-4i-kZiv9ejtWH9SEiT9M2qkkw3L53C-qMkgAFZdAE/s1600/20230622_163559_0000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFjl0kzBGPo4fLQHFQlVi9c1C2fuwof5DXhlFsVvqi-ro1GXbTKmYS6GrRvP5eGwijD-Zp3yhGvmpbFLHJejDP-HntxFZsjjX4WBZBgyW2je35FoXWGXgX5TfddsF0wczp_je9EpYvXlHKw7yz-4i-kZiv9ejtWH9SEiT9M2qkkw3L53C-qMkgAFZdAE/w400-h225/20230622_163559_0000.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I love the idea of taking a relaxing activity like a word search and adding it to an art form meant to be digested slowly. The highlighted words in the poem are the ones found in the puzzle. The melding of concepts is meant to draw attention to the language (or just make poetry more fun). I might even have the solution at the bottom of the newsletter... in case. My thought is that people can write on a screenshot taken of the puzzle or print it out.</p><p>Yes, I'm also going to be creating a newsletter due to my book coming out, but I honestly wouldn't even consider one without a trick I saw from low-content indie authors on how to make the searches. I even wanted to make an entire poetry collection like this at one point in my life.</p><p><b><span style="color: #01ffff;">*~*</span></b></p><p>I figure I'll put out a monthly letter with Word Search Verse, updates on my life/writing, and maybe something like a favorite resource or a link to an awesome poem I came across online. Not sure if it will be super interesting, but I hope someone will like it. I shall endeavor to practice brevity.</p><p>As far as the newsletter service, I plan on using MailerLite because it seems the easiest for newbies while being reliable. I don't have my email address through my URL, so that might pose an issue... we'll see.</p><p>Do you have any tips or tricks for creating a newsletter? Please share!</p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-53717833866961760222023-06-12T13:06:00.005-06:002023-06-12T20:49:01.219-06:00Marketing Again (Ideas Appreciated)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS3xLVLYi4KoR5EU6b0G6Gr9uAU9L1F75NFANrNMV5uqP_TazHeweDIqHdAe5-Hk5lo3uL27hIu3mfHEp8teB081ZEZltsK3yBCw3tSJDMJFt1A-7AQSZw1pzAFWI8sZp1sOgFMcqed14j-2xP8QXvidmmI_hy_7D1JjWrxQX2Y4RvfsorxN8QAdS/s1600/20230612_214706_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS3xLVLYi4KoR5EU6b0G6Gr9uAU9L1F75NFANrNMV5uqP_TazHeweDIqHdAe5-Hk5lo3uL27hIu3mfHEp8teB081ZEZltsK3yBCw3tSJDMJFt1A-7AQSZw1pzAFWI8sZp1sOgFMcqed14j-2xP8QXvidmmI_hy_7D1JjWrxQX2Y4RvfsorxN8QAdS/s320/20230612_214706_0000.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Almost four years ago, I wrote a <a href="https://www.jenniferruthjackson.com/2019/07/my-meager-marketing-plans.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> about the marketing I was planning for the chapbook that never appeared. It wasn't much. I can't really travel and don't have much money. Tooting my own horn isn't exactly comfortable for me (or a lot of us). But I've waited for years to see my poetry collection in print, so I'm going to give it everything possible.<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #800180;">Revisiting old points in my marketing plan (and adding more):</span></b></p><p>1. I will still change my blog with a tab for my book. I should also update my biography to mention my collection when it's out.</p><p>2. A virtual launch party is still something I want to do, but I have absolutely no idea how. I don't know if I want a Facebook author page, and I think I'll need one in order to most efficiently do a virtual party.</p><p>3. I really want to do a reading at the public library and might try to read at a couple of other libraries nearby. I'm not sure if I'll have the ability to travel beyond town, so this is up in the air. </p><p>4. Will the B&N an hour from my apartment (if I can even get there) give me space for a book signing? We finally have a small bookstore in my town again, so it's possible that they might.</p><p>5. Is an in-person book launch party worth it? I probably don't have the money for it.</p><p>6. I'm going to contact a local newspaper to see if they want to do a human interest piece on my book. They might take the "inspo porn" route as I'm disabled, but it might help with local sales.</p><p>7. My publisher is going to help me set up a Goodreads author page and an Amazon page. </p><p>8. Giveaways don't generally translate to sales, but I'm hoping the winner(s) will at least read the book.</p><p>9. I'm going to be using my social media (including the Instagram account I said I wouldn't get) to spread the word. I will read some poetry from the collection on my YouTube channel.</p><p><b><span style="color: #01ffff;">*~*</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Other notes:</span></b></p><p>I'm immunocompromised, so COVID is a real threat whenever I go out in public. I must decide if each in-person event is worth the risk.</p><p>If I ever do make a newsletter, I'll probably quit blogging. Most people suggest writers start one. If I can't keep up both, is a newsletter the better option?</p><p>Are things like blog tours worth it? I'm uncertain. I kind of want to do one, but I also worry about posting enough interesting content to make each one worth the read.</p><p>There is no poetry community in my little town. I've attempted to start a group numerous times.</p><p><b><span style="color: #01ffff;">*~*</span></b></p><p>Do you have any thoughts or suggestions on book marketing on a budget or online? </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-34020504399345098252023-05-25T16:01:00.002-06:002023-05-25T16:01:28.349-06:00Domestic Bodies Accepted!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhQqEfapTTvClRyqqL-FZS70x5n18FaFtD5oYM5KItdzvZbXiP_KHaYLxggbltpc0qTiWqKTe0R2iKY8_L5zaayTuRkNXiyypnUw8lOy194_aamhz5A0gzSwMhV-XEmcQi8J7BBH2tH3O7qSEpPMuV6rxky6-7pxe7PZmUQW4_-b6FWrXJkDE1pk9/s1600/png_20230525_165824_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhQqEfapTTvClRyqqL-FZS70x5n18FaFtD5oYM5KItdzvZbXiP_KHaYLxggbltpc0qTiWqKTe0R2iKY8_L5zaayTuRkNXiyypnUw8lOy194_aamhz5A0gzSwMhV-XEmcQi8J7BBH2tH3O7qSEpPMuV6rxky6-7pxe7PZmUQW4_-b6FWrXJkDE1pk9/w400-h225/png_20230525_165824_0000.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>My first full-length poetry collection will be published by the autumn of next year! I compiled the book in 2021 using my chapbook <i><a href="https://www.jenniferruthjackson.com/2021/09/a-difficult-decision.html" target="_blank">Body: Blessed & Bitter</a></i> as a guide. </p><p>It's a little all over the place, but my <a href="https://youtu.be/niiG-tpcAYw" target="_blank">announcement video</a> is up on my YouTube channel... if you want to see it. </p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-33108568907825978862023-05-09T14:02:00.000-06:002023-05-09T14:02:42.983-06:00HUP and the One Writer<p>In late February, I decided to <a href="http://www.handyuncappedpen.com/2023/02/where-road-ends-shutting-down-hup.html" target="_blank">shutter HUP</a> shortly after its seventh anniversary. It's not an easy choice. I believe in elevating the voices of disabled and neurodivergent creatives and started the blog as a hopeful stepping stone to an entire suite of non-profit activities that would assist my community. But things rarely happen the way we want. </p><p>~*~</p><p>I met Stacy after she submitted work to HUP. When I sent her an acceptance email, she asked if we could talk on voice; it was an unusual request, but I did it. Stacy told me she had to relocate to a different state after her home state was hit with a flood and she needed a specific medical treatment. She was staying at a random motel away from family.</p><p>Stacy was really going through a lot. She talked to me for almost an hour the first time, just telling me about her life and who she was. I thought she was kind of lonely. Her answers/stories always stayed consistent.</p><p>The real reason she talked to me is because she wanted the payment she was due, but she didn't want a record of it in email due to a court case. I thought it was a bit strange, but the system is often against disabled people when it comes to believing us. Apparently, the meager payment would've been used to say she could work when she couldn't. <i>I've been paid a pittance for my poetry before, and I can't hold a job.</i></p><p>She said I could call the motel and put the money towards her stay, but I didn't want to give out my credit card information to some random place in Texas. I ended up sending her a gift card (for more than she was owed) in the mail to help her pay for food and toiletries. I thought the matter was done.</p><p>Stacy and I spoke a few more times after she received payment. She stated she wanted to be friends with me because it was "nice to talk to someone else intelligent and disabled from birth".* She'd occasionally talk about her court case but didn't ask me for more money. It just seemed normal... until her court date drew closer.</p><p>She started telling me we "needed to get our stories straight" because the people trying to say she could work were going to be asking me questions. She asked if I've ever been to court before. I told her no one was going to question me, but she was insistent. </p><p>In our last call, she said our story was going to be that I didn't pay her due to a death in my family. She rambled on about it... about how perfect the excuse was. I honestly couldn't believe someone would have the gall to use my family tragedy to lie. It legitimately made her happy.</p><p>I barely slept that night and told her off (in text) the next day. I was done with the cloak and dagger baloney. She tried to apologize and tell me she was upset a lot because she just lost her brother (I'm not sure if I believe her because someone grieving doesn't normally think about using someone else's loss for their benefit). But she was quite surprised my memory of our conversations was so clear. </p><p>I blocked her. She tried to get in contact with me a few times afterwards, but I refuse to engage. Stacy wasn't the main reason I'm closing HUP, but she's one that strengthens my resolve the most.</p><p><b><u><span style="color: #0b5394;">Notes: </span></u></b></p><p><i><span style="color: #800180;">Identifying details were changed.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #800180;">She never asked me for extra money or tried to guilt me out of more.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #800180;">*Stacy disparaged those with intellectual disabilities more than a few times. I'd push back on it, but she claimed to have a background helping other disabled folks without anyone giving back to her. She spoke highly of my intelligence because she "never met another person with my disability" who was smart (she must not know many of us). Ableism in disabled people is definitely real, and I've used my IQ to shield myself from the ignorance of medical personnel more than a few times, but I've never thought of people with intellectual disabilities as somehow inferior. Her views felt gross. It would've been better if she was just trying to butter me up to scam me, but it's really what she thinks...</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #800180;">No one ever contacted me about her case.</span></i></p><p><br /></p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-21500499361566949882023-04-25T11:18:00.000-06:002023-04-25T11:18:45.446-06:00Exclusivity Tracking <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflrP9wRPHLQqesPQGpehA4IM-Jo5K9tqhJhlpf_FcS8rOiZ211XMxNE_oApHPHinK3XppPiPyxBCSYcE36_CnyRef1CEiKuD_TVjr38z3TaJ5aAk5egZfe2nJ9PaA4uwfamSduAjxdeKiTq6y5gNz_avUl0OEToBofZwMczLhrC32M0FAPF0Sfvea/s1600/png_20230425_120353_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflrP9wRPHLQqesPQGpehA4IM-Jo5K9tqhJhlpf_FcS8rOiZ211XMxNE_oApHPHinK3XppPiPyxBCSYcE36_CnyRef1CEiKuD_TVjr38z3TaJ5aAk5egZfe2nJ9PaA4uwfamSduAjxdeKiTq6y5gNz_avUl0OEToBofZwMczLhrC32M0FAPF0Sfvea/w400-h225/png_20230425_120353_0000.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>As a writer, I keep track of a fair bit of data: Magazine deadlines, the pieces I have out where, the drafts I'm working on, acceptances, and then some. I don't use Excel because it's a pain... just a document with a search feature. It works well enough, but the document that holds my acceptances really needs an exclusivity note.</p><p>People who don't write (but want to) often have this image in their heads of crafting an amazing story in a night, getting accepted within a week, and blasting social media with their awesomeness as soon as it hits print. Writers know the wait after we send off our work is the DMV on a garbage barge and not McDonald's on a jet ski (not even considering how long a great story takes to write/polish). If we get that rare acceptance, and the magazine is in print, an editor may request that we not to share our work for a certain period.</p><p>The only acceptance I've received this year asked me for a year's exclusivity after the issue is published in June. These periods vary greatly among magazines. Some want you to wait until their next issue comes out, two years in the future, or not at all. And I don't keep track. It's utterly foolish, especially if I sign a contract stating I agree to wait. </p><p>I might be in breach of contract someday due to my carelessness, though I doubt anyone would take me to court over a matter worth five dollars. But they could (and probably would) blacklist me and/or tell other editors I'm dishonest. I didn't spend decades in obscurity just to be known as "that untrustworthy writer". </p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-23227504597542569292023-04-11T10:29:00.000-06:002023-04-11T10:29:33.713-06:00Tangled Tango (Deconstructed)<b>Tangled Tango</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #38761d;">For you, this night, I wear</span><br />any color<br /><span style="background-color: #8e7cc3;">that doesn't match my skin tone:</span><br />Skintight<br />dresses or ones that pool, shimmer,<br />all things<br />your <span style="color: #800180;">eyes do in just the right light.</span><br />We glide<br />to a terrace cut off by curtains <span style="color: #ffa400;">like</span><br />a stage<br />where you practiced <span style="color: #990000;">your love songs<br />with birds</span><br />accompanying you as <span style="color: #2b00fe;">they do the sun.</span><br />Will you<br />sing for me while <span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">we watch bare branches</span></span><br />clack rhythm,<br />nature's sword fights? Or will you forget<br />your words<br />and kiss me as the <span style="background-color: #f1c232;">final waltz begins?</span><div>*~*</div><div><span style="color: #38761d;">We're going to have problems with tenses and details in this poem. This is the first hint and is confirmed less than halfway through with the "gliding" line. Hopefully, our narrator actually knows what she's wearing before the dance... or she's naked.</span></div><div><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #8e7cc3;">This definitely needs more context. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #800180;">Oh, another love poem with eyes shining in some capacity! And there's dancing! No cliches here, thank the gods. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;">Ending a line with a word such as "like" is generally a sin for poets but tends to be more forgiveable when trying to maintain form.</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #990000;">Is the narrator dancing with a Disney princess? </span></div><div><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Yes, all birds just love the sun... owls are huge fans. There is enough vagueness in this poem that an AI could write one just like it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #0b5394;">Why are these people stealing alone time and watching trees while they sing? Why aren't they still dancing, looking into each other's eyes, or even looking at the moon? Having them sneak a moment for a quick serenade is (sappy and cliche) okay, but it doesn't make much sense for the narrator to want that in private instead of something more intimate. My trite lines aren't even workable.</span></div><div><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #0b5394;">Also, this sounds like it would be terribly chilly on that balcony. At least our singer can gain natural vibrato from all the shivering!</span></div><div><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f1c232;">Something kind of interesting is happening here (and in the image of sword fighting). It seems to hint that our couple will not stay together. If I could have sprinkled in the portents, got my tenses correct, and gave this some fresh imagery.... it might be an average poem.</span></div><div><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-1383528729809024352023-03-27T16:40:00.000-06:002023-03-27T16:40:53.182-06:00Ink and Writing by Hand <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgUV5abXccw4MvvJ45WumBgthRYb6kDiBP8y0Ma2LppVM4cR_ou4GEN2Q5UFe7xhtoOjn77D5muPlp3dQIrF78ZPLKKZ0_3PH2ivZGMTtejOqRcLJO-w5pQkDLoqUkyOu-GMyYJcXK53onGkOb_jTcMhKN11pynllwU8wUSwRnZI6YdXnToj-hyzx/s1600/20230327_173718_0000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgUV5abXccw4MvvJ45WumBgthRYb6kDiBP8y0Ma2LppVM4cR_ou4GEN2Q5UFe7xhtoOjn77D5muPlp3dQIrF78ZPLKKZ0_3PH2ivZGMTtejOqRcLJO-w5pQkDLoqUkyOu-GMyYJcXK53onGkOb_jTcMhKN11pynllwU8wUSwRnZI6YdXnToj-hyzx/w400-h225/20230327_173718_0000.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>I'm a southpaw. One of my favorite parts of writing physically is ink smeared and smudged on the side of my hand. I used to hate it, but now I see myself as a chef with a dirty apron or an artist with a stained smock... wearing a mark of creation.</p><p>I write glacially. My hand tires and cramps easily, especially compared to most people's my age. When I was a child, I was taught typing as early as possible due to my snail-scratch; even typing a mere 47 words a minute was quicker and more legible than the alternative. It might be my disability to blame.</p><p>Most of my compositions now take place on a tablet, but I often plant the seeds of ideas in a stenobook. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210319080820.htm" target="_blank">Something</a> takes place in your brain when you compose on paper... something that you cannot replicate on a keyboard. I don't ponder whether or not I lose part of my creativity when I switch to electronics because, without them, I wouldn't write nearly as often or as much.</p><p>Do you still write letters by hand? People say it went out of style with email; the death knell was the invention of DMs. There are things that email just cannot replicate for me. I send holiday cards for more holidays than I should. I scribble long, sprawling letters to people who don't trust "delete". All government correspondence comes to me through the post office.</p><p>There are weeks I work with nothing but emails, DMs, and the Word application. My pens, in a beautiful array of shades and points, sit untouched in drawers and cups. My journals, too pretty to be marred by half-formed ideas, have intact spines and uncreased pages. But I come back to the ink and looping cursive. I always do. </p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-62736773893417235002023-01-29T21:49:00.000-06:002023-01-29T21:49:55.622-06:00Written Once Since November <p>My notes inform me I've only written once in any meaningful fashion since November 10th. I nod as I read the date, but it feels simultaneously longer and shorter than I remember... like space between a death. And it is. I mourn and stop writing. I cry, think of the different intensities of heat as our world burns, and count the tiny bit of family I have left. I try not to think of The Doomsday Clock crackling ever towards the midnight hour. I turn off the news in numbness to another tragedy and nod at the clock inching to sleep. And I don't write. As though I'm on vacation, and I forgot postcards. </p><p>I started seeing a counselor again. She's kind. She listens like she's paid to do, but I feel she's the sort of soul who always has a clean tissue in her pocket for others. She says she wants my happiness to be at a six or seven for three months before treatment is complete; she offers the lower end when I tell her she's incredibly optimistic. </p><p>I spend my Sunday afternoon crying as though I've lost my mom and brother all over again. Brandon cuddles me until the tears slow and we play video games together. I try to pull myself into the present and what's here while there is still stuff to enjoy and people to love. I try to tell myself people want me alive. I guilt myself with their devastation if I should choose otherwise. </p><p>Ill again. Not sure how I got sick, but I know my immune system can't be enjoying all the stress. It's not severe... I got lucky. But I have to be careful not to stress or overwork during recovery. I'm not doing the best job. Brandon is sick now, too (and we took precautions).</p><p>The one thing I've written is about a woman in a wildfire. She runs through it, like I can't do, even though her hair is aflame. I forgot if she started it or just deals with it. I don't know if she's going to make it through, give up, or fail in the attempt. Her face is soot-marked and sparks tear at her clothes. But she's plucky, this lady. She's got a good chance of making it. </p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-64916247804679672072023-01-19T00:37:00.001-06:002023-01-19T00:37:54.457-06:00A Cyborg Deconstructs Her Body (a Poem)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXRyi6KaQKObfcuGIThCWQ96pI5M0W3q8JHJo47gcfGOJ6RYiPuy2FTM9aLHhei37-VJSJ-aFLiXGslVxNwxDXd_0F9fLW3FKBZz-1V9zgNZ0OhVLPEKE4AaWjucCcW8smMJTZ-BK46QLn6fs-kUho3s52_dWX2kD_GxAEIJBqHUJ8PI4o9jWQwod/s2048/20230119_000942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I watch myself at a slow remove/the way liquid is a mirror/Striptease until I tingle/the way time is liquid/I scream as skin comes undone/metal zippers reflect me/Caught in teeth of coal/bone char mars the view/My joints click and blood pools/I stare at my rosacea face/in tints of rose-colored glasses/time mimics my gear-heavy joints/Dripping seconds, cogs, and plasma" border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXRyi6KaQKObfcuGIThCWQ96pI5M0W3q8JHJo47gcfGOJ6RYiPuy2FTM9aLHhei37-VJSJ-aFLiXGslVxNwxDXd_0F9fLW3FKBZz-1V9zgNZ0OhVLPEKE4AaWjucCcW8smMJTZ-BK46QLn6fs-kUho3s52_dWX2kD_GxAEIJBqHUJ8PI4o9jWQwod/w640-h478/20230119_000942.jpg" title="A Cyborg Deconstructs Her Body" width="640" /></a></div><div>This poem was first published in Nebo (2020) when they had a call for speculative work. Many disabled people are cyborgs, but the term is still foreign to most who hear it applied that way. I wanted to attempt a poem that could be taken in the realm of sci-fi as well as in the realm of Crip... but I don't think I accomplished it.</div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-17518916281926410452023-01-02T15:20:00.000-06:002023-01-02T15:20:09.269-06:002022 Year in Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOVmPgSPn208BcUYu6FCIulC9HaK64ih4h-D1otG8ytwTogxw8kI5_86W8xcUkXGByZavqzL8Zoe_oCpssd6ZxNm8zAz28ndz7AuYQpH2WvOPPaHEUMoH1VLvl81YrEg7mlhqQ3j-_O9rV8A4YbNVGqccGKcL9OWVh9gwMjB6TulvvdSUgmSp-ON7/s1900/FeffEOMC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1900" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOVmPgSPn208BcUYu6FCIulC9HaK64ih4h-D1otG8ytwTogxw8kI5_86W8xcUkXGByZavqzL8Zoe_oCpssd6ZxNm8zAz28ndz7AuYQpH2WvOPPaHEUMoH1VLvl81YrEg7mlhqQ3j-_O9rV8A4YbNVGqccGKcL9OWVh9gwMjB6TulvvdSUgmSp-ON7/s320/FeffEOMC.png" width="253" /></a></div><p>I tend to dread each new year. What French hell will befall us next?</p><p>My brother died of an illness at age 40 on December 1st. This February will be the two-year anniversary of our mother's death. I haven't had a relatively calm year since approximately 2015 (and that's the one where an ex-relative of mine threatened to sue me so I'd give up my inheritance). </p><p>My health is still marching downhill, regardless of the changes I make. I'm on another medication for another thing I thought I could fix on my own. At least I continue to be in remission.</p><p>I've started streaming video games and other content on Twitch and YouTube under an alias. I quite enjoy it and have made a couple friends. The reason I don't tell people about it is because I swear a lot; I feel free doing it in a way I'm not on this blog. </p><p>Husband and I are on 15 years of marriage. He's one of the few bright spots.</p><p><span style="color: #800180;">*~*</span></p><p>On the professional side, I received 56 rejections and eight acceptances. Two of my poems were finalists in some cool contests. I started posting on my <a href="https://youtu.be/jEpnPVqb5xc" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> more because I have an avatar. My literary collection can't even get a personalized rejection; there is (again) no place to submit my horror collection.</p><p>How did last year look for all of you?</p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-90586229262823003762022-12-19T05:00:00.000-06:002022-12-19T05:00:00.150-06:00Christmas Cards 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC55jafu2pR0P68bmz6ajCrQYffbthmdfvlNoxT3OBdh-K7Hq255kDRr7WCCUFK7JwCaNrzxX257Pg2Yv-YqqM9xEU_8OlPbTWDqQB31oMy7_zYr4AjKWjRaQjVsg0ze0kaUo4g1ZIQF_YQGlHSR62F8uSjmb2NqZBbR7j4NVza_mjlIJkwFHIfVlP/s2048/20221207_232701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2048" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC55jafu2pR0P68bmz6ajCrQYffbthmdfvlNoxT3OBdh-K7Hq255kDRr7WCCUFK7JwCaNrzxX257Pg2Yv-YqqM9xEU_8OlPbTWDqQB31oMy7_zYr4AjKWjRaQjVsg0ze0kaUo4g1ZIQF_YQGlHSR62F8uSjmb2NqZBbR7j4NVza_mjlIJkwFHIfVlP/w400-h299/20221207_232701.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>These are sort of Victorian Christmas with some glitz. The one with the "Night Before Christmas" theme went to Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDnidliC-W-i4wBmzzz9jXUN-YFgNwydzbXxciAKpmaC0hkcywj5hr47UySF26RO4PfmCTFt5l7sifYR3keJcJQYSLn4EKID-cozRxGWmxNHjx1ybE6d6_JvmKRH3S99TGZefcWMT_246lGRRpK9ugqyRvuj8wUP9aB8HV3fIoSk-as8qosPkjVxI/s2048/20221207_232745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2048" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDnidliC-W-i4wBmzzz9jXUN-YFgNwydzbXxciAKpmaC0hkcywj5hr47UySF26RO4PfmCTFt5l7sifYR3keJcJQYSLn4EKID-cozRxGWmxNHjx1ybE6d6_JvmKRH3S99TGZefcWMT_246lGRRpK9ugqyRvuj8wUP9aB8HV3fIoSk-as8qosPkjVxI/w400-h299/20221207_232745.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div>I'm trying to work with traditional Christmas/winter cards without always using the same colors. I wondered what I could make if I shifted something over. Would pink and purple look like a valentine? The green card is made with a rub-on transfer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZ7MydezrDeoUL_TXZ1aWJKUMplGoDKtARlq80BMNkGsJeX6OA-4dX91Eq7bu72tEGhrqBc7pOYzcQvw6RBEjwheVezIQA3CSopinpDoXErhvwuhKRj7m3de8RQzP9u0go3pkfT0jOxuOE2m1Du7WPK-uKuFyuX68z5IbagTOeBU2hXmIzgC82a4R/s2448/IMG_20221126_004036~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2419" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZ7MydezrDeoUL_TXZ1aWJKUMplGoDKtARlq80BMNkGsJeX6OA-4dX91Eq7bu72tEGhrqBc7pOYzcQvw6RBEjwheVezIQA3CSopinpDoXErhvwuhKRj7m3de8RQzP9u0go3pkfT0jOxuOE2m1Du7WPK-uKuFyuX68z5IbagTOeBU2hXmIzgC82a4R/w395-h400/IMG_20221126_004036~2.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><div>Here's a low-quality image to show off a new type of card I wanted to try... a grid card. This is incredibly easy to make as construction paper is the card body and quilling strips make the grid. Stickers from The Dollar Tree finish it off. Next year, I want to put letters in the squares to spell different words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6bncHalpFA6-og5B24Ub7HShg-QtE_cC14UxgUuknYW45Qv-bLCxY0x1f9qSuN9UELHmFmTFAnvs0JHVmvmk74wWBgx0IU8LTVkyR26Ohd1YSc4UfZlBiEYrMfLh5IszgXUJQOvbNHK1HxaBc9Br2C1UtvVXl4iLIO4jVTp2sGmyealOHubyxpqB/s2048/20221207_232735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2048" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6bncHalpFA6-og5B24Ub7HShg-QtE_cC14UxgUuknYW45Qv-bLCxY0x1f9qSuN9UELHmFmTFAnvs0JHVmvmk74wWBgx0IU8LTVkyR26Ohd1YSc4UfZlBiEYrMfLh5IszgXUJQOvbNHK1HxaBc9Br2C1UtvVXl4iLIO4jVTp2sGmyealOHubyxpqB/w400-h299/20221207_232735.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Another batch of cards where I tried something new (particularly the black and orange in Christmas motifs). Sometimes, I wonder if I rely too much on glitter, fake gems, and metallics... but Christmas is generally ostentatious. The black card is for my baby brother because he is anything but standard.</div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-46390847936069610532022-12-08T00:15:00.001-06:002022-12-08T00:15:36.192-06:00A Series of Slow LossesMy brother went into the hospital in mid-November. He died on December 1st at only 40 years old. One thing you never want to write as a family member is someone's obituary.<div><br /></div><div>My husband and I put up Christmas decorations yesterday. It was nice, and yet complicated. I didn't even want to put them up. How can it feel like the holidays right now? My oldest brother and I are going through the motions. Our baby brother doesn't even want to get out of bed.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got my Christmas cards done, nineteen of them by last count. I won't put Tony's name on one this year... I won't wrap the things I bought him. This is only the second holiday season without mom, and now we have to make it through without our brother. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are still going to have our Christmas Eve tradition. My heart-sister, oldest and youngest brothers, husband, and nephew will be around me. But it will feel emptier... even as we hold on tighter. We (on my side of the family) are the only ones left; we have no cousins, grandparents, or uncles/aunts.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you love someone, grief for one of you is the ultimate result. Love fierce enough to make the pain worth it.</div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-86411910436748729312022-11-13T22:48:00.001-06:002022-11-13T22:49:53.496-06:00Color-Coordinated Instagram <p>It might not seem like it, but I try really hard to update my Instagram with interesting content. I shoot for at least once a week and alternate between poems and artwork or something similar. It's something of myself, like most things I leave online, but I feel like it lacks. </p><p>A lot of branding experts say your Instagram account needs to be color coordinated. Some people even suggest using the same filter on every photograph you share. Maybe, if I made everything have a purple hue, it would stand out more.</p><p>The frequency is another problem. I don't produce enough poetry or artwork to cover every single day. I know a lot of poets on Instagram turn out seven or eight poems daily just to fill the space. Perhaps that's why some Instagram poetry is considered lackluster.</p><p>I'm not shooting to be famous, and I guess it's a good thing. I don't have the bandwidth to refresh all of my accounts daily. Would it change anything if I did? I don't think so. I used to blog a lot more often than I do, and nothing really changed when I curtailed the frequency. </p><p>Maybe I'm just not great with social media in general.</p><p>How do you approach social media? Do you feel like you have a healthy relationship with it?</p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-84262373179064077522022-10-24T15:30:00.000-06:002022-10-24T15:30:05.174-06:00Review: Halloween Ends... with a Whimper <p> <b><u>Note: Spoilers and ranting galore.</u></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCtaP21XdKzGrLDA1KpzMjtZosOGX8SOrvPMtPz6MkxomdX9fRwJzaqwpfLsUcewUdBloReW77vja2TySMdVIdlw8yKeLo-7KZSUvYyg5rqcEV7kAW7inzTIZnGM_fTH9YVZcCU7o-1D7a0AZM7hUShAo0h_Oe6YagzNsbzpSwZYY59aq-QWZZHIV/s1007/Screenshot_20221024-145557~2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1007" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCtaP21XdKzGrLDA1KpzMjtZosOGX8SOrvPMtPz6MkxomdX9fRwJzaqwpfLsUcewUdBloReW77vja2TySMdVIdlw8yKeLo-7KZSUvYyg5rqcEV7kAW7inzTIZnGM_fTH9YVZcCU7o-1D7a0AZM7hUShAo0h_Oe6YagzNsbzpSwZYY59aq-QWZZHIV/w400-h260/Screenshot_20221024-145557~2.png" width="400" /></a></b></div><i>Four years since Michael last tried to kill Laurie (and managed to kill almost everyone else in the process), he comes back. Laurie is just trying to write her memoir and put the past behind her when she introduces her granddaughter to a young man who accidentally killed a boy he was babysitting years prior. That fateful introduction sets evil in motion.</i><p></p><p>Do you watch Halloween movies for Michael Myers? Well, if you're one of those people, you're going to be disappointed. Michael barely features in his own film. At the end of the last movie, he was slicing down people left and right in Haddonfield (gaining in strength with each kill). In Halloween Ends, he can barely muster up the strength to kill on his own and lives in a sewer. </p><p>The main villain of the film, for the most part, is the granddaughter's boyfriend. Corey was an outcast in town for the incident from years ago. After Michael drags him into his sewer but doesn't kill him, Corey changes. He becomes much bolder and decides to kill the people who have made his (and his girlfriend's) life hell. The kicker is that he uses Michael as his co-killer without any explanation as to how this works. I guess, if old Mike plays catch-and--release with someone, they're just psychically linked. Corey seems more murderous in this one than Myers and over half the movie is about him.</p><p>Corey is obsessed with Allyson (Laurie's granddaughter) and wants to be with her forever. I really hoped he was working towards trust with Michael so he could kill him... but nope. Why try to end the person who wants to kill the person he loves the most? Laurie and a couple of other people see how Corey changes; she eventually refuses to condone their relationship, so Allyson leaves and Corey tries to murder Laurie.</p><p>Before he tries to murder Laurie, he steals Michael's mask. He should not be able to do this. Michael can overpower 30 people wielding various weapons. </p><p>The climax of the film has Michael fighting Laurie because he follows Corey to get the mask back. After Laurie and Allyson subdue Michael, they strap him to the top of a vehicle and parade him around town. This is the same man who can be shot 20 times and stabbed 40 more and get back up like it's not even a hangover. But sure, tie him to the top of a vehicle without even beheading him first. He doesn't get up, though! They make it appear like he's finally dead. Corey dies before Myers does.</p><p>None of the acting was particularly good in this. I feel a lot of the performances were phoned in, which is not uncommon for a slasher flick. Sometimes, Jamie Lee Curtis even appeared bored. Corey's character development into the villain made sense, but it also isn't believable... more cardboard slip than dark descent.</p><p>The penultimate scene with the midnight vigil and Michael tied to the top of the car was bizarre. No one seemed to be carrying a shitload of weapons in case he gets up. No one demands the right to make sure that it is Michael on the car and not, say, Corey instead.</p><p>The kills, with the exception of one, were banal. I felt like they were on a tight budget and a huge time constraint, so the kills often cut away as though it was made for USA Network and not a theater. Michael often poses his victims in various ways (in prior films), and the presentation of his deeds fell flat here.</p><p>One of the worst parts, I feel, is the messaging about the shape of evil. Laurie talks about how evil changes form in her memoir. Michael Myers is called "The Shape" in the credits as though he's a damn isosceles triangle. They might be trying to say something profound or twisted with how Corey changes and what Michael is, but it just comes off as ephemeral and not concrete or interesting. I realize this is a safety hatch to resurrect Michael, but come the fuck on already! Halloween Kills hinted at something similar with how the town reacted when they thought they had Michael cornered in the hospital, but it was done much better.</p><p>The jumpscares were also lackluster and the tension was mostly non-existent. I paid for movie tickets, but I should have just streamed it on Peacock. If there is one saving grace, it's that I watched this with my baby brother and didn't suffer alone. I hope there are no more Halloween movies because the writers and directors murdered the legacy of Michael Myers harder than his sister ever could...</p>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-16893083595130927132022-10-03T15:58:00.002-06:002022-10-03T15:58:28.106-06:00YouTube Intro Video <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJUbi4VHiXeBdwYwkduZOJJGZIxlysT-9gduSNLNHkTF0QHV8mFziamHwzdO2hxWTLKwRIzxWO9jDA1IR7Gqvj9NNYE1SCy0peg1iIT8gXBQg560eVjVqsxzOs94d874cl6d6eerD7yY0QPgPdrL-8qs_roODAqs5nCvHJoQ6I-Uwy_7RxODvwqAX/s1920/20220917_224230_0000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJUbi4VHiXeBdwYwkduZOJJGZIxlysT-9gduSNLNHkTF0QHV8mFziamHwzdO2hxWTLKwRIzxWO9jDA1IR7Gqvj9NNYE1SCy0peg1iIT8gXBQg560eVjVqsxzOs94d874cl6d6eerD7yY0QPgPdrL-8qs_roODAqs5nCvHJoQ6I-Uwy_7RxODvwqAX/w400-h225/20220917_224230_0000.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>I finally made a small, public video on my YouTube channel! I think I'll be reading a lot of my poetry there, but I also want to do different things with it if possible.<div><br /></div><div>One of the things I'm considering is dabbling in YouTube Shorts. Bite-sized book reviews would be a cool thing to add, or maybe doing quick tips for a certain aspect of poetry. <br /><div><br /></div><div>I worry about boring people in video form.<br /><a href="https://youtu.be/vK79Iz8jgog">https://youtu.be/vK79Iz8jgog</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Do you have any suggestions for me? I'm not going to shoot from the hip much.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">End note:</span></b><br /><i>SpongyCats on Fiverr did my model.<br />KumquatCat made the wheelchair.</i><div><i>My office was made using Canva.</i></div></div></div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153239170529797909.post-59099780562973223632022-09-20T01:11:00.000-06:002022-09-20T01:11:43.448-06:00A Poem: Herbalist Breakup (Adult Content Warning)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4XSeZNkfZ6nZJ5hLnP2UzuiHbRBENuDUohfSdIJtf0kZR6AvRa5oLzWJyKdmwdqkXpCHuv0wTSNch_5meehy58NkZI6FiM_NdaJtEmBU4p8P688bc0h6PY6QVzky8G2haOKDBXpOyYHUa-_ay6tQNN3tARJtzSQdfJIYfE6DJsiHI4WW93IdLYep/s1062/Screenshot_20220920-015619~3.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="1062" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4XSeZNkfZ6nZJ5hLnP2UzuiHbRBENuDUohfSdIJtf0kZR6AvRa5oLzWJyKdmwdqkXpCHuv0wTSNch_5meehy58NkZI6FiM_NdaJtEmBU4p8P688bc0h6PY6QVzky8G2haOKDBXpOyYHUa-_ay6tQNN3tARJtzSQdfJIYfE6DJsiHI4WW93IdLYep/w320-h302/Screenshot_20220920-015619~3.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>She left Urtica dioica on the porch swing,</div>oak steps creaked from her departure<br />like grandpa's spine under pressure<br />from grandma's biker boots. Pops of gravel<br />as she sprinted down the road dissipated<br />under a nasty moon blushing red with thoughts<br />of the sun spurting flares across its face. I sat<br />on the opposite side of the batch of peridot plants.<br />No mettle to touch them. Burning nettle tea scratches <div>my throat like a leopard anticipating love in death.<br />The barn stretched behind me, bathing me in black.<br /></div>Jennifer Ruth Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04699005759754946494noreply@blogger.com0