Ups and Downs of the writing life

Three creative nonfiction rejections today. It might be of interest to fledgling writers to record them all, but anyone who's been publishing for a while knows how many there are. I loved it when the very well published and experienced writer Molly Giles did a bio at a reading last spring that listed all of the literary journals that had recently rejected her, in alphabetical order. It was a surprisingly long list.

More unexpected, $150 that I never imagined I'd see, for a short story published in the alternative weekly DigBoston two Christmases ago. They've been in tremendous financial disarray, and despite the best efforts of their consulting fiction editor Rachel Branwen (also the editor of Slush Pile magazine, which reprinted my story), it looked like they were going to stiff all of their fiction writers. Not so! The new editor-in-chief will pay all of us. Between that, and a nice check from Gettysburg Review, and smaller checks from a few other magazines, and $500 coming up for winning the chapbook contest at Black Lawrence Press, this has been a great year.

Oh, and one of today's rejections was a very warm and personal and complimentary note from AGNI, who assured me that "this is not our customary rejection" and encouraged me to submit more. Crazy business when a rejection leaves you feeling good.

Still so thrilled to be in The Gettysburg Review (while worrying that this will be the high point of my career), which I haven't even finished reading yet.