June 19, 2014

Leilanie Stewart

More of my poetry out this month in The Open Mouse….mid-June is turning out to be quite the poetry-fest! Forthcoming debut news, followed by my poet hubby’s publication yesterday and the nights staying light for longer (and warmer too)! Isn’t summer great? 🙂

sunnydunny's avatarThe Open Mouse

New-sense

Hair
clings to a shred of scalp

After death,
it is best,
to crush the skull
into bone powder
and fertilise the plants

What a nuisance
a new-sense
of doom

For skeletons
do not keep growing;
their hair
and nails
fall to the whims
of the velvet casket

The four walls
can only contain
what was a foolish
ego
of a mynah bird
mimicking,
poorly,
a parrot
in the first place

Copyright © Leilanie Stewart 2014

Leilanie Stewart is one half of a writing couple – the other half is poet and writer, Joseph Robert. Her work has appeared in over 30 print and online lit mags in the UK and US. More about her writing can be found at www.leilaniestewart.wordpress.com.

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Posted by on June 19, 2014 in Writing.

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June 18, 2014

Joseph Robert’s poem in Bluepepper

Clouds above the Suicide Forest, seen from Mt. Fuji, Japan

Clouds above the Suicide Forest, seen from Mt. Fuji, Japan

Another of my poet and writer hubby’s poems is published in Bluepepper magazine today. It’s a poem that will cut deep (bad pun, apologies, I’m great at these!). Joseph is published alongside another poet, Michele Seminara, who used inspiration from Ulysses for her poem – appropriate, since Bloomsday was only a couple of days ago on June 16th. Enjoy!

Posted by on June 18, 2014 in Poetry and tagged , .

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June 14, 2014

My debut poetry pamphlet forthcoming from Eyewear Publishing!

Glamour... in the pits!

Glamour… in the pits!

Yesterday I received the news that my debut poetry pamphlet collection, A Model Archaeologist (available from my publisher Eyewear Publishing and from my online store Meandi Books) will be published in mid 2015 by Eyewear Publishing. To say that I am excited is an understatement! After 5 years of publishing my work in print and ezines online and promoting my poems at events in London, I’m delighted that a collection of my work will appear.

Eyewear are a London-based publisher that promote Indie writers and run competitions to find up-and-coming new authors. In this day and age, it’s refreshing to have a traditional publisher who will take on new writers with track records of publishing within the small press scene.

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Posted by on June 14, 2014 in Biography, Chapbooks/pamphlets, Eyewear Publishing, Poetry, Publishing and tagged , , , .

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June 6, 2014

Poetry video for June – Embroidery Soul

Here’s my poetry reading for June. This poem was first published in September 2011 in Graffiti magazine issue 12. Watch for the cameo by the magazine itself… all I can say is that there was no gust of air present on that day. Spooky? Maybe not. Funny, perhaps!

Posted by on June 6, 2014 in Poetry and tagged , , .

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May 31, 2014

My fiction in Pure Slush Magazine

TravellerLast day of May and another flash fiction piece squeezed in to kick off the start of June (and hopefully nicer weather here in Britain), published in Pure Slush Magazine. The Art of Something out of Nothing is a sketch that plays around with language and interpretation. Just as an artist starts out with a blank canvas, a writer begins with an empty page; at least in a normal writing process. But what happens if a story is already fully formed and the writer begins by deconstructing the concept, picking away at elements and leaving the reader with only the bare bones that they need to know to follow the idea? Continue reading →

Posted by on May 31, 2014 in Fiction, Writing and tagged , .

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May 22, 2014

Mistress Quickly’s Bed Issue 5

Mistress Quickly's Bed Issue 5I always enjoy the post coming when there’s a literary magazine or a poetry pamphlet that someone has sent, instead of bills, bills and more bills. This week, 2 copies of Mistress Quickly’s Bed Issue 5 arrived, which Joseph Robert and I have been busy reading. I’ve had an enjoyable commute the past few days perusing the poems, short fiction and entertaining reviews. Of course, the editorial at the start always amuses me; a dialogue between editors Alan Dent and Nancy Frost that in this issue makes a fun compare-contrast between poetry and politics – appropriate for today since it’s election day. Who are you voting for, people in Britain? Continue reading →

Posted by on May 22, 2014 in Poetry and tagged , , , .

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May 14, 2014

My work in the best of 2013 Storm Cycle Anthology

Landmass

Landmass

This month, Kind of a Hurricane Press has published its best of 2013 poetry and fiction in an annual anthology, Storm Cycle. Editors A. J. Huffman and April Salzano selected pieces from both the print magazines and online journals that they felt were ‘truly special and deserved extra recognition’. I’m delighted that three of my pieces – Landmass, Snowball Effect and Twenty Questions – were picked for the anthology and are published alongside some great poems and flash fiction. Continue reading →

Posted by on May 14, 2014 in Fiction, Poetry and tagged .

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May 6, 2014

Joseph Robert’s flash fiction in Mad Swirl

 

Excarnation... what a way to go!

Excarnation… what a way to go!

My writer hubby’s latest fiction, Pitch for a Picture Book, is out in Mad Swirl magazine this month. The editor of Mad Swirl, Tyler, described excarnation in writing terms as defleshing art. It’s true that the process for a writer is to construct, then deconstruct their work – draft 1 is to get the ideas out and draft 2 is to edit and cut any extraneous parts, or to refine what works. Excarnation can also epitomise life’s tragedies (or comedies, depending on how you look at it!) In Pitch for a Picture Book the death or loss of everyone living who is dear to the central character, initiates a bit of philosophical reflection, and a quest for new friendships among inanimate objects. Continue reading →

Posted by on May 6, 2014 in Fiction, Writing and tagged , , .

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May 1, 2014

Leilanie Stewart’s round-up of FREE writing competitions – update 2

Money tree competitions

Here’s my latest update of FREE poetry and fiction competitions for teenagers to enter, either by themselves or through a school or local library. A lot of writers these days are cash-strapped and aren’t in a position to enter every fee-charging competition that comes up. There are many legitimate competitions that rely on funds to keep running their business and keep the world of poetry and short fiction alive (which I’m grateful for!), but in my mind, the odds of winning the top prizes are so low that it seems to me a writer would spend more on entry fees than reaping rewards. I’ve personally never entered a competition that isn’t free – however, I regularly subscribe to my favourite literary magazines to do my part for the industry! At least with magazines you subscribe to you get a product for the money you spend. And in my opinion, children and young people shouldn’t have to pay to enter competitions at all – on that note, here’s my round-up of freebie poetry competitions for youngsters:

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Posted by on May 1, 2014 in Competitions, Fiction, Poetry, Resources, Short Stories, Writing and tagged , , .

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April 24, 2014

Leilanie Stewart’s round-up of FREE writing competitions – update 1

Hang on in there... you'll get discovered!

Hang on in there… you’ll get discovered!

In a day and age when it is getting harder and harder for an up-and-coming writer to get noticed (and especially if they’re a starving artist…) what’s the best solution? Competitions – and better still – free ones. In an ideal world, it would be great to be able to subscribe to all the zines and competitions to keep supporting the cause, but face it, who has a money tree growing in their garden? Here are a few up-and-coming competitions for all you up-and-coming writers in the adult market (April to Dec 2014):

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Posted by on April 24, 2014 in Competitions, Fiction, Poetry, Resources, Short Stories, Writing and tagged , , , , .

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