Above is the final cover for my upcoming book of poetry and essays. I have my very own ISBN and am now officially copyrighted! It’s very exciting and I am really proud to have put together this project and be moving forward with publishing my work.

The cover photo evolved from input from readers here and in talking with many people, including Jon Katz, my writing teacher, Maria Wulf, and the ladies at Battenkill Books. I was advised to create a more eye-catching cover to help my book stand out on the shelves, and something more evocative of my work. We joked a bit about putting a dead body on the cover to get attention. And though that’s not something I would ever have done, it did give me an idea.

So in an ode to one of muses, Georgia O’Keefe, I went on a photo shoot, skull in tow.  Once I had the photo above, I knew it was the right one, the way to show, in one image, much of what I try to say in my work. As a bonus, I do think it’s a bit more eye catching, as well.

After some issues with the image resolution of a few of my photographs, I have ordered a printed proof of the book for inspection from CreateSpace. It is due to arrive tomorrow. If the resolution of my photos appears fine, I will move forward with ordering 100 copies, hopefully in time for the Bedlam Farm Open House, June 24th and June 25th, where I will be reading a few selections. I have also been very kindly invited to do a reading at Battenkill Books in Cambridge, New York, that same weekend, or when my book becomes available.

I have also contacted a  local printer in Glens Falls who could produce the books for me on shorter notice than Amazon, at least for the initial order. It is more expensive of course, but I also like the idea of using a local printing company, if possible. The only issue with them so far is being able to recreate the cover design above I created online.

Once my book is up and ready, I will be offering it here for sale (at a discounted price for readers) as well as on Amazon. I will also be publishing an e-book version in the near future. So stay tuned, and thanks to my readers and followers!

Here is an excerpt from the book, one of my more popular poems so far:

---

Lost at Sea

swimming in the sea,
learning the ocean
has no end, no edge
no boundaries,
none the eye can see

below live mountains
and deep, dark valleys,
far away continents
close in, stop the spread;
they are lost on me

around me now, instead
endless lapping waves,
stretching out, away
to the distant horizon;
no compass point
or stars in the night sky
guiding me on to shore

floating here, waiting,
hoping the tide alone
can carry me home