Holy hannah it’s already been five months since I updated this thing.
So, I re-launched Retirement Plan as an online zine. Issue five is here: https://tinyurl.com/y3u6ckzv
Maybe I just didn’t get that many submissions but I don’t see why journals wait for six months before sending an automated rejection letter. It’s not hard. Read the submissions as they come in, accept or reject and move on. It took me maybe a couple weeks to put this together and that’s from the first call for submissions. I’m already laying out issue six.
Also, the cover art is cool:
Carmin did all of the art for the issue. The cover was done with a raven feather, ink and kale juice of all things.
Closing in on the end of this dogshit garbage year, I published 20 poems. I’ve already got five acceptances for 2021, and three of those are for multiple poems — 5, 6 and 7 poems respectively. I also got my MFA applications off. I’m doing everything I can to get in. I’ve got a decent pub record, a book coming out, college teaching experience. If it’s not enough it won’t be for lack of trying. My own concern is that I’m a 39 year old dude and maybe they want younger blood in the programs? I’ll know by February if I’m moving somewhere to start the MFA or going back on the job market to find a new library job.
