• Blog for my current projects •
SOMETHING
is GOING ON
 Elizabeth O'Connell-Thompson and I are brainstorming and testing our new online reading event for RHINO Poetry. We are going to have a weekend in December celebrating poetry by our Instagram Live. Stay tuned!
Liz is wonderful. Thank you so much for getting me out from my comfort zone and introducing me to a new technology.  I attended the fanciest poetry party ever!
There was a poetry reading by Jamila Woods (she created a cento poem by award recipients), live music (Chicago jazz & blues, and fantastic rock), and chatting with wonderful poets & artists at Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago). I met recipients CAConrad, Angela Jackson, and Sharon Olds. They were so warm and kind. Thank you so much for hosting this cultural event at Poetry Foundation! I am super honored to witness these events in CHICAGO! Currently, the Poetry Foundation is celebrating its 110th anniversary. And, I was really happy that people recognized my voice from WBEZ91.5 Chicago’s NPR station's poetry week in October. Some people complemented me on my poem, "Lake Michigan".  RHINO Reviews was featured on the podcast Comics for The Apocalypse hosted by Samuel George in London!!
Thank you so much for featuring our magazine. Press play on the “Allan Haverholm 2” episode and find RHINO Poetry at 31:40.  I had a chance to interview Danni Quintos. She is the author of the poetry collection, Two Brown Dots (BOA Editions, 2022), chosen by Aimee Nezhukumatathil as winner of the A. Poulin Jr. Prize.  I have been teaching English to young Japanese students. A Japanese junior high school student explained to me the difference between an introduction and conclusion using this hamburger drawing. The challenging for Japanese students is that we do not repeat thesis statements in both introductions & conclusions in Japanese essays. It is one of the differences between English and Japanese essays. She explained English essays as: The top bun is an introduction. The sesame seads are important ideas for the essay, (thesis statements). The bottom bun has the flavors soaked. The most important discussion is the meat, and then tomato, lettuce... But in the conclusion, all flavors are contained, which is a reminder of the introduction & additional flavors for the conclusion. So genius.  My other Japanese students (around 10 years old) also have been studying English composition. The main challenge for Japanese students is that the main thesis is at the end of Japanese essays, but English essays have the thesis in the introduction. It took me forever to understand this concept. In the last class, each student presentated their thoughts on the English composition style. One student said, "English composition is like a snake. The most important thing is located on the face & introduction. The body has stripes, which represent paragraphs. And each paragraph has one color, which means one topic." Again, they are so genius. 日本語 Essay：
English Composition is a Snake!  This is an amazing poetry week WBEZ-Chicago! Thank you so much for selecting my poem. In July, I had a poetry reading at their station, promoting "Wherever I'm At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry". This is a joint publishing project of After Hours Press, the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, and Third World Press. "Wherever I'm At" is a collection of poems & art by more than 150 artists. Each work has its own Chicago themes. Including poets like (from their website) Li-Young Lee, Elizabeth Alexander, Stuart Dybek, Angela Jackson, Tyehimba Jess, Sandra Cisneros, Campbell McGrath, Maxine Chernoff, Patricia Smith, Edward Hirsch, Kathleen Rooney, Luis Alberto Urrea, Emily Jungmin Yoon, Luis J. Rodriguez, Elise Paschen, Sterling Plumpp, Marianne Boruch, Haki R. Madhubuti, Rachel DeWoskin, Ed Roberson, Tara Betts, Reginald Gibbons…. My poem, "Lake Michigan" , will be broadcasted between their program transitions along with other featured poets. I am so honored. Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity.
WBEZ91.5 is Chicago’s NPR station. Their office is located at the beautiful Navy Pier! It was a perfect day to walk by the lake and river side with a gelato!  From top left: Beth McDermott, Simone Muench, Jackie White, and Organizer at Gallery Seven Beth McDermott had a releasing party at Gallery Seven. What a turn out! It had great poetic energy with family, friends, and artists. Last time I talked to Beth, she wanted to have a reading at an art gallery because it follows her book theme. Boom! She found the beautiful, historical place. I love how she is developing her poetic career. I again understand how important it is to talk about one's path.  This morning I had a breakfast with Beth's newest poetry collection, "Figure 1" Pine Row Press (2022). Her mother found a baker who prints book covers on shortening cookies. It was delicious!  Beth McDermott's cover art, "Figure 1"  From left, Pablo Otavalo, Virginia Bell, E. Hughes, Kenyatta Rogers, Steven Teref, Maja Teref, Kathleen Rooney, Erwin Ponce, April Gibson, Jessica Walsh, Naoko Fujimoto, Jacob Saenz, Faisal Mohyuddin, Elizabeth O'Connell-Thompson at Poetry Foundation Stage RHINO Poetry has a booth next to "Wherever I'm At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry". Also, there are cool Midwest publishers like North American Review. Today, I had a blast! I finally met our young editors and interns such as Andrea Busch, Sarah Jack, and Nile. They are just wonderful with good spirits. And our magazines found many new homes. Thank you so much for purchasing our goods. Our reading event was phenomenal! Thanks, Virginia Bell and Elizabeth O’Connell-Thompson. Look at the crowd and people standing around!! Thank you for sharing a stage with us, Poetry Foundation. We share creativity - - through our own works, translations, language... - - and I believe that it is power.  RHINO Poetry Graphic Issue 2022 The fourth year is revealed! RHINO Poetry's annual graphic review issue features both emerging and established poets who tackle book reviews using innovative practices. Here are awesome books and reviewers: Machete by Tomás Q. Morín Reviewed by Octavio Quintanilla Adjusting to the Lights by Tom C. Hunley Reviewed by Matthew Thorburn and Preston Thorburn Doll Apollo by Melissa Ginsburg Reviewed by Sarah Sloat Of Mineral by Tiff Dressen Reviewed by Francesca Preston Água Viva by Clarice Lispector, Translated by Stefan Tobler Reviewed by Tana Oshima A Thousand Times You Lose Your Treasure by Hoa Nguyen Reviewed by Luisa A. Igloria Gut by Amanda Larson Reviewed by Kylie Gellatly Poetry: A Chapbook by Yuki Jackson Reviewed by Shalida A. Askanazi Both the books and reviewers inspire us to stretch our creative limits. The result is always nothing short of amazing. The annual issue is becoming its own contemporary art exhibition. We, as writers, are serious about exploring new ways to utilize words & images.  In this graphic issue, I also interviewed Cutter Streeby and Michael Haight. They published a hybrid book with poetry and paintings. You may like reading the interview as well.  I met Shalida Askanazi from my workshop at Vermont Studio Center. It was a gathering for experienced and emerging artists & writers; therefore, I was invited all to join Rhino's annual graphic issue at RHINO Poetry Reviews. She was the only person to come back with her review. I like those who reach for the opportunity to publish (which there are not many out there). There are two simple answers to our life choices, "Do" or "Don't", and I would like to choose to "Do" a new challenge like she did. Thank you for reminding me of that.  I became an interviewee for several upcoming projects. I am so happy that the skills, which I am learning from Working On Gallery, is taking off. Thank you to my wonderful guests. I had a chance to interview a Spanish translator, Tana Oshima. Her recent translation is "Tokyo Ueno Station" by Yu Miri. Yu Miri’s works were translated into many languages and well-read; indeed, "Tokyo Ueno Station" was the National Book Awards 2020 winner for Translated Literature. Yu Miri wrote the novel and Morgan Giles translated it into English, and Tana Oshima translated into Spanish. I am still the main organizer for Working On Gallery, but I will have the first ever GUEST EDITORS, who will expand the scope of their interviews beyond previous boundaries to be more diverse and resourceful. I am so excited to learn more about words, images, & occasionally translations.
Then, everyone's favorite RHINO Poetry *Graphic* annual issue will be out in September! I love each issue because our audience can see how emerging and established artists tackle words and images though writing their book reviews. |
NaokoPoet & Writer 
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