The crazy itch is coming on

I can feel it. Spring is coming. And I'm glad to discover that, without fail, the itch to be productive - to write, to send out work - is coming. There's a small problem with this though: I tend to get over-ambitious & crazed to the point where I want to do *everything*.

Colson Whitehead, my fiction-crush has a new novel out, Apex Hides the Hurt. The kick-off to his book tour is tonight at B&N, Astor Place in Manhattan. I'm going. And I'll try not to act like too much of a groupie. Like I did the last time. Anyway, the point is: he has a new book out. This thrills me. I love his writing. When a writer I love comes out with a new book, I get inspired & recharged to write. I feel a mild itch to return to the novel. Not sure yet if that itch will escalate. We'll see. But I know that he's gotten me in the mood to work on my fiction.

BUT

Then there's a couple of new poetry books that are out now by two of my favorite poets: Wind in a Box by Terrance Hayes and Hoodlum Birds by Eugene Gloria. No doubt these two will get me in the mood to write poems. I wonder when Ross Gay's book will be out.

[random aside: What is up with all the men?]

*sigh* The trouble with being a bi-genre-ist.

And if that weren't enough.

I'm getting all of these notices for book competitions & their approaching deadlines. I'm tempted to submit, but would like to do a little more tweaking on the manuscript before doing so. The deadlines are within these next two weeks. I already have an April 1st deadline for this anthology essay, which is still coming along SLOWLY. It's excruciating. I'm dying over here. But yeah, I don't know if I'd have the time to actually 'tweak' the ms. And if I don't revise the ms, then I'd rather not submit what already exists. I can just wait for the next round in the fall. Still, it is tempting. And this, in turn, gets me in the mood to submit to journals again. So maybe I'll set that goal instead. I'd like to send out some work before the season ends in May. Otherwise, I'd have to wait until the fall again & who knows if I'll even be motivated to send anything out? The summer has a way of making me lazy. :)

So I guess I'd better hop on the inspiration track & get moving on this essay. This way, I can focus on the fiction-poetry itch. Ah, spring.