Recently, I have been considering looking for a literary agent. It seems that poetry is one of the genres that many agents would rather avoid. There are a few exceptions. I know many of my former professors have representation, but how does one find an agent and then start a relationship with said agent? Poets and Writers lists 74 agents, but of these only two deal with poetry. Many of the agents will not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It seems like the doors are still locked for many aspiring poets in this arena.
On the full-time teaching position…the stakes are higher than ever. Most of the Creative Writing tenure track positions are receiving 250 + applicants. I have not given up. I recently sent applications to both the University of Alaska and the University of the South Pacific. After all, why not try for an exotic location?
As summer winds down I am buried in syllabus writing, preparing my daughters for their school year, and juggling the schedule between my husbands classes (that he is taking) and those I will be teaching. While the summer has been a busy one, it seems it is ending far too soon.