Poetry & Short Stories

Moonshot has accepted "Staring Death Back" for publication in the first quarter of 2010 for its inaugural issue. "Staring Death Back" is about the suicide of my brother Earl Swope in 2001. I wrote the first draft of the poem in 2006, and made minor edits in 2009. The poem is about seeing him in my reflection in the mirror one particular morning, and wondering what it must have been like to have been him at the moment he took his own life, what he must have thought about and seen. I am pleased Moonshot has selected this particularly personal poem, as it is one of my favorites about my brother's death.

Moonshot is a fresh, independent literary magazine with man-on-the-moon aspirations. Their inaugural publication will be available in the first quarter of 2010 (both in print and online) and will feature work from writers of all styles and backgrounds. Moonshot's name is taken from a risky strategy in the game of Hearts known as “shooting the moon." They want to eliminate the social challenges involved in writing and give an even platform to all voices based solely on the quality of the work itself. Moonshot is edited by JD Scott (Editor-in-Chief); Samantha Samson and Nyssa Hanger (Poetry Editors); and Alia Tsang and Sterling Brody (Prose Editors).

Go to the Moonshot Magazine web site >

Suisun Valley Review has accepted "Lifelines" for publication in its 26th annual magazine. "Lifelines" is a poem I wrote in the early 1990s about sex, its animalistic, instinctive nature that drives all animals, predator and prey alike, including humans, who have "lifelines" that weave through our family histories, with traits passed from parent to offspring. Although this poem is not new, I am pleased that the Suisun Valley Review accepted this poem (minor edits from original 1990s version) to appear in their prestigious journal.

Suisun Valley Review is part of the long-running and prestigious Solano College literary tradition most recently awarded second-place in the Pacific-Western Division by the Community College Humanities Association. Now in its thirtieth year, Suisun Valley Review considers carefully all submissions received and publishes work by first-time contributors and published authors and artists alike. No preference is given to a specific style or genre. The Suisun Valley Review was established as a way for the students of Solano Community College to learn the art and craft of editing a literary journal while putting together their own magazine once a year. Since the first issue was published in 1981, these student editors have collaborated on a total of twenty-six issues of SVR (as there were two years when the magazine was not published), carefully selecting the contents from new and established writers from across the U.S. and abroad.

Go to the Suisun Valley Review MySpace page >

Older publication credits are available upon request.