I can't find my poems, at least not all of them. I used to be the type to worry about this, to keep multiple copies of them around. But then I heard about someone who actually kept a tightly wrapped copy of her manuscript in the freezer. Then the freezer caught fire, and they were the first thing to burn! I have no doubt that they are around somewhere, but I don't know when or how I will find them.
It came up now because Dave at Qarrsiluni sent me notice that the magazine has a new issue coming up, and suggesting I send something. I had just the thing, but unfortunately, I couldn't find it. I have since found it, but already sent something else that will do nicely, though it's been around longer.
I spent some time yesterday gathering up all the poems on my computer that I could find and printing hard copies. If I can figure it out, I'll put them into a folder on the computer devoted to my poems. Richard has already done this, even though he is so much the Luddite (he refuses to have a cell phone, for example). Sometime soon, if I can find all the poems I've misplaced, maybe I'll put a manuscript together. That would make me feel good. Maybe when we move, I'll find hard copies of all the lost sheets, er, sheep.
4 comments:
Oh gee, that's scary. And you remind me that I don't know where my poems are--scattered I think, in notebooks, desktop folders, thumb drives, file cabinets. The freezer story is good. I remember the advice to keep a copy of one's ms. in the trunk of the car. But I might be rear-ended.
Let's face it: there really isn't anywhere that is totally safe. However, I might have been a little more careful about this. I think I had more or less given up on the poems. No one was paying any attention to them, but when Qarrsiluni began to show interest, I perked right up, and started writing even.
I advise you to begin gathering the flock before you end up in the pickle I'm in. You aren't even likely to move, as I am because I own nothing and will one day soon move to another apartment.
Yes, I've been very careless over the years--and have tossed too much, I think.
I haven't tossed them. They are around somewhere amid all the crap. I have no doubt that I'll find them when we move. Some are going to be in the MFA thesis at the library (I can't find my copy, but I will). Some are in files and notebooks in a box somewhere--possibly the garage. I will check them out when we move. Some may be in the non-functioning computer in Jeremy's room. I am planning to take it to techs and have them recover the Word documents on it. Possibly I already have salvaged these elsewhere, but possibly not. I may have lost a few, though I hope not.
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