Rejection 137

I lost another poetry contest.  I was not even a runner-up.  I am thinking it might be impossible to win a poetry contest.  Has anyone won a poetry contest?

It was a contest where you send a single poem.  Somehow when I was submitting, I was convinced this would make it more likely for me to win.

Sometimes I wonder what structure of logic I operate under.

Rejection 136

Well, today was another sort of banner day for rejections.  I received 3 by snail mail, though, one was for a piece I had already withdrawn.

The first came from Conduit who was kind enough to include a handwritten line on their form rejection, "Thanks so much for sending and reading, Jac!"

That was nice of NW to say.  I like Conduit a whole lot, and happen to minorly obsessed with Minneapolis, where they are based out of.  I am convinced that I could be friends with anyone who grew up there.  If you grew up in Minneapolis, drop me a line, and we can go from there.

Rejection 135

Third Coast just declared in an email that while the story I sent was not the right fit for them, they were really impressed with my writing.

Good one.

This Jac Jemc Will Change Your Life

I am honored to announce that a podcast of a chat Ben Tanzer and I had is up now at This Blog Will Change Your Life.  I am lame.  Ben is funny.  You should listen for sure.  I talk about all sorts of things - As Seen On TV items, Balki Bartokamous (sp?) and also, of course, Matt DiGangi - but only because Ben is smart enough to ask me about things other than my writing, you know, the stuff that really matters.

New Issue of Bird Dog Available Now!

In the land of the literary, where every title is remarkable and superb, Bird Dog remains one of my favorite names.  Luckily the work in Issue 10 is pretty darn great, too. New work from the likes of:

C. S. Carrier Christopher DeWeese Emily Kendal Frey Anna Fulford Anne Gorrick Jac Jemc Grant Jenkins Meghan McNealy Sara Michas-Martin Cheryl Pallant Nicole Pollentier Sarah Rosenthal Linda Russo Andrew Sage Brandon Shimoda Maureen Thorson Emily Toder Laura Madeline Wiseman David Wolach An interview with Juliana Spahr by Sarah Rosenthal Art from Nathan Cordero, Lauren DiCioccio, Vanessa Woods & Cover Art by Larry Bob Phillips

Go here to order a copy of this wunderorange.

(I made up that word.)

New Poetry Up at decomP

The February issue of decomP has been posted with work by the following lovelies: Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Glen Binger, J. Bradley, Terra Brigando, Zachary C. Bush, David Erlewine, Ricky Garni, Molly Gaudry, Tai Dong Huai, Don Hucks, Jamie Iredell, Jac Jemc, Jason Jonker, Katy Keefe, Jonathan Kessler, Jamie Lin, D. C. Lynn, Anthony Madrid, Dennis Mahagin, David McLean, Jen Michalski, Zachary Moll, Erin Rakow, Robbie Q. Telfer, Jared Ward, and Scot Young.

It is really really ridiculously good-looking.  You should check it out.

Also: 11 days to AWP!

Rejection 134

Junot Diaz did not want the story I sent The Boston Review. No, he didn't write me a personal rejection, but wouldn't that be the greatest? Well, maybe not the greatest, but pretty darn cool.

A select list of people it would be greater to get an email from:

Christopher Walken, Amy Hempel, David Markson, George Saunders, Rachel Price, David Gordon Green, Thom Yorke, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Barack Obama, Matt DiGangi, Dolly Parton, Marcel Proust, Jenny Holzer, Bret Michaels, James Gandolfini, Tina Fey, Bronson Pinchot.

Yup, I'm naming names. Tomorrow I will wish I listed a dozen other people instead.

And, yes, I know Marcel Proust is dead.

My Name is Not Jan

My name is Jac Jemc. It sounds like Jack Gems. Yes, Jac is short for Jaclyn.  Jac has always been my nickname.  Some people occasionally call me Jackie, but when I hear it, it sounds more like a baby-fication of my name, like  if your name was Slavoj and someone called you "Slavoj-y," while making kissy faces and pinching your cheeks. Sometimes this is enjoyable.  I have known a handful of people who have pulled it off with flair.  If you call me Jaclyn or Jackie, I will respond.  I am not picky. It is just most common to call me Jac or JacJemc like it is one word.  That is fun, too. I had a guitar teacher who called me "JacJemc, Woman of Action."  He was dorky and great.  He taught me to play all the dorky songs I wanted to learn in high school including, "Romeo and Juliet" by the Dire Straits and "Song 41" by the Dave Matthews Band and also "Blackbird" by the Beatles, which is not so dorky, but I was pretty proud when I mastered it.  I never practiced enough and he never gave me a hard time.  If you are reading this, Hi Mr. Maz!  I hope you are not offended I called you dorky.  Dorky is the best.

Despite having withdrawn the submission, Konundrum Engine sent my alter-ego, Jan, a rejection today.

My name is not Jan. Absolutement pas.

Rejection 133

Another anonymous rejection showed up from Ninth Letter today.  I really thought I might have a chance this time.  I sent them a story that was a little fancier than the others I've been writing lately. 

Who am I kidding?  I always fool myself into thinking I have a chance.

Another Surprise Publication (In the Same Day)!

There's a new site for librarians and booksellers to share their stories: IllLiterati.  Today the editor let me know that one of my stories was up.  I didn't even know it had been accepted, but I won't fight it. Check out me getting annoyed with phone customers at the bookstore here.