The deadline for submissions to Teach. Write. has been extended until Sunday, March 18. I have accepted some terrific short stories, essays and poems from writing teachers around the US and even Australia and am excited about the upcoming edition; however, I would like to get a few more submissions to fill out the journal.

Therefore, if you are or ever have been a writing instructor in any capacity, including workshop leaders, elementary language arts teacher, secondary, college or university level, then I want to see your work!! Click here for the submission guidelines.

It continues to be my belief that submitting creative writing for publication helps us become better composition teachers, especially because it reminds us of the importance of revision and editing.

The spring edition of Teach. Write. is still slated for an April 1 appearance, and I still plan to take copies of Teach. Write. for distribution at the Appalachian Studies Association Gathering in Cincinnati, Ohio. I will be attending the conference April 5-8 and reading from my story “I Have Not Yet Returned,” about a daughter grappling with her father’s mental illness. Three other writers whose work appears in the anthology Unbroken Circle: Stories of Cultural Diversity in the South,  published last May by Bottom Dog Press, will also be performing.

In August, one of the editors of the collection informed authors that the book was selling well, being used as a text in a couple of college classrooms, and that readings were planned not only at the Appalachian Studies Association Gathering, but also in Knoxville, Tennessee, and at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

I am excited to be a part of the conference and am looking forward to attending other sessions about teaching and writing in the Modern South. For distribution at the conference, I will also take copies of  both editions of Teach. Write. as well as information about my musical A Carolina Story. I was looking in the program and even see some opportunities to perform a song from my musical at several open mics planned around the city, so maybe I will brush off the old guitar and practice.

Then work up the guts to risk making a fool of myself to promote my art.

Oh, well, we’ll see how it goes.

Hope to see your work in my inbox very soon!!!