Sarah M. Wells

Pre-AWP Blather

Tomorrow, I head out to Chicago for the AWP Conference, and to prepare for the adventure, I spent all evening playing ring around the rosie, duck duck goose, reading books and coloring, giving baths, singing, and praying with my children. Could there be better preparations for going away?I wrote over on Finding Gemstones about theContinueContinue reading “Pre-AWP Blather”

A Just Plain Good Day

I experienced an unusual burst of energy around 5:15 after getting off of the phone with a prospective student. That’s the only possible cause I can come up with for what followed – there was no caffeine involved, so that couldn’t be it, but perhaps just having an opportunity to connect with another person onContinueContinue reading “A Just Plain Good Day”

Good News!

I just got an email from the editor of The New Formalist, and they are going to publish one of my poems! Now, three people think I’m awesome! 😉 I am very excited about this one, too, because it is a formal poem I first wrote as an undergraduate. I’ve done some revision to it,ContinueContinue reading “Good News!”

You, Me, and the Jellies

So, I keep revising this stupid poem (don’t tell Lydia I said “stupid”) in hopes that I’ll actually like it someday, and I think maybe it’s just doomed to end up in the burn pile. It has been called “Airlie Beach, Valentine’s Day, 2001”, and then it was “Resurfacing”, and now it is “You, Me,ContinueContinue reading “You, Me, and the Jellies”

The Swale

Roving feet get suctioned in the swale.Mud leaches between laces and leatherbefore you see the depression coming.The valley looked drier, but spring rainand winter melt had no time to evaporateor seep deeper into the earth, harmless.This land rises up in such a way that dipsare unpredictable. Perhaps shallow cavitieswill always be damp, hollows I dareContinueContinue reading “The Swale”

Sleeping Beauty, Part II

We watched Sleeping Beauty again tonight. Lydia loves this movie – she actually sits on the couch and watches the whole thing, which doesn’t even happen with Shrek, and they LOVE Shrek. So, Sleeping Beauty is a huge hit for Lydia. After Elvis went to bed, I let Lydia stay up and watch the restContinueContinue reading “Sleeping Beauty, Part II”

Cover of Book! Woo!

Here’s the “mock up” of the cover for my chapbook. I like it, except for the title font, which is just a tad overly italicized, I think. I may ask for something a bit more… flowy? “Advance orders” are being taken, and the thing about advance orders is that it determines their press run, andContinueContinue reading “Cover of Book! Woo!”

Everything You Need to Know about the Enemy

You know those posters, “Everything I ever needed to know I learned in Kindergarten?” Well, tonight I bring you – everything I ever needed to know about the enemy I learned from watching Sleeping Beauty:1.) The Enemy Shows Up Uninvited2.) The Enemy Bestows Gifts, Which One Usually Expects to Be Good, but Certainly End inContinueContinue reading “Everything You Need to Know about the Enemy”

Standing in the Snow Crying

We took the kids out to play in the snow this morning for about an hour. Elvis hated it and Lydia loved it. Elvis wouldn’t move if I put him down – he seriously looked like that kid in the Christmas Story. He would look up at me and just start moaning. It was soContinueContinue reading “Standing in the Snow Crying”

Make Believe

We’re back in Ashland and back to the same routine as if we never left, which is unfortunate. One would think that being removed from an environment for over two weeks would untrain toddler bad habits, kind of like detox and rehab. But, no. Elvis is still attracted to the fireplace, Lydia still insists sheContinueContinue reading “Make Believe”