Poem at Drunk Monkeys

There are some kick-ass online magazines out there, and Drunk Monkeys is one of them; a hip, slick blend of literature--including short stories, poetry, flash fiction, and book reviews--television recaps, short films and film reviews, culture (art, politics, and religion), music, and all sorts of commentary (be sure to check out the piece on James Gandolfini posted yesterday by editor-in-chief, Matthew Guerruckey). Happy to have a poem picked up by them. "Bigfoot on Main Street" appeared yesterday, at the link below. Check them out--it's a great place to wander around:

http://www.drunkmonkeys.onimpression.com/literature/poetry/bigfoot-on-main-street/

On Hiatus

Photo by Gypsy's Ethereal Soul

I adore this photograph--it was totally me as a kid, and it's totally me NOW--I'm glad I haven't lost that wandering, dancing little spirit within. Anyway, I'll be leaving for summer travel soon, so I won't be updating the blog much. I may upload a photo or two from some literary sites I visit (such as Shelley's grave in Rome), and will post a quick note if I get a lit journal acceptance, but other than that, this blog will be pretty quiet until around September. I don't write much while traveling, other than taking notes--that comes after, when I have time for reflection. I never finished all the photo sets I promised, either! Guess September will be a busy time, as usual (but in an entirely different way). Now, time to don my gypsy traveling shoes, and set off into the world again. Have a great summer, everyone.

Peace and Love,

Lauren

Tibet Photo Set

Just finished the public photo set for my Tibet trek. It brought back so many memories! This 2010 trip was truly one of the high points of my life, and affected me deeply, on so many different levels. I hope to return one day, to those incredible heights, jaw-dropping vistas, and beautiful, friendly people. I really feel like Tibet is the "home of my soul". As for my political views on the situation there, I'll have to save those for another blog post, after I leave China. You're welcome to view the pictures on Flickr if you wish, available at the link below:

Tibet Photo Set

Acceptance at Lowestoft Chronicle

Really pleased to receive an acceptance from Lowestoft Chronicle today. My poem, "Monkeys of Emei Shan" will be published in their fall issue, at the beginning of September. This is a quarterly online literary magazine, featuring poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction, with an emphasis on humorous travel pieces. I've enjoyed their offerings for awhile now, so I'm happy I'll be a part of it. You can check them out here, if you wish--I bet you'll like them.

Leaving Nanjing

A new poem of mine, "Leaving Nanjing", is now up at The Camel Saloon. It's rather dark, darker than most of my stuff, actually, but a visit to the Nanjing Massacre Museum is what prompted it. This piece has been floating around in my head for a long time, and gone through numerous revisions, so I'm glad it's found a home. With special thanks to editor, Russell Streur, of course! You can read it at the link below. Also, if you have some time, please check out all the other work by the very talented poets and writers of TCS--it's a great place.

http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2013/06/leaving-nanjing.html

In Good Company

Split Lip has just received a write-up over at newpages.com, a showcase of literary "news, information, and guides to independent bookstores, independent publishers, literary magazines, alternative periodicals, independent record labels, alternative weeklies, and more" (I especially love New Page's lit mag database, and use it all the time).

In this mini-review, writer Kristen McIlvenna notes that "The writing at Split Lip pulls the reader in, immediately. All the pieces seem to have that attention-grabbing first line(s)", and presents some examples (one of which is from my poem, "The Breakdown Atlas". Yeah, cool!). She also writes, "I love it when I see young magazines succeed so quickly. Split Lip has a handful of excellent authors and well written and engaging pieces of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry."

And they're in good company, along with Apeiron Review, Bent Ear Review, Gris-Gris, and ONandonscreen. So, kudos, Split Lip! Be sure to check out this up-and-comer: It's a great mag of top-quality literature, music, fine art, and film. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

New Pages Mini-Review (scroll down for Split Lip):

http://newpages.com/literary-magazine-reviews/online/2013-06/#Split-Lip-I5-May-June-2013

New Poem at The Camel Saloon

My poem, "Du Fu's Cottage", just up today at the much-loved Camel Saloon, and available at the link below. With a big thanks to editor & barkeep, Russell Streur!

http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2013/06/du-fus-cottage.html

This reminds me: Make plans to visit Li Bai's tomb before leaving China. Don't want to miss that.