ARYA'S WRITING & READING BLOG

This is an update on what launching an author's website through Tertulia has been like after about a year. Early last fall I decided it was time to feature my writing on a site and I remain as positive now as I was then about Tertulia as a terrific vehicle/helper for this. They have ongoing tech workshops for writers and are generally very supportive. On the plus side, in terms of results, the website has attracted some readers--not a huge number, but sales have gone up a little, and for that I'm grateful.  Today I decided to revisit and revamp my book descriptions, as what I had was what publishers required on the back of each of my books, rather than what I consider more engaging info about each read. So aside from what photos I are on my site and the blog attached to it, most of the text is new as of today. The negative is that having a website has attracted too many faux editors and marketers who then email me wanting to help me market my book, but have no profiles on Linke...

Literary Veganism is an online journal to which I submitted a flash fiction piece titled, "Favorite Things," two days ago. Their incredibly fast turnaround and enthusiastic response currently make them one of my favorite journals to tout since, as we all know, writers generally spend a ridiculous amount of time waiting for journals to give a yay or nay to their submissions, to the extent that I've often wondered "will I still be alive by the time I hear from them?" That said, Literary Veganism is a sharp enterprise focused on an extremely worthy cause so I recommend them to anyone interested in writing poetry or prose with their mission in mind. The editors require you to email your proposal, what you intend to submit, and if they're interested, ask you to send it along. You do not have to be a vegan, but your work and theme should align with their mission and goals. In case you wonder, here they are: "MISSION: To help promote veganism since by definiti...

A Courtship of Winds Literary Journal is a beautifully curated venue for diverse and lyrical poetry. Its summer issue includes a narrative that came to me one early morning, its visuals as clear as if I was watching a film unfold before me. The editor, William Ray, introduces the summer issue with these words: "Poetry in this issue depicts subjects as varied as suicide and fraught family relations to those moments of grace we all live for and marvel at. Fiction in this issue is unusually varied, from lyrical and unconventional pieces to fine conventional storytelling."  Once again I am proud to support a literary journal that is on the right side of history. The summer issue includes an essay that elaborates on that and an exciting array of poets that includes Marc Jacobs, Alexander Payne Morgan, Martina Reisz Newberry, Emma Goldman-Sherman and Terry Trowbridge. Here's my narrative: https://www.thecourtshipofwinds.org/arya-f-jenkins

fifth wheel press editor-in-chief nat baum has compiled a unique and exciting digital anthology titled 'motherboard', which includes my noir prose poem, le rouge a levres--sorry, this medium does not facilitate my accenting French words--and a multitude of innovative and outstanding works by poets such as Bethany Cutkomp,  D.W. Baker, Flossie Hedges, Tyler Gillespie, Meagan Kane, Gemma Cooper-Novack and many others. Explore the anthology here. https://fifthwheelpress.com/anth9-backend/jenkins1 The letter from the editor-in-chief introducing the works in 'motherboard' is worth sharing as well for its timely and courageous declarations, which this writer celebrates. https://fifthwheelpress.com/anth9-backend/letter-raum fifth wheel press accepts submissions from "individuals who belong to the queer, trans, and/or gender variant communities." It does not accept AI-generated work and is currently open for blog submissions, meaning, only interviews or reviews.

Feeling overwhelmed? Join the club. Feeling overwhelmed right now is normal, but sometimes a good book can lighten the load. Books, as any avid reader knows, have the power to change, transform and enlighten us. I feel intensely, therefore I write and read. Books help me to stay on track emotionally and spiritually. They are my escape to  what is important and valuable in life and art. The books I'm going to recommend are wildly diverse, although all are considered inspirational. I've read some but not all of my recommendations. With two exceptions these books were all published recently.  There are numerous authors not mentioned whose entire oeuvre I find inspirational, consistently yielding lightness and offering rare vantage points and light-- Ann Patchett and Amy Tan come to mind immediately. Reading virtually any of the many works produced by either of these authors is likely to put you in a state of wonder and awe and to bring you powerfully into a sense of your own co...

Note to artists and writers: those elements in your work that bother people the most are probably the very ones you should cultivate. In my novel, Punk Disco Bohemian , I set out to rub people the wrong way w a transgressive approach to plot, for one. I wanted people to think differently about time, space and memory, and even alerted the reader about that at the start of my book. Sure enough, it was the very aspect two reviewers, one a transgressive writer herself, seized upon as the novel's weakness.  In the long run the criticisms please me as contradiction is necessary to any conversation about art and, personally, I don't believe anything that is praised exclusively is likely to have a long life beyond the cultural moment in which it was conceived.  I've found and continue to find that utter fearlessness and constant experimentation are the keys to growing artistically. Not everything is going to work, but if you don't go off the deep end from time to time, you won...