MAR vs. MARS

I just submitted a few of my new poems to the Mid-American Review, which is of note because the Mid-Am Review is published at Bowling Green State University, which is where I earned my undergraduate degree--a BFA in Creative Writing--back in the mid 1990s. Despite this little connection, I have never before submitted to the publication.

Back when I was an undergrad, I read a few issues and it seemed dull to me at the time. Like older people writing nature poetry, of which I was not a fan. In more recent years, the publication sort of revamped its image and started calling itself MAR, plus the content took a turn for the fresher and livlier. I even subscribed to the magazine for a while and it was a pretty good read.

That was a few years back too, though, so I'm not sure if they've continued in fresher directions or re-directed focus again. I did read some of the recent sample poetry on their website and it seems like they still have a certain slight bias towards realism and content that deals with the natural world, so I'm not sure how receptive they'll be to my rather figurative and oblique approach, but it'll interesting to find out.

I decided not to send any designer vaginas to this particular source; I sent two Sink or Floats and a peculiar yet strong (in my opinion) new piece I just completed today called 'Balut'. None are nature poems per se, but they include living creatures such as leeches, feathered things, and pig-like things (what is with me and the pig-like things lately?). They also include albinos.

In other news, if you haven't bought my chapbook, PINK LEOTARD & SHOCK COLLAR yet, are you trying to make me feel unpopular? See my previous entry for the red beets. Replace red beets with details. Spend $3.00 on a whole little book of my poetry. It''ll cost less than buying me a drink and will still make one of us drunk.

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P.S. Okay, I just received this message on my myspace account:

'We had to remove an image (or images) from your account because they violated our Terms of Use. Our site is for people as young as 13, so we can't have certain kinds of pics (nude/sexually explicit, violence). Find out more about content we don’t allow at http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=misc.terms. If you continue to violate our Terms, we may be forced to remove your account. If you find an image which you feel is in violation of our Terms, please feel free to use the 'report image' link below the image.Thanks for your understanding.MySpace Safety & Security'

Well, the photo they deleted was a pic of the cover of my new chapbook (see image below), so apparently a piece of art involving an ink drawing of bare breasts on a screaming woman has been deemed offensive. I wonder if someone reported it, because don't tell MySpace Safety & Security, but I also have a fine art painting of a naked breast AND a photo of my own pantily-clad crotch (in promo of another poetry chapbook MONDO CRAMPO) amongst my photos there and those have been there for months and there they will stay.

If my account gets deleted, so be it, because I don't really feel like conceding to the assessment that artwork breasts are offensive. In fact, I will be posting two succulent paintings of artwork breasts on Thirteen Myna Birds (http:/13myna.blogspot.com) tonight, so stay tuned.