slap leather

I’ve finally started working on a new series. Since finishing my thesis, I’ve been thinking about two different ideas, and even, gasp, writing something that vaguely resembles a confessional poem. But I haven’t been able to write anything about my life recently, though every persona poem that I’ve written since has had something confessional needled into it.

Anyway three poems into the new series I feel a little bit productive. I’m tentatively going to call it the Tombstone series. I’m working with the trial documents after the shootout of the O.K Corral, the private journals of George Parsons and Clara Brown, and a few others. The idea has been marinating since last year when we were in Tombstone, but it was too close at the time and at that point I couldn’t think of anything worse than diving into another project in that kind parched, terrifying landscape. But it feels right now, so I’m going with it. And the research for it is fascinating and quite challenging. Lawmen, miners, Cowboys, newspaper wars, saloon brawls, drunks, prostitutes, New York aristocrats. A good project for a slow summer in Georgia.

I’ve been applying for jobs that can take me through the year before I hopefully start school again or start teaching. Haven’t heard anything yet, but will wait for next week to send out applications to the local air conditioning repair places.