Happy Birthday to The Doll Collection!

Dolls are small icons of memory and magic. They tell us much about ourselves—little vessels 

of love made of porcelain, wood, or plastic—bringing out all that is humane in us. 

These 88 poems imaging dolls have a surprising literary impact; because every kind 

of curiosity and caring is revealed—animating the inanimate.
              —Grace Cavalieri, The Washington Independent Review of Books

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It’s now been a year since The Doll Collection debuted. I'm celebrating extra hard since this title was the very first from Terrapin Books. The celebration includes offering the book at 20% off for the entire month of April, National Poetry Month. In fact, all Terrapin titles are 20% off for the entire month. All prices include free shipping and handling. All titles are available in our brand new Store.

This anthology includes 88 poems by such poets as Kim Bridgford, Neil Carpathios, Chana Bloch, Alice Friman, Jeffrey Harrison, and Cecilia Woloch. See the full list of 89 poets HERE.

The Doll Collection has done some traveling in the past year. The first stop was a launch reading at my public library in West Caldwell, NJ. We had a dozen contributors join in, four coming from Philadelphia, a few from NYC, and one from West Virginia. Two of our poets, Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Gillian Cummings, brought their doll collections for everyone to enjoy. I baked a bunch of cookies for the Reception after the reading.

This past fall I traveled with the book to Manchester, NH, to participate in the New Hampshire Poetry Festival. There I talked about how I went about starting a small press for poetry and putting together an anthology. Five of the contributors read for our audience.

In February I packed up The Doll Collection and traveled to Washington, DC, for the AWP Conference. In addition to having a table in the Book Fair, I arranged a Terrapin Books reading one evening. Fourteen of the poets from The Doll Collection read for us. It was a fabulous reading!

Two weeks ago I traveled with The Doll Collection to the Albert Wisner Library in Warwick, NY, for a reading arranged by contributor Mary Makofske. Eight poets from the book read at this event. And we had more dolls on display.

I have one more event scheduled, a panel presentation in Lawrenceville, NJ. I’ll be talking again about the press, and poets Susanna Rich and Jessica de Koninck will read their poems from The Doll Collection. Please join us.

The Doll Collection on the road

This past Sunday a group of poets whose poems appear in The Doll Collection anthology met at the Albert Wisner Library in Warwick, NY, to read selections from the book. Arranged and hosted by contributor Mary Makofske, the reading was a wonderful event. The library, selected as the Best Small Library in America, is lovely. The librarian had arranged for a display of dolls in wall cases. Additional dolls were brought by the poets and audience members.

We had a total of eight poets. Each poet read her own poem, plus one more by a different poet in the book, so we had lots of variety. Although I do not have a poem in the book, I had the pleasure of reading Susan Rich's poem "Potato Head." Here are some pictures from the day.

Kim Bridgford read her poem "Chewed-On Barbie." Her second poem was "Playing Drunks at Age 7" by Kyle Potvin from Massachusetts.

Jessica de Koninck read her poem "The Golem." Her second poem was "The Pregnant Doll" by Nicole Cooley who also wrote the book's wonderful Introduction.

Jane Ebihara read her poem "In the Milk House." She then read "Broken Doll" by Susan Terris 

from California.

Mary Makofske read her poem "Bambi." Her second poem was "Operation Teddy Bear" by Jeffrey Harrison from Massachusetts.

Charlotte Mandel read her poem "After Torrential Rain." She then read "The Family" by Chana Bloch from California.

Susanna Rich read her own "This Child Left" and then "Paper Doll" by Susan Laughter Meyers from South Carolina.

Hayden Saunier displayed a flip doll, then read her poem "Flip Doll: Red Riding Hood." Her second poem was "Secrets" by Elaine Terranova from Pennsylvania.

Some dolls brought by poets

Happy Poets

Available in the Terrapin Bookstore

or

Available at Amazon

 

Dolls on the Move

This ad for The Doll Collection appears in the current issue of Redactions, a lovely print journal. Editor Tom Holmes was kind enough to run it for me.

Here’s the cover of the journal. I think you’ll agree that it’s beautiful. See those two eyes? They’re cleverly reproduced on the back cover. I admire that kind of attention to detail and design.

The journal includes poetry only—the way I like my journals. The back section of the journal also includes a number of book reviews. Perfect combination.

Poets with work in this issue include Angie Macri, Sandy Longhorn, George Looney, Rob Cook, Jeannine Hall Gailey, Amorak Huey—a total of 23 poets.

Speaking of The Doll Collection, I’m gearing up for an appearance at the New Hampshire Poetry Festival. I put in a proposal for a presentation and it was, much to my delight, accepted.

The event will be held on Saturday, September 24.

There will be many poets reading and presenting on a variety of topics. The schedule includes three different time slots for the presentations. There are also four poets—Wyn Cooper, January Gill O’Neil, Paige Ackerson-Kiely, and Cate Marvin—who will each give a workshop. The day will end with a reading by Ellen Bryant Voigt.

My own presentation is in the 3:00 - 4:15 time slot. It’s called “Terrapin Books: From Seed to First Fruit.” My plan is to talk about the development of my new small press for poetry, what needed to be done, the challenges, the rewards, and so on. Then we’ll have a group reading with poets from Terrapin’s first book, The Doll Collection. There might even be a few dolls present. The reading will be followed by a Q&A. If you’re in the area, please join us.

My fabulous poets include: Kim Bridgford, Lori Desrosiers, Christine Gelineau, Lori Lamothe, Kyle Potvin, Marybeth Rua-Larsen, and Emma Sovich.

I'll end this post with the full color cover of The Doll Collection. I can't resist as I am in love with it.

The Doll Collection: Book Launch

 

On Sunday, July 17, a group of poets gathered at the West Caldwell Public Library to celebrate the publication of The Doll Collection, the first book published by my new press, Terrapin Books. The poets included Jeanne Marie Beaumont, Kim Bridgford, Gillian Cummings, 
Jessica de Koninck, Jane Ebihara, Adele Kenny, Mary Makofske, Charlotte Mandel, 
Susanna Rich, Hayden Saunier, Elaine Terranova, Marjorie Tesser, J. C Todd. Each of these poets has work in the book which she read at the event. (There are a number of guy poets in the book, but none could make the reading.)

We were joined by lots of dolls! Gillian Cummings and Jeanne Marie Beaumont both brought their vintage doll collections for display. In addition, a number of the poets brought the dolls that starred in their poems. These dolls made the event extra special and fun.

Following the reading, we had a reception with homemade cookies made by me and iced tea. Lots of good conversation.

 Dolls on Display

 Hayden Saunier demonstrates her flip doll

Vintage Dolls from the collection of Gillian Cummings

 Adele Kenny's original Ginny Doll

 From the collection of Jeanne Marie Beaumont

 Dolls belonging to the poets

Book Launch for The Doll Collection

If you're in New Jersey on Sunday, July 17, please join us 

for this reading and book launch for The Doll Collection, 

the first anthology from Terrapin Books. 

The reading begins at 2:00 and is free of charge. 

The following poets will read their poems from the book:

Jeanne Marie Beaumont  Kim Bridgford   Gillian Cummings    Jessica de Koninck  
 Jane Ebihara   Adele Kenny   Mary Makofske   Charlotte Mandel   Susanna Rich  
Hayden Saunier  Elaine Terranova   Marjorie Tesser   J. C Todd


In addition to the reading, there will be a display of vintage dolls provided by poets 

Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Gillian Cummings from their personal collections.



Reception follows the reading. 
Everyone is invited to stay for cookies, tea, and conversation.

                      

Enter to Win a Free Copy of The Doll Collection

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Doll Collection

by Diane Lockward

Giveaway ends June 14, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

A Reading for The Doll Collection

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Last week a group of poets whose poems appear in The Doll Collection held a reading at the Mystery to Me Book Store in Madison, Wisconsin. Andrea Potos, Susan Elbe, Robin Smith Chapman, Alison Townsend, and Karla Huston arranged the reading and the book store supplied the books. Each poet read her own poem along with two others from the book. From all reports, it was a wonderful reading. Although I couldn't be there due to distance, one audience member, Martha Jackson Kaplan, took some photos. It was a pleasure for me to see those poets reading from and holding The Doll Collection, the first book from my new press, Terrapin Books.

Here are some photos to give you a hint of the evening.

Robin Smith Chapman waiting to read

Robin Smith Chapman reading "Puppet World"

Susan Elbe reading "Colleen Moore's Doll House"

Karla Huston waiting to read

Karla Huston reading Plié

Andrea Potos reading "Every Body She Carries"

Alison Townsend reading "Madame Alexander's Amy"

Here's one of the poems read that night. It's by Cecilia Woloch who wasn't able to be there but the poem was read by Susan Elbe.

Burning the Doll

I am the girl who burned her doll,
who gave her father the doll to burn—
the bride doll I had been given
at six, as a Christmas gift,
by the same great uncle who once introduced me
at my blind second cousin's wedding
to a man who winced, A future Miss
America, I'm sure—while I stood there, sweating
in a prickly flowered dress,
ugly, wanting to cry.

I loved the uncle but I wanted that doll to burn
because I loved my father best
and the doll was a lie.
I hated her white gown stitched with pearls,
her blinking, mocking blue glass eyes
that closed and opened, opened and closed
when I stood her up,
when I laid her down.
Her stiff, hinged body was not like mine,
which was wild and brown,
and there was no groom—

stupid doll,
who smiled and smiled,
even when I flung her to the ground,
even when I struck her, naked, against
the pink walls of my room.
I was not sorry, then,
I would never be sorry—

not even when I was a bride, myself,
and swung down the aisle on my father's arm
toward a marriage that wouldn't last
in a heavy dress that was cut to fit,
a satin dress I didn't want,
but that my mother insisted upon—
Who gives this woman?— wondering, Who takes
the witchy child?

And that day, my father was cleaning the basement;
he'd built a fire in the black can
in the back of our backyard,
and I was seven, I wanted to help,
so I offered him the doll.
I remember he looked at me, once, hard,
asked, Are you sure?
I nodded my head.

Father, this was our deepest confession of love.
I didn't watch the plastic body melt
to soft flesh in the flames—
I watched you move from the house to the fire.
I would have given you anything.

                     —Cecilia Woloch

Terrapin Books Publishes Its First Book: The Doll Collection

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I’m pleased to announce that the first book from my new press, Terrapin Books, has just been released. The Doll Collection is an anthology of poems, the first-ever collection focused on dolls. Our first submission period resulted in an amazing number of submissions, so many that selection was very difficult. But I’m satisfied that the 88 outstanding poems by 89 outstanding poets make for an exciting and varied collection. Poets include Patricia Fargnoli, Ann Fisher-Wirth, David Trinidad, Richard Garcia, Cecilia Woloch, Michael Waters, and Alice Friman. Visit the website to see the entire list of poets.

I’m also very pleased with the cover. I initially had a cover image that I found on Fotolia. The image included some antique dolls in front of a dollhouse, but, while I loved the image, it just wasn’t working out in the cover design. So I went back to Fotolia, uncovered the photographer’s name, and googled him. The Google search led me to Emanuele Mazzoni on Facebook. It turned out that he lives in Italy. So I private messaged him at Facebook and asked if he had any similar images. He had many and was happy to send them to me. I fell in love with the one you see on the cover. The photo was taken at a doll museum in Provence, France.

Poet Nicole Cooley provided the Introduction and it’s wonderful. Dolls have an intriguing history and play a significant role in our lives—and not just the lives of girls. As Nicole writes,

          This wonderful anthology of poems Diane Lockward has edited asks us to 

          rethink dolls. Not just toys, dolls signify much more than childhood. Dolls 

          shape our thinking about the female body, about race and class. Dolls influence 

          our understanding of childhood. Symbols of perfection, they both comfort 

          and terrify. . . .They are replicas, simulacra, souvenirs and secrets. They 

          are objects we recall with intense nostalgia but also bodies we dismember 

          and destroy.

At this point I’ve sent out all the contributors’ copies and am planning some events. The official book launch will be on Sunday, July 17, at my local library in New Jersey. The librarian is working on lining up a doll exhibit to accompany the reading. One of the poets has offered her doll collection for loan. Several of the poets, it turned out, are also collectors. Save the date if you’re anywhere near West Caldwell, NJ. Right now it looks like we’ll have 15 poets joining this celebratory reading.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy of The Doll Collection. As many of the contributors have noted, the book also makes a great gift.

Nicole ends her Introduction with this invitation:

          The Doll Collection shows us that dolls are windows to other worlds.

          Dolls are portals to our pasts and to ourselves.

          Dolls open the doors to our imagination.

New News and Old News and Uncovering the Cover

The first piece of news is that my long overdue poetry book, The Uneaten Carrots of Atonement, is almost here. I've said that several times before, but this time it really is almost here. I received a sample review copy, made a few corrections, and am now awaiting the revised review copy. So we're looking at just a few weeks now. I'm delighted to uncover the cover here! Once again, artist Brian Rumbolo has provided a gorgeous original painting for the cover. He's now done the covers for all four of my poetry books. I have to admit that I love this cover! So stayed tuned for more news on this publication.

Next item: Terrapin Books is fully launched. The poems for The Doll Collection have all been selected. I'm still stunned by the great response to the call for submissions. You can see the list of poets at The Doll Collection page at the website. The book is underway. Formatting is just about done. Credits done. Bios done. Fantastic introduction by poet Nicole Cooley done. Cover in the works but not done.

Next item: The Call for Submissions for Terrapin's first open reading of full-length poetry manuscripts opened on January 25 and will run until February 25. If you have a manuscript, please visit the Guidelines and consider submitting. The submissions thus far are very promising. I am very grateful that poets are entrusting me with their work. I signed onto Submittable, so will be accepting submissions only there. That's much more convenient than taking them by email—for me and for the poets.

Old news: Poetry editor Charlie Bondhus featured one of my poems at The Good Men Project. "The Gift" appeared on December 21 just in time for Christmas, though it's hardly a cheerful poem. (The sole comment, however, is from someone who seems to have found the poem amusing. Maybe I don't get my own poem.)

That's it for now.

Terrapin Books: Progress Report

All the essential parts of Terrapin Books, my new small press for poetry, are now in place, and I’m making good progress on our first book, The Doll Collection, an anthology of poems about dolls. Poet Nicole Cooley is at work on the Introduction to the book. She was a perfect choice for the job as she’s written a number of poems about dolls and is writing a non-fiction book about dolls.

I received close to 400 submissions for the book with many of the poets submitting as many as 5 poems. The quality of the work was gratifyingly high, so making the selections was hard. I had to turn away many fine poems which I would have said yes to if I hadn’t wanted to keep the book to around 100-120 pages. The final count was 87 poems by 87 poets. Some of the poems go back as far as the 1970’s; others were written for the collection.

I hope to have The Doll Collection out in early spring. In the meantime, the list of poets can be seen at the Terrapin website. I think it’s pretty impressive!

I’ll be taking submissions of full-length collections from late January through February. I plan to be on Submittable by then and will be asking a minimal $12 reading fee. I hope to select 2-3 manuscripts from this first open submission period. My goal is to publish 4-6 books in 2016. Manuscripts will be carefully read. Those selected will receive editorial input. All poets will receive review copies, discounted book purchases, and royalty payments.

I hope to publish beautiful books of outstanding poetry. I also want those books to sell well and to get into the hands of many readers. Therefore, I suggest that each poet submitting a manuscript be able to say yes to the following expectations:
       1. has 25-50% of the poems already published in respectable journals
       2. has a dedicated website or is willing to create one prior to the book’s publication
       3. has some involvement in social media
       4. enjoys giving public readings and is willing to seek them out
       5. will take advantage of review opportunities

In other words, there’s an expectation at the press that the poet has been actively involved in getting his/her work “out there” and will be committed to promoting the book.

The selected poets can expect that their books will not be published and then abandoned, that the publisher will be committed to promoting each book and maintaining an ongoing positive relationship with all Terrapin poets.