Recently, I received news from Ann Fisher-Wirth and Laura-Gray Street that two of my poems “The intergalactic traveler tells it like it is” and “The intergalactic traveler in springtime” will be included in the new Ecopoetry Anthology from Trinity University Press, due out in 2025. Full disclosure: they accepted the first poem initially, which thrilling enough, then wrote back recently to see if the second poem was still available and if they could include it as well, to which, I of course said yes.
I’m very excited to see both of these poems published, especially in this anthology of Ecopoetry. The first volume really set the standard for defining ecopoetry, and this new volume brings that up to date with much more recent writing. I’m happy to be included, both because writing about the natural world has been an important aspect of my poetry since the beginnings in Landscapes and Architectures, and since my most recent poems have become more political, both on themes of ecology and climate change and on other social justice themes. That was one reason for taking on the persona of the intergalactic traveler: I felt a need to speak more openly about those issues and that perspective gave me license to do so.
I now have 21 Intergalactic traveler poems, which is nearly enough for a chapbook or a good amount for a cycle in fifth full-length collection, so I’ll have some decisions to make soon. I can only envision a couple more poems in this series since I’ve brought it to a good conclusion (or near one), though you never know. The poems I’ve been writing recently have taken a turn in another direction, though that’s one that would go well with these poems. It’s exciting to have a good start on a new project when Tree Fall with Birdsong is heading towards book publication.
More news on this anthology as publication nears!
Kendall Dunkelberg 