Category: Announcements

Is This The Year?

Published on by Susi Bocks19 Comments

Some of you may be familiar with the NYC 100-word Microfiction Challenge, or maybe not, but I’ve been participating in it since May 2021. Although I never got beyond the first cut in the first three years, last year, even though I still didn’t get to the second round, I received an honorable mention. Woo Hoo me! Anyway, I’ve just submitted my story for this leg of the competition. And I’m waiting to hear if THIS year is when I can actually go further than previous attempts. Keep your fingers crossed for me. :)

On another note, if any of my readers reside in Seattle, WA, please reach out! I will be there for a house sit from 4/10 to 4/21. I am looking forward to checking out a new space and connecting with fellow poets. There will be a poetry reading at a local bookstore, although the date is still undetermined. But I will keep y’all posted!

Lastly, I am furiously working on The Short of It—Volume 3. The publication schedule still looks to be on target for April, so woo hoo! Again, I will keep you posted!

“Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku” Acceptance!!

Published on by Susi Bocks36 Comments
Painted by award-winning Japanese painter Hikari

Gabriela Marie Milton of Literary Revelations Publishing House shared some wonderful news with me! The five pieces I submitted for this upcoming anthology have been accepted, and I can’t wait to see all the other contributions.

It is due to be published in mid to late April! Stay tuned for more news on the final book cover and its release. So looking forward to it! 🙂

Pure Haiku Acceptance For Ghost Owl Theme!

Published on by Susi Bocks17 Comments
Ghost Owl Face Copyright © by Kerfe Roig 2024

I am pleased to announce that I had one piece accepted by Pure Haiku! These themes grab me every time, and it’s a pleasure to participate alongside so many talented poets.

Please check mine out HERE, and also take a moment to read the other contributions if you haven’t followed this before. You will not be disappointed. :)

Great News!!

Published on by Susi Bocks21 Comments

How wonderful for myself and all those accepted into another relevant publication by ProlificPulse.com, slated to come out in June 2025!

This anthology asked us to focus on the possibilities that can happen to improve social change. How we try to bring hope to the table. I’m looking forward to reading my copy to see how other humans try to do that.

I want to thank Lisa and her team for accepting my work for this anthology. It’s always a cool feeling to hear when someone (especially a colleague in the field) appreciates your thoughts! There is no doubt in my mind that I will be in good company. They do a great job of curating the best!

Dispersing

Published on by Susi Bocks17 Comments
Jigar Panchal – Unsplash.com

not fun anymore
i am surrounded by hate
come find me again

Dear followers – From my poem, I think you’ll be able to see where I’m going with it. I’ve decided to leave Twitter permanently and move to Blue Sky Social. I hope you decide to make the leap too. :)

I won’t delete my profile on Twitter for a bit, but count on me being out of here in the next ten days. You can find me here – https://bsky.app/profile/susibocks.bsky.social

Hope to see you soon!

2024 TSI Features

Published on by Susi Bocks21 Comments

With the last feature posted the previous Friday, sadly, another year ends. At least there is the next cycle to look forward to! I will start accepting submissions again on July 1, 2025.

I look forward to a compilation of this year’s features by the end of April or, hopefully, sooner. The title and cover of Volume 3 will be shared as soon as it’s official!

TSI had twelve new, glorious poets in 2024, a record. Thank you so much to all those who participated this year! Your work was exquisite!

Pure Haiku – “Ghost Owl Face” Theme – OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS!

Published on by Susi BocksLeave a comment
Ghost Owl Face Copyright © by Kerfe Roig 2024

From Freya’s blog post…

Thank you to Kerfe Roig for providing us with one of her amazing artworks to use as inspiration for this month’s theme.

You are invited to submit up to 5 traditional haiku BEFORE midnight on 31st October 2024 UK time on the theme of Ghost Owl Face.

Please send your submissions to purehaiku@gmail.com

I’m looking for incredible haiku that are inspired by the above image but not reliant on it in order to make sense.

RESTRICTIONS:

Only haiku constructed in the traditional/classical format will be accepted. This means each haiku must consist of 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line and 5 syllables in the third line. More information about this can be found at COMPOSING.

You are NOT allowed to use any of the following words in either the body of your haiku or in the titles, if you choose to use titles: Ghost / Ghosts, Owl / Owls, Face / Faces.

Only one email submission per person. ALL 5 of your haiku MUST be sent in one email.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Haiku MUST be sent in the body of your email along with ALL the information requested on the EMAIL SUBMISSION page. It’s really important you read this page because there are certain things you need to tell me eg your copyright name.

SELECTION PROCESS:

The Selection Process is described in detail on the SELECTION page. Please ensure you read this page thoroughly BEFORE you send me your haiku so you are clear on how the process works. Please be aware, that not everyone’s haiku are read by the Artist, only those that make it through to the shortlist for the Artist’s Choice.

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY SUBMIT HAIKU:

Read ALL the pages mentioned above before you put pen to paper.

Provide ALL the information required. If you don’t provide me with you Copyright Name, your submission will automatically be rejected.

Please DON’T send any attachments – all emails with attachments go straight into the spam folder and I don’t see them.

Read at least the last two themes to find out what kind of haiku are published here at Pure Haiku.

I look forward to your submissions!

Zoom Book Launch for Too Much Fun To Be Legal!

Published on by Susi Bocks5 Comments

Barbara Leonhard and Nolcha Fox have a new book of poetry collaborations out!

The Zoom book launch is planned for Wednesday, Sept 4, at 9:30am Central Time. 
Check out the details and a sample poem from the book to enjoy HERE and the link to the Google form so you can sign up to attend. You’ll receive the Zoom link in your email a few days before the event. 

Some praise for Too Much Fun To Be Legal

Is there any better word to describe this book than WOW!? There truly is a relatable story in this collection for everyone. Nolcha and Barb are certainly two distinctly different people, yet through this collection, share one mind perfectly. Two different people flowing in harmony, the human equivalent of a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup!

— Ken Tomaro, author of Potholes and Perogies

Writing is an act of community. Two poets working on the same poem(s) opens the door to a wider community and even wider wisdom. Nolcha and Barbara turn reading into an act of generosity and imagination that reaches far beyond their words. Too Much Fun to Be Legal is a tour de force, turning these poems into a glittering invitation for all of us to join in.

– Walter Bargen, Missouri’s first Poet Laureate, author of Too Late to Turn Back

Too Much Fun to Be Legal –sarcastic or spot on? Either way, it was insightful to take a metaphorical jaunt through the ups and downs of living, aging, and making choices in our world. You’ll enjoy this delightful collaboration; they’ve produced and presented poetry in such a quick-witted way.

– Susi Bocks, author of Every Day I Pause

I am a fan of the individual works of Barbara and Nolcha, and together they made an excellent poet duo. Too Much Fun to Be Legal is a brilliant and engaging collaborative collection of poems that make you rethink the nature of your own vision and structure of the world. The witty and remarkable play on words is what sets this collection apart from other published poetry books.

– Michelle Ayon Navajas, Amazon Best Selling Author of I Will Love You Forever, Too

Take this book in hand and find a quiet moment. As Nolcha Fox tells us in I’m no poetry groupie, “Images turn into / poems when / this old loner / basks in hush.” With Barbara Leonhard’s response, “My poems / are buried gems. / I dig in silence / searching / for each one,”you will be glad they found them.

– Ken Gierke, author of Glass Awash

CADENCE Anthology is available NOW!!

Published on by Susi Bocks10 Comments

The poetry within these pages reflects on the following questions:

• What do you celebrate about life?
• Who do you celebrate and why?
• When do you feel most joyful?
• How do you define joy?
• Where do you find the most happiness?
• How does joyfulness feel to you?
• Why is it important to find joy?

Lisa says the responses received from these remarkable poets were both abundant and significant. I’m so excited that it has been published, and I can’t wait to get my copy to read everyone’s contributions! For those of you who are interested in purchasing your own copy or copies, click on any of the various links below…

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books A Million

BookShop

There is a special book price of $12 plus shipping & tax on IngramSpark until June 28th!

Introducing KXED Hasenpfeffer Radio!

Published on by Susi Bocks5 Comments
Hasenfeffer Radio – Facebook

One of my bestest friends – Eddy Dean Purcell (AKA Uncle Eddy – Former Rockstar Wannabe, and Current Online Radio DJ Wannabe), has launched his latest venture, and I invite you to join his weekly shoutout to the best of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s!

Eddy showcases such a wide variety of good music that I rock in my seat every time I listen to his podcasts. I’m sitting here at the airport creating this post with the earbuds blasting into my skull, and I’m giving fellow passengers a show I don’t think they were expecting to see at 8 AM. But who cares! I’m enjoying myself.

I know I have many readers who are also music lovers, so go check him out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Like him, follow him. It would mean the world to him!