This is the uncorrected author proof for my poetry chapbook Breakdown: Banjo Poems, due out soon from Seven Kitchens Press. That was the manuscript I sent off to the Keystone Chapbook Prize in 2011 on a whim, thinking the press could use a donation (my entry fee). Imagine my surprise when mine was one of the two winners that year, selected by Sascha Feinstein. Oops! Well, what can I say — I still think it’s a fun collection, and there are several poems in it which I am very proud to have written. More than that, I couldn’t be happier with Ron Mohring’s design and font choice. I haven’t seen the final cover yet, but I’m really looking forward to it, since it will feature a painting by my friend Steven Sherrill, who is a terrific novelist and poet — not to mention a banjo player.

Breakdown has been a little late in coming, but as Ron says on the website, “We truly appreciate everyone’s patience and good wishes as we relocated—and rebooted—the press.” Stay tuned. I think it will prove to be well worth the wait.