ARYA'S WRITING & READING BLOG

Good news today:  OyeDrum Magazine has nominated my poem, "Notes to the Ghost of a Suicide Now Nameless," for a Pushcart Prize. Yay! The poem is from my recently published poetry collection, Singing in the Dark . Thanks to the editors and congrats to all the other nominees. Here's OyeDrum's list of nominees: OyeDrum Magazine 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominees: NOTES TO THE GHOST OF A SUICIDE NOW NAMELESS Arya F. Jenkins Peril Carla Cherry Body of Water Jaylani Loveday The surprising occurrence of ghosts Jenny Dunbar Do you find it hard to write? Kylie Hough I dreamt of myself on a steel bed covered in white my mother crying above me Vanessa Chica Ferreira Joyeux Noel to all my fellow writers and readers! The holidays are here and I just want to express my gratitude to those of you who have bought and/or read any of my books, and especially those of you who have shared feedback about your reading experience. It means the world to authors, especially those of us published b...

Arya F. Jenkins is a Colombian-American poet, writer and peace and social justice activist whose poetry, fiction and CNF have been published in numerous journals and zines. Her stories have received several nominations for the Pushcart Prize, and her poetry has also been nominated for the Pushcart. In 2021, one of her short stories was nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology. She is the author of a collection of short stories,  Blue Songs in An Open Key  (Fomite), and four poetry chapbooks, Singing in the Dark (Alien Buddha Press),  Love & Poison  (Prolific Press),  Silence Has A Name  (Finishing Line Press) and  Jewel Fire  (AllBook Books). She edited  No War No More: Poems, Essays, Photos & Artwork for Peace  (Greenwood/Blue Lotus Press). Her mixed genre novel,  Punk Disco Bohemian , was released by NineStar Press.  Poetry publications : Agave Magazine, Blue Heron Review, the Bookends Review, Dying Dah...

  Celebrating the one month anniversary of my fourth poetry chapbook, SINGING IN THE DARK, sharing thoughts and comments from readers and listeners for which I am truly grateful: "Your gut-punch after gut-punch poems....left me misty-eyed." "It's fabulous and a very emotional ride. The poems cause a visceral response. I'll be rereading it again." "Thank you for such pithy gems!" "Deeply poignant" "Powerful! Hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable. Your personal losses, the loss of innocence, life, humanity on distant shores. Heartbreaking." "I really liked the collection. 'Then' especially touched my heart." "I loved everything about this. Your measured tone, clear and cool. Thank you very much, Arya-Francesca." "To say I am blown away is an understatement." "I'm reading SINGING IN THE DARK and liking it a great deal." "I was very moved by your poems...in particular, 'T...

Here's a link to my poetry reading that aired via 106.1 FM Toledo and was hosted by Homegrown Toledo Creatives. The program, featuring selections from Singing in the Dark , my latest and newly released poetry chapbook, will air again next Wed., 10/26 at 7PM. All poets and writers appreciate an audience, but there is something particularly wonderful about also having listeners. So thanks to all who listen and especially to those who send feedback. The photo below, taken by photographer and friend Teresa Patrick, is included in the Alien Buddha Press feature that you can access in my previous post. As always, thanks for listening and reading! https://www.mixcloud.com/david-harms3/homegrown-toledo-creatives-59-october-19-2022/?fbclid=IwAR28sFPE4wOGXHHLdbZBfCW8foI7nCk8ZSAo1Wsql86VYlzwhrOX2acqHr0                                                 ...

Here's a nice feature that includes poems from SINGING IN THE DARK, my latest chapbook, just released by Alien Buddha Press.  The photo was taken by friend and photographer Teresa Patrick. https://alienbuddhapress.wordpress.com/2022/10/18/spotlight-singing-in-the-dark-by-arya-f-jenkins/

Today is the launch date of my poetry chapbook, Singing in the Dark ! It is now available through Amazon.  If you would like a sampling or taste of my collection, which combines confessional poems with narratives about socio-political concerns, please tune in tomorrow, Wednesday evening at 7 PM to 106.1 Toledo FM to hear me read selections from Singing in the Dark . It streams at toledoradio.org and the program is hosted by Homegrown Toledo Creatives, a brilliant group of artists, musicians and writers from Toledo, Ohio, who have given voice and power to the artistic community, near and far. Shout out to Homegrown Toledo Creatives! I am very grateful to my publisher Red at Alien Buddha Press for doing such a fine job getting this chapbook out into the world. I love how it looks! #launchdate #poetry #poetryreading #radio #radioprogram #poetrycommunity

Look for  Singing in the Dark  due out this Nov. 7 through Alien Buddha Press. Singing in the Dark  is my fourth poetry chapbook and it merges the personal and political, featuring confessional poetry along with narratives inspired by socio-political concerns.  The cover is a photo of an abstract acrylic painting I did a while back, newly titled, "Resurrection." Follow me @aryafj and @thealienbuddha on #Twitter for updates. #poetry #chapbook                                                                                                                                      ...