Today was a great day.

I got a copy in the mail of the latest issue of American Poet (the journal of the Academy of American Poets), that has a small write-up on With Deer in their "Books Noted" section. Excerpt:

"The levels of metaphor here and throughout the book keep the mind working to connect the blood of the world and the groteque quality of feelings."

They also mentioned some other books I've enjoyed recently:

Tuned Droves by Eric Baus (Octopus Books)
Versed by Rae Armantrout (Wesleyan University Press)
Take It by Joshua Beckman (Wave Books)
The King by Rebecca Wolff (W.W. Norton)

Also found out today that our books are featured over at the Chicago Publishers Gallery, located in the Chicago Cultural Center. And that, is super cool.

Lastly, got the PDF proof of my next poem in North American Review. It's strange because that poem was written a while ago, and so different from the new ones that just came out in my chapbook with Brave Men Press. Nonetheless I am glad it's going into print because I feel it's a seminal narrative piece from my years as an undertaker. They were one of the first people to publish me after I finished grad school, so it's kind of fun to have a poem coming out again with them again years later.

Anyway, all this is to say that I'm reminded (during a personally difficult time) of how fortunate I am for the support and interest this little press has received. I'm immensely grateful that all the hard work we put into publishing these books is appreciated and cared for by other people. I'm also grateful for the attention that my own poems get. It means something to mean something to someone else.

You all are so great.