J. Bruce Fuller

Darrell Bourque on the Radio

2011-06-23T12:14:00.001-05:00

Former poet laureate of Louisiana Darrell Bourque will be reading the poems from Vision/Verse 3 on the KRVS (Lafayette-Lake Charles) poetry segment, "From the Poet's Bookshelf" which airs on Thursdays at around 3:30pm (can be 3:20 to 3:35 or so---they fit the segment into other programming) on 88.7 FM. The next series will begin with a couple of poems by Catharine Savage Brosman from a new work scheduled for release from LSU Press, and then the next 10 weeks will feature the poems from this year's Vision Verse project.

Be sure to tune in if you live in the Lake Charles or Lafayette areas.

New Publications

2011-06-23T11:07:00.003-05:00

I have had a few new publications recently. My poem "Caernarvon, LA: 1927" will be in the new issue of Crab Orchard Review. Their American South issue in which the poem appears will be out in September.

Next month I will have two poems appearing in Trigger, which is a new publication that explores art/writing collaborations. The issue will have my poem "Rayville, 1927" and a brand new poem written specifically for this project called "Traiteur Nocturne." "Traiteur Nocturne" was written in response to Ryan de la Hoz's artwork.

Also, the newest issue of The Louisiana Review is out now and has my poem "Crop Dusting: Late Season."

Videos

2011-05-06T10:25:00.001-05:00

Added a video bar on the right side under Bibliography. You can watch videos without leaving the page. I will hopefully have a few new videos soon.

Annoucing "TRIGGER" from Status Hat!

2011-05-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Annoucing "TRIGGER" from Status Hat!

The Decision

2011-04-27T12:23:00.003-05:00

Many of you know that I have been applying to PhD programs this semester. I am happy to report that I have accepted a spot in the University of Louisiana Lafayette PhD program in Creative Writing. I will start my doctoral work this fall. It is looking like four more years of school until I am finished. I am excited to get started on this degree.

This is all to say that I have successfully completed my MFA/MA program at McNeese. A few more loose ends to finish up and then graduation. It has been a crazy three years.

Interview at Swamp Lily Review

2011-04-11T09:49:00.001-05:00

A short interview with yours truly was recently posted over at Swamp Lily Review as part of their "7 Every 7" series. http://swamplily.com/?page_id=667

Videos!

2011-03-04T11:19:00.003-06:00

I am making a feverish run at You Tube these days, and videos of me reading poetry are popping up everywhere. Below are some videos to distract you from whatever work you should be doing...

"Poetry's In Motion" Video from the Lake Charles American Press...

My full reading from The Porch, February 4th, 2011...

Part 1 of my reading at The Southern Writers/ Southern Writing Conference, Oxford, MS...

...and Part 2...

Time for an update...

2011-01-28T08:44:00.004-06:00

I've been busy finishing my degrees, applying for PhD programs, and trying to write two books by April, but there have been a few career developments lately.

First my poems "Flood," "The Gentle Knock," and "A Lot like Venus" have been published at Swamp Lily Review. They are free to read so check it out...http://www.swamplily.com

Also, this past Tuesday night I was the guest speaker at the Writers Guild of Acadiana's monthly meeting in Lafayette, LA. I talked a bit about blogging and the pros and cons of MFA programs. Thanks to the WGA and Chere Coen for inviting me.

Myself and poet William Lusk Coppage will give a reading on Friday February 4th at The Porch Coffee House here in Lake Charles, LA. Hope to see you there...

New Poems

2010-10-04T16:10:00.002-05:00

A couple of new publications to post...

My poem "On the Levee, Greenville, MS" will be in the next issue of You Must Be This Tall to Ride, http://youmustbethistalltoride.net/

My poem "Crop Dusting: Late Season" will be in the 2011 issue of Louisiana Review.

New Poem at Rougarou

2010-08-24T10:46:00.000-05:00

My poem "Jugs on the Shelf" is in the new issue of Rougarou.
http://english.louisiana.edu/rougarou/currentIssue/jbFuller.html

McNeese MFA Blog

2010-08-24T10:41:00.000-05:00

My program has started a new blog, check it out...
http://www.mcneesemfa.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour 2010 - #3

2010-07-21T19:13:00.002-05:00

My next blog tour stop is over at William Lusk Coppage's blog. We recently made a trip to Mississippi for a poetry reading at the Southern Writers Conference at Ole Miss. These are my thoughts on what turned out to be an epic journey.

Taking the Long Way 'Round: A Reading with William Lusk Coppage

Blog Tour 2010 - #2

2010-06-30T10:01:00.003-05:00

My next stop on the blog tour is over at Beyond Acadia, which is writer Jan Rider Newman's blog. I gathered my thoughts on how social networking can benefit writers and be used to grow their readership. Thanks to Jan for the soap box...

Blog Tour 2010 - #2

"A Writer's Newest Tools - Blogs, Twitter, and Facebook"
http://janridernewman.blogspot.com/2010/06/writers-newest-tools-blogs-twitter-and.html

When the Levee Breaks - Levees, Literature, and Symbolism of the South, by William Lusk Coppage

2010-06-29T10:24:00.005-05:00

My good friend and classmate William Lusk Coppage has answered my call to trade posts during my summer blog tour. The following post is his view on levees and southern poetry, among other things... J

When the Levee Breaks – Levees, Literature, and Symbolism of the South
by William Lusk Coppage

I came over to check out J Bruce’s blog, and I noticed one very
important characteristic. Both him and I have a picture of a body of
water. His picture portrays Lake Pontchartrain, and my picture shows
the Mississippi River Bridge (old and new) between Greenville, MS and
Lake Village, AR. Each of these bodies of water has levees around
them. I would like to think that is more than a coincidence. This
made me start thinking about the symbolic power of the levee. Since
both J Bruce and I are from the south, he being from the New Orleans
region and myself from the Mississippi Delta region, we both have
close ties with the Mississippi River and its levee system.

It is safe to say that the levee that surrounds the stained coffee
brown water of the Mississippi represents security, but in writing
what is its higher function? Many poems that both J Bruce and I write
use the levee as an image. And while we might attack the image from
different ways, I believe the core imagery is there. The levee
represents power, but this power has many different faces.

Many of J Bruce’s poems deal with the 1927 flood. When the levee
broke, the remnants of Southern farming/way of life at the time were
in jeopardy. The breaking of the levee introduced a new angle to the
power struggle of the farmers and their “workers.” Horror stories
exist of levee camps built on the little land that existed on the
levee tops. The farmers were afraid there workers would leave the
delta and not return; therefore, against the workers will, they were
held to stay and put the land back together. So looking at the
levee’s imagery shows a tension of slave/master, but it also goes
beyond and represents not only the struggle, but almost as a totem of
achievement.

The levees are the power of the South. Without the levees, the land
would be washed away and uninhabitable. Therefore, they also
symbolize control and order. The river that runs right next to them
is a demon. The current is rough, whirlpools are visible and the
water is a dense murky fog of anger. The levees keep a watchful eye
and keep order.

One aspect that the levees represent in my own work is the safety of
experience. Growing up right next to a levee and in a port town, the
levees allowed the “uncontrolled” youth of the area to congregate.
These were the days of testing boundaries, and while I am blessed that
I survived, the levee provided a mystic atmosphere. For those that do
completely not understand this, think of whatever “Strip” you drove down as a
teenager. The levee was outside the city limits and
allowed us to think we were adults and exude reckless power for a
brief moment.

And in that same vein, the levee offers escape. Growing up, and still
to this day, driving on the levee clears the head, just like a
meditation or a walk. In high school, the levee was “home base” where
I could get away from everyone. When I visit home now, within the
first hour, I am in the passenger seat on my father’s truck. We drive
the levee to our hunting land. He points out the changes in the land,
and we get to pause from the rest of the world and talk.

The levee is a multi-faced beast that holds so many meanings. I want
to take a moment and show what others have said about the levee.

• It was a special place along the Mississippi (River) behind the
levee where everyone went to have fun. –John Magnie
• Our worst fears came true. The levee will breach if we keep on the
path we are on right now, which will fill the area that was flooded
earlier. –Barry Guidry
• We need this levee. We respect it. –Gerard Roper
• The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering
skill can persuade it to do otherwise... –Mark Twain in Eruption

I want to leave you with a verse from the song “When the Levee Breaks”
by Kansas Joe McCloy and Memphis Minnie. The song was also
popularized by Led Zeppelin.
Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to lose

William Lusk Coppage’s poetry has appeared in Blue Earth Review and
Mikrokosmos. He was raised in the Mississippi Delta, but was lucky
enough to travel the globe in the United States Air Force. Currently,
Coppage is back in the South completing his MFA in poetry at McNeese
States University in Lake Charles, LA. For more information, please
visit him at http://williamluskcoppage.blogspot.com. You can also
follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WilliamLCoppage.

Blog Tour 2010 - The First Stop

2010-06-26T16:41:00.002-05:00

Okay, so technically this wasn't part of the "tour" but it did just recently come out and is a nice starting point for my blog tour. I recently did an interview with Jess Ferguson on her blog and it is still available to read.

Blog Tour 2010 - #1

Jess Ferguson interviews me for Louisiana Saturday Night.
http://jessyferguson.blogspot.com/2010/06/louisiana-saturday-night-with-poet-j.html

Blog Tour 2010

2010-06-26T16:28:00.002-05:00

Prompted (and educated) by my friend D.B. Grady, I have begun to plan for a blog tour. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a blog tour is a series of posts on other people's blogs which helps bring new readers to both the writer and the host blog. D.B. Grady wrote an informative article on blog tours here: http://bayouwritersgroup.blogspot.com/2010/03/on-blog-book-tours-blog-tours-are-all.html

So for the remainder of the summer I will attempt to write for as many blogs as I can. I am not making any hard and fast goals, but I will hopefully be able to do at least a half dozen. I am also offering my blog as a soap box to any of you who want to trade posts. The first such offering will be a post by the poet William Lusk Coppage.

Singapore Anthology

2010-06-26T09:10:00.001-05:00

I have had two poems, "Roses and Heat" & "A Case Study in Tectonic Boundaries," accepted to an anthology of poetry that will be released in Singapore later this year. I will post more information when I get it.

Interview with Louisiana Saturday Night

2010-06-19T10:50:00.002-05:00

I did an interview with Jessy Ferguson's blog,Louisiana Saturday Night. Go HERE to read it...

The Joy Scantlebury Award

2010-05-19T11:06:00.002-05:00

I have recently received the third place prize in this year's Joy Scantlebury Award for Poetry at McNeese State University. The contest was judged this year by the poet Cody Walker, so thanks to him.

Yankee Pot Roast

2010-04-22T21:00:00.002-05:00

Two of my poems, "Andy and the Puma" & "Hippies, Hair Metal, and How I Learned to Stop Watching Television," are now up at Yankee Pot Roast... http://www.yankeepotroast.org/archives/2010/04/poems.html

Tipton Poetry Journal

2010-04-22T11:05:00.001-05:00

My poem "Counting Dust Devils: Early Season" will be published in the Tipton Poetry Journal, #17.

JMWW Anthology IV out now...

2010-03-30T12:50:00.002-05:00

The JMWW Anthology Vol. 4 Issue 1 is now available and has my poem "The Dirty Side" in it. Buy one! www.jmww.150m.com

New Publication

2010-03-29T16:22:00.002-05:00

I just heard back on a submission I sent to A Handful of Stones. This is a sweet online journal that publishes some killer short poetry. They will be publishing a haiku of mine on May 22nd. The poem is called "they dance in the cool."

28 Backbirds blurb...

2010-03-24T15:46:00.002-05:00

Author Michael Arnzen had this to say about the chapbook:

"28 Blackbirds at the End of the World is an instant classic..."

Thanks Mike!

New Poems at Yankee Pot Roast

2010-02-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

Yankee Pot Roast will be publishing two poems from me in the near future, "Andy and the Puma" & "Hippies, Hair Metal, and How I Learned to Stop Watching Television."

28 Blackbirds at the End of the World ... OUT NOW!!!!

2010-02-18T11:21:00.003-06:00

My first chapbook, 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World published by Bandersnatch Books, is now officially available. I am very proud of the book, and can't thank Rich and Scott and everyone at Bandersnatch enough for putting this together.

The book is for sale at the Bandersnatch Bookstore here...http://bandersnatchbooks.com/bookstore.php

28 Blackbirds review

2010-02-18T11:16:00.003-06:00

Charles Gramlich has posted a review of 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World at Goodreads.com. It's reposted below...

I originally read this collection in manuscript form and enjoyed it very much. I gave the author a blurb, which appears on the back cover. Here's what the blurb says:

"J. Bruce Fuller's "28 Blackbirds" is to haiku what Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is to apocalyptic novels. A masterpiece."

I stand by that.

The printed version has a great cover, as seen above, and contains a short introduction by the author. If you like haiku, especially connected haiku on the same theme, you will surely enjoy this book. All the haiku revolve around the theme of blackbirds surviving, and sometimes dying, at world's end.

Here's one of my favorites:

world burned black
the hearts of men are black
blackbird's eye is black

New poem at Rougarou

2010-02-18T10:10:00.001-06:00

My poem "Jugs on the Shelf" will be published in the new issue of Rougarou.

"The Dirty Side" Anthologized

2010-01-31T13:01:00.002-06:00

My poem "The Dirty Side," which was published this year by JMWW, has been selected for the JMWW IV anthology. The anthology will be out in a couple of months, and features the best work published by the journal this year.

JMWW site

Bayou Writers Group

2010-01-31T12:58:00.002-06:00

I have been asked to speak at an upcoming Bayou Writers Group meeting this summer, probably in June or July. http://bayouwritersgroup.org/default.htm

More info to come...

Pre-Orders Sent

2010-01-31T12:45:00.002-06:00

Pre-orders for 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World have been sent out. The publisher will have the book for sale soon, I'll let you know as soon as they are officially released.

Spreading the Love

2009-12-17T11:58:00.003-06:00

Pre-ordering for the chapbook is going well and I want to toot this horn as much as possible while I have a horn to toot. It is my goal to post all the press the book gets here on this blog, good or bad, though I may change my mind about the bad ones...It's my party... Here's a little snippit I found while reading my good friend M. Rather, Jr.'s blog.

"J Bruce Fuller's excellent chapbook 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World is available for pre-order at Bandersnatchbooks.com It is an inexpensive $8 and worth every penny. I read this collection prior to its acceptance by Bandersnatch Books. It is amazing and unique. I highly recommend you check it out."

What can I say? Thanks, and of course, listen to the man...

28 Blackbirds Raffle

2009-12-15T11:08:00.003-06:00

Bandersnatch Books is offering a pretty awesome raffle for people who order 28 Blackbirds by January 30th. Anyone who orders the book (including pre-orders) will be entered to win one copy of each Bandersnatch title released in 2010. Sweet. Here's some details.

* To celebrate our first release, we will hold a raffle for a year's subscription. The winner will receive copies of all the 2010 Bandersnatch releases, which, as of this writing, includes titles by T.M. Wright, Bob Freeman, and Wrath James White. To enter the raffle, all you need to do is buy a copy of J. Bruce Fuller's 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World by the end of January 2010.

28 Blackbirds Available for Pre-order

2009-12-15T11:03:00.002-06:00

28 Blackbirds at the End of the World is now availbale for pre-order through Bandersnatch Books. Here is the news release from the publisher:

* J. Bruce Fuller's 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World has gone to press, and in the interim, it's up for preorder. If you'd like to preorder this title, send an email to preorders@bandersnatchbooks.com. Be sure to include how many you'd like and your paypal email address. As with all Bandersnatch Books, preordering entitles you to a signed bookplate by the author.

So there you have it. A copy signed by moi. Go get one.

28 Blackbirds Soon to go on Pre-order

2009-12-14T11:57:00.003-06:00

My chapbook has been sent to the printers, and Bandersnatch is about to start taking pre-orders. I will put the pre-order info up as soon as I get it.

The final cover is done. Bob Freeman did a great job on the art and design. There are also two blurbs from Greg Schwartz and Charles Gramlich which are flattering and greatly appreciated.

Bandersnatch Books is supposed to do a contest for people who order the book, for a chance to win every Bandersnatch title released in 2010, I will have info on that as soon as I get it.

Anyone who would like to review the book please get in touch with me or Bandersnatch for review copies or a .PDF to review.

Broadside Reprinted

2009-11-08T16:23:00.003-06:00

My broadside Counting Dust Devils: Early Season has been given a second printing. This is also a very limited run of these so if you missed it the first time here's a second chance.

YFP-05

J. Bruce Fuller - Counting Dust Devils: Early Season

$3.00

What's This Blast From The Past?!?

2009-11-06T15:14:00.002-06:00

Gave the ole' blog a new look, the old one was so out of date that the template had to be changed by hand.

It also makes following the blog easier because there was no such thing as followers when I made this blog. SOOOOO...Follow me.

Imagination and Persona in Horror Poetry

2009-11-05T17:36:00.003-06:00

This article appeared in the September issue of the HWA Newsletter, as a guest column for Marge Simon's Blood and Spades column.

Imagination and Persona in Horror Poetry
J. Bruce Fuller

Ahh, the blank page. How many of us have started with a blank page, a clean slate, something to dirty up and smear with our words and thoughts and fears? Each and every one of us, as writers, have looked down upon a blank page and tried to coax out of it our poems and stories (and in my current predicament, an essay about poems and stories). What ultimately leads a writer to fill a page?
Imagination.

Sounds simple, right? It is, but let me explain further. All writers imagine, make-up people, create situations, and then funnel those elements into a cohesive work. It is ultimately what separates us from all those people who would like to write but sit down at the shrine of the blank page and decide that they can never come up with anything to say. Even the most straitlaced nonfiction writers have to imagine what would be interesting enough to research and write about, and then often find themselves imagining what some historical figure might have done, or what might have happened next. Imagination.

Writers of horror, fantasy, and science fiction have imagination in great abundance. You do not need me to tell you this. What I would like to tell you is that this can also apply to poetry. Yes. Poetry.

In school we were led to believe that poetry was for the well educated, for people who could decipher complex historical and sentimental codes, that a poem was a puzzle to be solved. The truth is that poetry today is fresh and open to imagination, and even the grand blustery poems we read in school were using a great deal of it.

Perhaps the most powerful tool we poets have is persona. A persona poem is a poem in which the speaker is not the poet. This may sound simple and maybe even a little patronizing, but the fact is that most casual readers of poetry have trouble determining whether the speaker is the poet or an imagined or historical character. Blame the Confessional movement. Blame every teenager that ever poured their angst onto a page and called it poetry. Whatever the reason, poetry has come into a time where both personal and persona poems are abundant and living side by side.
Persona is the most versatile of poetic devices. We can be whoever we want to be, dive into the head of whatever character we choose, be as bad or good as we want. It is no different than creating a character for a novel or short story.
I suspect that many speculative novelists and short story writers could thrive and be successful as poets using exactly what they have been using all along. Imagination. Sure, the rules are slightly different in poetry, but in format only—the place where good writing comes from is the same.
I would like to show a few examples of my own attempts at creating persona in horror poetry. I will start with a poem that I co-wrote with the poet Ana Spann, called “Blood in the Bourbon.”

The bell-curve in the streetlight sent it
Down the casings of my bones.
Behind the smell of fried dough
Daubed with sugar, behind the slick
Sweet of sizzled pork and mustard,
Behind the oily crunch of peanut shells
Under the soles of my boots, behind
The wind-borne tang of whiskey spit,
The dusting of red like shattered lipstick
Woke it up—inside me the thorough shudder
Licked down at the mist of blood. I need this
Tonight. She disappears behind a
White cross-marked tent to staunch her
Pretty nose smashed by the smudged steel
Of the guardrail. The Ferris wheel
Cranks slowly away from the dirt.

Keen are the musings of the knifeman.
His apparatus, ordered and polished clean
throw sparks on the tent roof, moments of
diamond-shine cast into a night sky
covered by the smoke of daydreams lost.
Woke it up—he says to himself over and
over again, though none have puzzled out
what had been sleeping. It was his performance
to give and the lines were shuffling into the
tent like targets. The cold instruments tinkled
like a tea set in his carpetbag.

Henrietta’s hair catches a tuft as one nicks by,
Close enough for the gasp, banging smooth
Into the boards. The sweat behind her shoulders
Marks the wood dark, and the black handle
Shudders. The big sepia of her eyes blinks
Calm as a cow. A sparkle in her dress mirrors
From the next blade tweezed in my fingers—
My feet in leather shuffle the sod. A moth the
Size of gumballs blips between her thighs
And I fling the knife like a falling bird.
Metal sheathes in the slight space midway,
The intake of breath, a lever pulled.
Bells and whistles woke it up, woke it up.
Henrietta’s knickers are purple tonight.
I wet my lips with a scarred tongue.

The show was fine, though Henrietta
sweated more than usual tonight. It’s
this goddamned South with its deadpan
swelter and mosquito bites and they are all so
bloody proud of it. Keeps my performers in
a ruckus is what it settles up to and it’ll cost me
an extra barrel of whiskey to keep the crew in order.
He slipped out of the back flap to avoid
the gawking public. Just hugged his set
close like it was Spanish steel. Good for business
I told him, got to work the crowd, I said
but he just sniffed the air loudly
Good for business I said.

The drops like olive oil beaded in the powder.
Henrietta shook off the knives like
A specimen under collector’s pins.
Metal and mud, metal and mud,
I can taste the vein-borne rock salt heavy
In the choking air. His words battered by
My ears… I will slip unnoticed like cancer.
There’s someone to be freed
In the curtain’s stripe, in the bathroom’s
Plastic cage. A donkey bellows, shits
Inside his wire pen. These knives draw
Close to my skin like magnets, marked
With the stain of my fingers, the knowledge
Behind my filtering sight. They know
What comes when the foghorn blows.
I will mix bourbon with blood tonight.

There was a spark in the air
like the feeling you get when the sheep have been
spooked and it was real and it tasted like ozone.
Folks were milling about the area with their
ice cream falling off the cone, and some
with their hands in other people’s pockets.
When I got to the front of the crowd Henrietta
stops me and she says that it was him and he
always made her sick with his smell and his seclusion
and whoever in the world licks his knives like that?
She was riled and asking me a hundred questions
and would she have a job still and the body
was lying there for the crowd to see like a
side of beef fell off the back of a wagon. There’s
a job still honey, I told her and damned
if she didn’t skip off to a new tune.

Kneeling, I feel the cap over my knees
Creak. I am rusting old. I will drink it fast.
Their silhouettes bobble like frantic
Children behind the tent’s rubber veil.
It grooves down the duller edge, staining the
Belly of the amber-filled glass, swirling
Lazy like the vinegared drops that color eggs.
I stir with the tip of my smallest nail.
Their indignant coughs swallow up the trees.
They are headless fowl. They search me out.
My head falls back, I smash the glass,
Sucking the taste at my tongue’s far base.

(Originally published in Chimaera Serials, November 2006)

The poem is set in an early twentieth century travelling sideshow, a time and place that neither I nor Ana had any personal knowledge about. We researched. We imagined. The setting itself lends the kind of atmosphere we wanted, so the true work of the poem was creating believable people to live in it.

There are several personas working in the poem at once. The italicized stanzas are the thoughts of a knife thrower who sees an accident, and upon seeing the blood, reverts to horrific thoughts that have been dormant. The other stanzas are in the persona of a man who is the proprietor of the sideshow, and is recalling the incident after the fact. The two perspectives give the poem its tension, as the two personas push and pull on each other.

Persona does not have to only deal with people, but can be applied to creatures or objects. In my poem “28 Blackbirds at the End of the World,” I tried to imagine what the end might look like through the eyes of the blackbird, an already ominous omen. The symbol of the blackbird adds to the dark subject matter, and seeing these events through fresh eyes helps to give the subject matter a fresh feel. Here is an excerpt—

in the darkness
man cannot see the blackbird
watching

blackbirds feast
on blackened clouds
swarm of locusts

south for the winter
black silhouettes
against a burned sky

the four horsemen
scatter blackbirds
charging across the fields

starving times
scavenging the ryegrass
blackbird survives

world aflame
the sky, short sanctuary
feathers in the ash

world burned black
the hearts of men are black
blackbird’s eye is black

(Originally published in Scifaikuest, November 2007, reprinted in The 2008 Rhysling Anthology (SFPA/Prime Books, 2008))

By using the tool of persona we can bring fresh ideas and new experiences to both poetry and the horror genre. It is, in the case of the latter, a necessary tool in order to bring to life those darkest notions of humankind (I mean, how many of us are actually knife throwers?). All it requires is a little imagination and a blank page.

Why Greg Schwartz Needs to be on My Christmas List...

2009-11-05T17:27:00.002-06:00

If you guys aren't reading Greg Schwartz's Haiku & Horror blog, you're missing out. There are always very interesting things on there. Cruising the blog I noticed that he's been giving me some shout outs lately and some good ideas for my own under-nourished blog. Stop on over at Haiku & Horror and read his article on haiku that appeared in the October HWA Newsletter. I will be posting my own article from the September issue, which never would have crossed my mind if I had not seen his. By the way, buy his books! Spec House of Poetry.

28 Blackbirds at the End of the World

2009-10-29T08:33:00.003-05:00

Bandersnatch Books will be releasing my first chapbook, 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World. Some of you may remember this, it was first published as a poem in Scifaikuest and was nominated for a Rhysling Award. Bandersnatch has agreed to publish it in its perceived form, that is, as 28 separate haiku in a sequence. This is how I originally envisioned the work, and I am thrilled that it is being released as a chapbook.

The release date is not yet official, but we are hoping for a late November release. Be sure to visit bandersnatchbooks.com for info and official release date.

The cover art is by Bob Freeman.

New Poem up at JMWW

2009-09-28T18:13:00.005-05:00

I have a new poem available at JMWW: A Quarterly Journal of Writing called "The Dirty Side." Read it for free here... http://www.jmww.150m.com/Fuller.html.

New Poem in Lilliput Review, OUT NOW

2009-07-06T09:51:00.001-05:00

My poem "How to Make a Poem" is in the recently released Lilliput Review #170. This issue also has poems from Hosho McCreesh, Alan Catlin, J.E. Stanley, Adelaide Crapsey, and Basho. http://lilliputreview.googlepages.com/

Still Available

2009-05-26T09:39:00.005-05:00

I was browsing the magazines at Books-A-Million the other day with the poet Steven Brown, and I came across the new issue of Doorways Magazine. I was delighted to say that I had appeared in one of the magazine's earlier issues, #3. It got me to thinking that I really only post new publications around here, but many of my poems stay online, or the journals they are published in do not sell out, and perhaps I missing out on a little long term promotion. It is my new goal to keep reminding folks, especially new readers that happen by, that some of these releases are still available and worth reading. So I'll start, naturally, with Doorways...

The poetry in Doorways is edited by the Rhysling Nominated poet Stephen M. Wilson. This issue also has poetry by Bruce Boston and Marge Simon. My collaboration with Ana Spann, "The Flaming Carousel: A Recant" is in this issue. Buy it here http://www.doorwayspublications.com/backissues.htm .

The 2008 Rhysling Anthology includes my nominated poem, "28 Blackbirds at the End of the World." Buy it from Amazon.com

Broadside slideshow...

2009-05-26T08:55:00.002-05:00

The American Press of Lake Charles, LA has posted a photo slideshow of the Vision/Verse show on their website. View it here http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpphotos/?p=170.

Updates and other effluvia...

2009-05-13T21:38:00.002-05:00

Yup. That's my new word of the day...

So I have finished my first full year of graduate school, where I have been working on my Masters of Fine Arts in poetry. It has been one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life. Two more to go. Since I will have most of the summer off I have lined up a few things for myself to do beyond the obligatory hours I will spend on the Xbox 360.

I seriously hope to get some translating done, as I have been picking through a book of poetry by Javier Lentini. That is my top priority. I also hope to finish a chapbook that I have been working on. I plan to get back to my editing duties at three different presses, as I have had to neglect several releases due to my new schedule. Sorry bout that...

I also hope to add more friends to my Facebook and Twitter sites, which have become a good way to disseminate information about my writing to people who get it whether they want it or not. Ha ha. Follow me http://twitter.com/JBruceFuller .

Yellow Flag Broadsides Sold Out

2009-05-04T14:30:00.003-05:00

My two broadsides released this week from Yellow Flag Press have officially sold out. Sorry if you missed them, but they were very limited editions. Hopefully there will be more such projects in the future.

New Releases!!! (Finally)

2009-04-30T07:30:00.003-05:00

There's been a bit of a drought around here, and I'd like to think it is due to being so busy with graduate school. I have managed to send out work to a lot of places, and I am slowly hearing back from some. Well, as they say when it rains it pours, and this month several things are being released with my name on them...

First off, The Louisiana Review has come out with their new issue, and my poem "The Frog Kings of Bayou Lafourche" is in it. They were also kind enough to select my poem for their website to promote the issue, and you can read it HERE.

Also two of my poems will be published as broadsides this month by Yellow Flag Press, as part of the Vision/Verse series. Vision/Verse is a collaboration between Louisiana poets and artists, and will open as a gallery show at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum in Lake Charles, LA on May 1st.Yellow Flag Press will have the broadsides for sale on their site May 1st, for $3 each. Each broadside is hand-numbered and signed by the author, and they are very limited editions so try to get one quick. You can have a peek at them here.

New Poem forthcoming in The Louisiana Review

2009-01-31T18:07:00.004-06:00

The Louisiana Review has accepted my poem "The Frog Kings of Bayou Lafourche" for their upcoming issue. I will of course let you know when it is released, until then check out their website-
The Louisiana Review

Neglect, Among Other Things...

2009-01-20T23:47:00.002-06:00

My, my, how time passes... I haven't posted since October, but it seems like I was just on here. Time runs differently in my head I suppose.

Want some J news? Well, here it is.

Lots of things going on in my poetry universe. Most notably, I will be presenting some of my poems at the 8th annual Louisiana Conference on Language, Literature and Culture, March 5-7 in Lafayette, La. My presentation is titled "'27: A Creative Look at Desire in the Great Mississippi Flood." This will be my first academic presentation of my work, so we'll see how it goes. I am looking forward to it. It's high time I pumped up the CV.

I'll also be in Chicago this year for AWP. I'll probably leave behind most of my clothes in the hotel room, to make room for all the books I'm going to buy. I won't need them in the warm, beautiful south anyway. Snow is for suckers.

There is also a TON of publishing stuff going on with Spec House and the all new Yellow Flag Press, but I won't get into that here. I have other blogs for that.

I did my part, now post some comments so I know you are still out there.
--J.

New Poem in Lilliput Review

2008-10-20T19:35:00.004-05:00

The first good news I've had in a while, my poem "How To Make A Poem" has been accepted over at Lilliput Review. Not sure when the exact release date is, stay tuned...

Rhysling update, Rhysling Anthology out now...

2008-07-31T09:27:00.004-05:00

Here's a much needed update on a couple of award nominations I received this past year, The James Award and the Rhysling Award. I lost 'em both.

Seriously though, once I thought about it, I had that old Hollywood cliche running through my head about how much of an honor it is just to be nominated. And I found that it is true. For me anyway. For the James Award, Scott Virtes won the Best Article category, in which I was also nominated. It was nice to be included on a short list along with writers like Scott and Bruce Boston.

Now to the Rhysling Awards, which were announced at Readercon a couple of weeks ago. The list of nominees is far too long to reproduce here, including a slew of nominations for my good friend Kendall Evans (a more deserving fellow there ain't), but suffice to say I was in the best company in the field.

In both cases it was great just to be nominated. Spec House of Poetry received four nominations this year, and I got one. It was a good year.

The best moment for a bibliophile like me was getting my copies of The 2008 Rhysling Anthology in the mail. The book is beautifully produced, and best of all, I'm in it. It is available for sale now at sfpoetry.com. Do all the nominees and winners a favor and get a copy.

Three Poems up at The Dead Mule

2008-04-12T14:13:00.002-05:00

Starting tomorrow (Sunday, April 13th) I will have three new poems up for viewing at The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature (http://www.deadmule.com)

The poems are:
"Burnt Fields"
"Night Fishing"
"This is the song that I sing…"

This is part of a whole list of poets featured on the site every two days. Lots of good stuff here so read it all. --J

Rhysling Award Nomination

2008-04-02T14:40:00.002-05:00

My poem "28 Blackbirds at the End of the World" has been nominated for a Rhysling Award in the long poem category. This is my first nomination. Many thanks to whomever nominated me.

Update: Babies, Grad School, etc.

2008-01-31T09:02:00.000-06:00

Since this is my personal blog, I think I'll get personal for a post or two...

Things have been busy for me recently with the holidays, school and of course my ever growing family. My wife gave birth to our second child, a boy, about two weeks ago. All is well. We had him in the first week of school so my brain is now completely shot. I have been behind on a lot of writing stuff, especially my editing duties at The Shantytown Anomaly and Spec House of Poetry. If you are waiting on something from me, please be patient, I honestly have not stepped foot in my home office for three weeks now.

In other, yet related news, a few of you expressed interest on my pursuit of a graduate school writing program. I have decided on an MFA program and I will be attending McNeese State University's Program in Poetry, starting this fall. I will be able to teach and write and I can't wait to get down there.

More later. (possibly)
--J

James Award Nomination

2008-01-12T12:54:00.000-06:00

My article "Rhyme In Haiku", from the May 2007 issue of Scifaikuest, has been nominated for a James Award. The James Awards are named after Pro Mart Publishing's (now Sam's Dot Publishing) James Baker. The James Awards honor the best poem, fiction, article, and art published by Sam's Dot in the previous calendar year. I am very grateful for the nomination, and will report back here when I find out about the results.

New Poem At Drown In My Own Fears

2007-10-05T11:16:00.001-05:00

After looking at some previous posts I noticed that people are actually posting comments. It seems that writing these posts is not for naught (pun). I have decided to try and work on my blog more than I have been.

Now on to the main event...

A new online poetry journal has cropped up called Drown In My Own Fears. The editor used to edit at Thick With Conviction where I placed a poem last year. I got an e-mail call for submissions not minutes after composing a little poem called "The Fundamental Horror of Realization." I don't believe in fate or destiny but I sent the poem over anyway, and you can find it in the premier issue HERE.

Pass it on and if anyone can tell me how blog subscriptions work (or blogs in general) I'd be grateful.

__J

New Poem at Chimaera Serials

2007-08-15T15:38:00.000-05:00

Ana Spann and I have a new poem up at Chimaera Serials. The poem is called "Henrietta Remembers" and it is a prequel to another poem we wrote that appeared in the November issue. You can read the new poem here...

We also have another poem coming out in Doorways Magazine #3, called "The Flaming Carousel: A Recant", but I'm not sure when that issue hits newsstands. These poems all come from a series of poems Ana and I did together last year. They all deal with a traveling carnival in the early 20th century. It is our hope to release the collection as a chapbook soon. If you happen to publish chapbooks, email me... Hardy-har.

Lots of new stuff coming out here and there, check the sidebar for new publications...

New Publications

2007-06-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

I have posted in the sidebar, several new poems, articles, and interviews that have recently been published, or are forthcoming, from Star*Line, Beyond Centauri, Illumen, Helicon Form 2, and Scifaikuest. It didn't feel like I was publishing all that much lately, but when I add it up, it hasn't been a bad year at all. My output has not been as high lately, primarily because I've been busy with Grad School applications. After I am accepted into an MFA program I will be actively pursuing publishing again.

New Scifaikuest

2007-02-10T10:02:00.000-06:00

The February 07 issue of Scifaikuest is out now. This is the best issue of Scifaikuest I've seen yet. The featured scifaijin is Deborah P. Kolodji. I have three poems in this one as well. Pick it up at the Genre Mall.

P.S...

2007-01-28T21:35:00.000-06:00

Just noticed that I've had this little blog up for a year now... I'll have to throw an internet party for the four people who have been here...

Added a link to J.D. Nelson's blog, love his stuff, check it out.

Poetry Manuscript

2007-01-28T21:27:00.000-06:00

I just finished the manuscript for a book of scifaiku, currently titled "The Gods Of The Sun". This project took me a little over a year to finish, and contains 132 haiku. I will be looking for a publisher now, with any luck I can get it released this year. I'll just be waiting by the phone...

TONS AND TONS OF STUFF

2006-12-14T08:57:00.000-06:00

If I didn't put this off so long there wouldn't be so much to tell...

First of all, I have been collaborating with Ana Spann on a chapbook of poems, two of which have already been published. Our poem "Blood In The Bourbon" was recently published in Chimaera Serials' November Issue. Check it out at Chimaeraserials.com Chimaera Serials has also published the "prequel" to that poem, "Henrietta Remembers", which will be out in their July Issue.

Both Ana and I will have some of our individual poems in the new Issue of Helicon (#42) which will be out soon, in time for the Southern Literary Festival. The entire list of my works appearing in this issue is on the sidebar.

New poems and a review I did of John J. Dunphy's chapbook, Stellar Possibilities are out now in the November issue and online version of Scifaikuest.

On top of all of that, Issue #3 of The Shantytown Anomaly is out now at genremall.com and #4 will be out in a few weeks.

Dizzamn!

New Publications

2006-09-27T09:23:00.000-05:00

There have been few posts lately, but that doesn't mean there aren't things going on around here...

I found out that my review of John Dunphy's chapbook Stellar Possibilities will be published in the November Print Edition of Scifaikuest. Teri has also taken an article called Rhyme In Haiku, but I don't know the release date on that one yet.

Also, a new experiment from The Helicon is out now and it is called Helicon Form 2. It is a tabloid version of the student literary journal at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. I have a poem in this issue called "From The Sculpture Garden". The issues are free but only available on campus, so if you live somewhere else, email me and I'll mail you a copy-- jbrucefuller@yahoo.com

This is just exactly how little I've done...

2006-09-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

I was cruising Thomas C.A. Royle's blog and found this interesting little thing for writers. I've decided to try it out for myself. I have started a story entitled "Jarvaa", and here are the stats...

5,515 / 10,000
(55.1%)

I will hopefully be finished with this soon, thanks to this handy graphic I can inform the multitudes about my progress...J

Kuanta CD from Scifaikuest OUT NOW

2006-08-01T17:47:00.000-05:00

Scifaikuest has released a special CD version of the magazine for their anniversary. Kuanta is out now and available at The Genre Mall.

I have a haibun called 2366 AD on this CD. All of the poems are read by Jerry Breslauer. As far as I know, this is the first time any of my work has been read and recorded by anybody, so I am excited about this project.

I also got word that Scifaikuest has accepted a review I wrote on John Dunphy's chapbook Stellar Possibilities, I do not know yet which issue it will be in. I do know that 3 other poems will be in next February's issue, check the sidebar for that info.

Thick With Conviction #4 Now Online

2006-07-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

The new issue of Thick With Conviction is up, you can go over and see my poem Kinetics/Genetics by clicking HERE.

Plenty of good poets in this issue so check it out.

Thick With Conviction #4 - I'll be there...

2006-06-22T17:37:00.000-05:00

I've recieved word that my poem "Kinetics/Genetics" will be appearing in Thick With Conviction #4, due online in July. Big thanks to editors Sara Blanton and Karina Bowman for ending a short but worrisome drought around here.

Thick With Conviction

Link Ups...

2006-06-22T17:26:00.000-05:00

I've added a Writer's Blogs section to the sidebar links, I'm going to be adding some writers that I am currently down with.

The first inhabitant to this section is Charles A. Gramlich. I met Charles at Crescent City Con XX last year in New Orleans, where he is a college professor. Charles has had a few poems in my magazine, The Shantytown Anomaly, so check those out, but definately go to his site and get a copy of his novel Cold In The Light, published by Invisible College Press. It is a stellar read, and is very well written.

On a side note I'd like to extend a personal shout-out to writers Deborah P. Kolodji and Thomas C.A. Royle. I am positive they are the only two people who have been to this site. Ho hum.

Trespass Update

2006-06-22T17:22:00.000-05:00

Trespass Magazine #3 is going to be coming out in July instead of February, due to some minor setbacks. My poem "An Insect's Short Life Made Harder By The Invention Of The Windowpane" is in this issue and I'm excited about finally getting to see this issue.
www.trespassmagazine.com

Look At That Mug...

2006-06-22T16:52:00.000-05:00

Writers are special. You could be an incredibly popular writer, but still be able to pick up a hooker and not have to worry about her recognizing you. She won't. Think Brad Pitt can do that? The point is I wouldn't recognize most of my favorite writers if they took a dump in my front yard. And since nobody is wondering what I look like, here's a picture of myself. I know it looks dandy, but I've been too busy to get new headshots.

P.S. In case you're wondering what the hell I'm doing in this picture, I've been moonlighting as a musician for the past ten years.
http://www.organizedhostility.com

May Scifaikuest Out Now

2006-06-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

The May issue of Scifaikuest just came out, and I was happy to see that my name made the cover. This is an outstanding issue, grab a copy at ProjectPulp.com.

Scifaikuest Special Edition (CD)

2006-03-22T15:44:00.000-06:00

Scifaikuest will be releasing a Special Edition of the magazine on CD to commemorate their 4th anniversary. My haibun "2366 AD" will be on the CD, which is coming out this August. All of the poems on the disc will be read by Jerry Breslauer and accompanied with music, so be sure to grab a copy.

Scifaikuest will also be publishing my one-breath poem "Studying alien fauna" in their November print issue, to go along with two other poems of mine that have already been taken for that issue.

Scifaikuest #11 Now Available

2006-02-05T08:55:00.000-06:00

The February issue of Scifaikuest is out now. My tanka, "Laissez Les Tanka Roule" is in this issue, along with many great poets such as Deborah P.Kolodji, Guy Belleranti, Cathy Buburuz and many more. Purchase this issue here...

Scifaikuest also has an online companion issue (different from the print version) in which my scifaiku "bladed-stalk bent clean" appears. This version can be viewed here...

ProjectPulp.com Bestseller

2006-01-29T20:49:00.000-06:00

The Shantytown Anomaly #1 has made the bestseller list at Project Pulp, for the weeks of January 1st - 15th. I am (of course) very excited, and I hope to continue the trend when Issue #2 comes out in late February.

I've got to put Teri Santitoro on my Christmas Card list...

2006-01-25T22:37:00.000-06:00

You heard right...

I learned today that two poems have been accepted for the November 2006 print edition of Scifaikuest; "ship's bow upended" & "look beneath the tarp" .

Helicon Vol. 41 Now Available

2006-01-21T10:27:00.000-06:00

The University of Louisiana at Monroe's annual student journal, the Helicon, is out now and available through the ULM English Department.

I was very excited to learn that my story "The Pink House" was chosen by the ULM Faculty as "Best Short Story". An honor for sure.

This issue also contains four poems of mine; "Agenda", "Insomniac's Dream", "In The Candle's Glowing Light", & "This Love Triangle Only Has Two Sides Left". All in all a good haul...

http://www.ulm.edu

Trespass #3

2006-01-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

I am very proud to annouce that Trespass Magazine has accepted my poem "An Insect's Short Life Made Harder By The Invention Of The Windowpane" for inclusion in their third issue. Issue #3 will be available in February. The issue will be on sale at their website, http://www.trespassmagazine.com

Testing 1,2,3???

2006-01-20T16:58:00.000-06:00

Just a little note to myself to get this thing going...