#poetry. #TSOTD_note. Update for those wondering. One week later, and I now have 15 The-Sign-of-the-Dragon poems. The first 8 are a mini sequence; the others are shorter sequences or stand-alone poems. I may get one more written by the end of Tuesday, then likely pause while my daughter's home.

Update from the reading front: finished a re-read of Scout's Progress, part of the wonderful Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. A delight. www.goodreads.com/review/show/... 📖🚀📚

FYI, I'm on the Poetry, Flash, & the Power of Hybrid Storytelling panel at Quasar on Sunday....

Update from the reading front. It took me most of the year, but I finished Dante's Inferno, Italian text as well the English translation. My grasp of Italian was inadequate for this undertaking, but I don't regret it. www.goodreads.com/review/show/... 📖

#poetry. Belatedly reporting that my poem "Eating with the Dead #2" appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, Sep/Oct 2025 :-) For the curious - written 4/2023 - accepted in 84 days on its first time out - this is my 15th poem to appear in Asimov's - they paid $27 ($1 per line) ✏️📖

Reposting for the Sunday lunchtime people. Hmmm. That may be a small set.

#poetry. #TSOTD_note. For the first time, I returned to the world of "The Sign of the Dragon" and wrote a mini sequence of 8 poems that take place near the midpoint of the main book. I finished today after an obsessed flurry of activity while I had an empty house (barring Sir Cat's good company).

Update from the reading front: I forgot to say that I picked "Death by Silver." I can report that I have now finished, and much enjoyed, said book :-) www.goodreads.com/review/show/... I will now progress to "The Gentleman and his Vowsmith."

Part 3 of the Reddit Readlong of "The Sign of the Dragon" is underway, for those who would like to play along: www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/co...

For those wanting a distraction, here's a link to my November newsletter, complete with poetry news and my latest reading update. mailchi.mp/9bb9095411e6... ✏️📖

Update from the poetry front: I think my poem "Corn Snake #6" was published in US1 Worksheets (I couldn't attend the launch party) For the curious - written 3/2024 - accepted in 138 days on its first time out - I didn't submit this until after a 2/2025 revision - 2nd Corn Snake poem to be published

Later tonight, once I have cleared my todo list, I will be playing the next round of What Will I Read For Fun? This time, I am in the mood for gay SFF(*) and the candidates are shown below. Sorry for poor photography skills. (*) Really, when am I NOT in the mood for gay SFF?

Update from the reading front: finished L. E. Modesitt Jr.'s Legalist, a prequel to the existing books in his Grand Illusion political fantasy series. I enjoyed it a lot. I find Modesitt's writing very immersive. www.goodreads.com/review/show/... 📖

Hello folks, looking for recommendations for good/fun SFF books for an eight year old. The eight year old has read Wings of Fire, Dragon Masters, Bone (comic/graphic novel), Bad Kitty, Dairy of a Wimpy Kid (yes, not SFF), Dave Pigeon. Thank you for any help! 📖📚🚀

#Caturday. Slain by sunbeam.

Update from the reading front: I finished Roger Zelazny's "A Night in the Lonesome October," which proved to be a delight. Many thanks to @clankorval.bsky.social for recommending reading this a chapter per day in October. Snuff is officially the best dog ever. www.goodreads.com/review/show/... 📖📚🐕

What did folks read in October that you loved? My favorites were: - Robert Jackson Bennett's fantasy mystery, The Tainted Cup: amazing worldbuilding/setting and I love Din - Jamie Lackey's lovely fairytale novella, The Forest Gods, sequel to the wonderful The Forest God. (Yes, very similar title.)

On the poetry front: signed contracts for 2 poems for Asimov's and 1 for Analog :-) For the curious: - written 2/2023 + 2/2023 + 5/2024 - poems previously received 4 / 11 / 3 rejections respectively - initial responses took 419 / 255 / 113 days; contracts took longer - they pay a dollar a line ✏️

For anyone who's wondering what I selected *after* finishing Sarah Beth Durst's lovely Spellshop: the answer is Legalist, by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.... I'm up to page 147 and having a fine time :-)

Update from the reading front: already finished "The Spellshop" by Sarah Beth Durst, which I picked out only yesterday afternoon. Yes, thank you, I did enjoy it. Gentle fantasy with a superb talking spider plant in the supporting cast. www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Neither reading nor writing related: I voted (by mail) this morning. I have voted in every election since I became a US citizen in March 2003. If you have a vote, cast it....

#TSOTD_note Boyhood Opening lines in the first draft: Riding with the horse lords that summer, down from the brackish lakes and marsh and sedge and rush to the low easy slopes of the grasslands, Closing lines in the first draft: At the start, Keng a boy of fourteen. By the end, his boyhood gone.

Update from the reading front: this afternoon I have the happy task of selecting my next for-fun book to read :-) :-) I have picked six books from the waiting hordes and will read the start of each, gradually removing books from contention. N.B. The mystery book is System Collapse (Martha Wells)

#Caturday. Pilot, rightful ruler of all he surveys, long may he reign.

Update from the poetry front: poem accepted by Star*Line :-) For the curious: - written 8/2025 - accepted in 14 days on its first time out (4 other poems rejected) - part of a set of poems that I've been working on since 5/2025 - this is my 93rd poem to be accepted by Star*Line (!) ✏️

www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/... The second section of the Sign of the Dragon readalong is up on r/fantasy!

Update from the reading front: finished Robert Jackson Bennett's "A Drop of Corruption," sequel to the wonderful "The Tainted Cup." Very good, though, for me, less emotionally compelling than "The Tainted Cup." Other readers seem to prefer it, however, so ignore me: www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I am (very) slowly learning Italian. I did Duolingo a while back, then Coffee Break Italian, and am now creeping through Babbel. Today I graduated from Beginner to Intermediate, where I expect to reside for a LONG time. N.B. I'd like to understand/read Italian, but it stresses me to speak/write it.

At the No Kings event in downtown Pittsburgh

I'm attending No Kings's event, “Pittsburgh says, "No KINGS!"” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

Update from the poetry front. Just thought I ought to clarify that I receive lots of bad news that I usually don't report. In the past 8 days, I've had rejections from Missouri Review, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores (one magazine with a long name that makes it sound like two), and Ploughshares. ✏️

Update from the poetry front: poem accepted by Plott Hound :-) For the curious - poem written 8/2025 - accepted in 24 days on its first time out (they rejected 4 other poems) - they have already paid me $50 - this is one of many, many cat poems that I have written ✏️🐈

And a very good review indeed! "Sign of the Dragon is a strong fantasy epic built around an unusually admirable character. Highly recommended." awfulagent.com/ebooks/the-s...

I am delighted to report that Peter Heck reviewed "The Sign of the Dragon" in the On Books column in Asimov's Science Fiction, November/December 2025 :-) :-) :-) The curious may read the whole On Books column at: asimovs.com/current-issu... (The Sign of the Dragon is the 3rd of 11 reviews.) ✏️📖🐉

Update from the poetry front: my poem Cyberpunk Dragon is in the new (Cyberpunk) issue of Eye to the Telescope, edited by Casey Aimer. For the curious - written 9/2025 - accepted in 11 days on its first time out - received $5 - whole issue online at www.eyetothetelescope.com/archives/058... ✏️📖🐉🖥️

Update from the reading front: finished "The Tainted Cup" by Robert Jackson Bennett. Marvelous fantasy murder mystery. Superb worldbuilding + I love Din (the narrator and central character). www.goodreads.com/review/show/... Almost enough to stop me craving more Slough House books, but not quite!

For the curious, the October update of my newsletter may be read here: mailchi.mp/f72546af2d84... It includes poetry news, a photo of me with Pilot (my cat) on my 60th birthday, and book recommendations. ✏️

!!!! 🐉📖🐉!!!!

Update from the reading front: finished Jamie Lackey's novella The Forest Gods, a sequel to her wonderful novella, The Forest God. This one is wonderful too. (Read them in order.) www.goodreads.com/review/show/... 📖📚

Update from the reading front: finished Sub-Majer's Challenge, the 25th book in L. E. Modesitt Jr's Saga of Recluce. This is the third book about the rise of Alyiakal through the ranks, and I enjoyed it very much. I greatly admire Modesitt's worldbuilding. www.goodreads.com/review/show/... 📖📚

On the poetry front, my poem "Andy Warhol's Many Cats" has just been published by Uppagus :-) 🐈🐈‍⬛🐾 uppagus.com/poems/soon-l... For the curious - first draft written 4/2019 - this draft written 2/2025 - rejected 8 times - accepted in 58 days - this is my 51st poem to appear in Uppagus! ✏️📖

I'm honored and delighted that my poem "What Moon Rabbit Reads" was nominated for the Best of the Net by The Sprawl Mag :-) N.B. The poem may be read here: www.thesprawlmag.ca/vol-2-2#moon...

Since it is not online, I thought I'd post my poem "The Blackthorn" here. This is the one that just won the Rhysling Award (yes, I'm still excited!) Some notes: 1. This is a relatively prosey poem 2. It's 60 lines long 3. My thanks to David C. Kopaska-Merkel for giving it a home Off we go!

FYI, the sixth meeting of SFWA's poetry book club is on February 7th. We will discuss The Inca Weaver's Tales, Katherine Quevedo's Elgin-Award-winning chapbook. Alas, the event is only open to SFWA/Nebula-Conference members. events.sfwa.org/events/specu... Note that you need to RSVP to attend....

Repeating myself from yesterday -- I am honored and delighted and excited and happy that my poem "The Blackthorn" won the 2025 Rhysling Award for long poems! Many thanks to Dreams and Nightmares / David C. Kopaska-Merkel for giving the poem its first home :-) ✏️🐈🍃

Here's a picture from my birthday evening (tonight)

I am honored and delighted and excited and happy to announce that my poem "The Blackthorn," first published in Dreams and Nightmares, has won the 2025 Rhysling Award in the long-poem category :-) Many thanks to David C. Kopaska-Merkel for giving the poem its first home sfpoetry.org/wp/2025/10/0...

Many thanks to Kaleidotrope for giving my poem "What Villains Read" its first home 🙂 N.B. The poem may be read at Kaleidotrope free of charge: kaleidotrope.net/autumn-2024/...

What did folks read and love in September? I read seven Slough House books by Mick Herron. They are not SFF but spy books centered on agents sidelined from MI5 for various misdemeanors. I love them! On the SFF front, my favorite was a re-read of Jamie Lackey's fairy-tale novella "The Forest God."

"We need you. We need someone who will point out our mistakes." - King Xau to his Finance Minister, in "The Sign of the Dragon" - I've been thinking about Xau of late 🐉🐉🐉