Joanne Merriam » Ploughshares

Fructify was one of those, a word imported from better times. When Mario Cuomo was the governor of New York State, he’d used it in a conversation with the former Senator Patrick Moynihan. She’d been driving somewhere, too stoned to follow the context, when the word blazed out of the radio. She was surprised a politician had the courage to use it. But that was a long time ago, when the public would tolerate unusual language.

joannemerriam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:54:46 +0000

Read “Salt” by Megan Staffel.

I’m sick/of him throwing deep-thinking/genius men up at me.

joannemerriam — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:47:13 +0000

Read “Shooting Kinesha” by Daisy Fried.

He almost pitied them, those buried/with no fare

joannemerriam — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:26:08 +0000

Read “Charon Reconsiders” by Heidy Steidlmayer.

He clung to your luck, and kept it/ For two more years.

joannemerriam — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:54:28 +0000

Read “On Worms, and Being Lucky” by U. A. Fanthorpe.

The night we sprayed NEGROPHOBIA all over the statue of Robert E. Lee

joannemerriam — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:50:50 +0000

Read “All the Way Live” by Terrance Hayes.

Rhyslings

joannemerriam — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:48:27 +0000

The 2009 Rhysling Awards are now open to nominations from SFPA members. My eligible poems (all for the short poem category) this year are:

“Werepenguin.” Strange Horizons, 10 March 2008.
“Venusian Girls Are Better.” Coyote Wild. January 2008 Vol 2 Issue 1.
“The Aviary.” Chizine, Issue #35 (January – March 2008).

I’m fond of these poems, and I hope people will check them out who missed them the first time, but honestly I don’t think any of them are award-worthy. I would suggest people instead consider these two poems which both really struck me this year:

“Hill and Pail.” Mary Alexandra Agner. Strange Horizons.
“Phrenology.” Elizabeth Bradfield. Ploughshares.