I’m excited to share that my poem “Pining for Home” was selected as a semi-finalist this summer in HeartWood Literary Magazine’s inaugural Heartwood Poetry Prize. You can read the 2021 award-winner’s and finalists’ poems here: they are amazing!

“Pining for Home” is now available in Issue 12.

Familiar Faces

Fellow Poetry Society of Tennessee Northeast (PST-NE) chapter member Sam Campbell‘s poem “Crow Song” was also selected as a semi-finalist. Take some time to read it: Sam is an awesome writer. (The whole issue is worth a read.)

About “Pining for Home”

“Pining for Home” was inspired by my photograph Lonesome Pine #1 (this blog cover). I took the photo one evening while visiting Poquito Bayou, an area of the Florida panhandle I once called and still consider home. It’s a poem about place, change and human nature.

About HeartWood Literary Magazine

HeartWood Literary Magazine is an online literary magazine associated with the Low-Residency MFA from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Intelligent.com has ranked their Masters in Creative Writing program among top programs.

A Submission Tip (Especially for Beginners)

Write what moves you, but submit to the right market to get published. If you’ve worked your craft and done your poem justice, find the right market for it. I debated with my “inner critic” about whether to enter this contest or not. I ultimately decided I had material relevant to the market, it was the right place to invest in a contest entry, and that the judging would (appropriately) happen on the receiving end. I’m grateful and thrilled”Pining for Home” found a home at HeartWood Literary Magazine.

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