The Third Renunciation was just reviewed in Pedestal Magazine and I’m at a loss for words. It’s always humbling when a review “gets” a collection in a special way.
“memo from the principal of Antonin Scalia High School, Charity, Ok RE: amended Course of Study for the 2024-2025 academic year,” in The New Verse News
I don’t flex my academic accomplishments, but it’s relevant to understand where this poem comes from.
BA in English and Secondary Education (double major), with a minor in Philosophy
Master of Fine Arts in Poetry
Master of Theological Studies in Hebrew Bible and Theology and the Arts
PhD in Educational Leadership, dissertation focused on the history of how the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment are/aren’t taught to pre-service teachers and apply to public school settings
That said, I how could I not write a poem about the biblical nonsense happening in Oklahoma right now?
“memo from the principal of Antonin Scalia High School, Charity, Ok RE: amended Course of Study for the 2024-2025 academic year” was just published in The New Verse News.
Be sure to check the footnotes at the bottom of the poem…
Poem nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Pensive Journal
My poem "dispatches from the desk of Danel: the self-designated disciple and messianic anger-management translator" was nominated for the Pushcart Prize by Pensive: A Global Journal of Spirituality & the Arts.
And yes, it’s “Danel” in the title, not “Daniel.”
"YHWH breaks the fourth wall" in The Windhover
In seminary, I wrote a narrative about a modern prophet through poems. Hopefully, some version of that collection will see the light of day. Until then, one of those poems— “YHWH breaks the forth wall”— has found at home in the latest issue of The Windhover.
Guest Post for AGFCG Card Talk Series
I have a guest blog post for A Game for Good Christians’ Card Talk series entitled “God Planning Your Pain to Make A Point.” It employs one of my theological sonnets that appears in The Third Renunciation.
I previously had the privilege of editing AGFGC’s literary anthology This Present Former Glory: An Anthology of Honest Spiritual Literature.
If you don’t know A Game for Good Christians, imagine what you get if you crossed Cards Against Humanity with the Bible.
"the Prophet confronts his attacker" in New York Quarterly
“the Prophet confronts his attacker” was published in New York Quarterly latest issue. This is one of my theological sonnets that also appears The Third Renunciation (from New York Quarterly Books, 2023).
CW: themes of sexual assault.
Two poems in Vita Poetica Journal
I am working on a series of poems I am calling midrash qatan, or “a little story/exposition.” They are expositions, retellings, and reimagings of stories from the Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament. The name pays homage to Rabbinic genre of Midrash Rabbah (“a great midrash”).
Two of these poems have just been published in Vita Poetica Journal:
“found” (a midrash qatan on Luke 15)
and
“subtlety: an assay” (a midrash qatan on Genesis 3)
Both pages include an audio recording of me reading these poems.
New poem in Pensive Journal
My poem “dispatches from the desk of Danel: the self-designated disciple and messianic anger-management translator” was published in the latest issue of Pensive Journal out of Northeastern University. Click on the link below and turn to page #77.
Have you watched the Key & Peele sketches involving President Obama's anger translator Luther? That’s the vibe here.
Note: Here are the passages the speaker is … “interpreting”
Best Spiritual Literature anthology nomination
Presence Journal is nominating my poem [Say pity is not action, is not love] for possible inclusion in Orison Books' annual Best Spiritual Literature anthology!
This is a first for me and I’m honored.
Fevers of the Mind Poetry Showcase
As a few people are aware, one of the projects I'm currently working (yes, I said “one of…"“) is a collection of ekphrastic poems: I’m expanding Dust & Ashes into a full-length collection.
To that end, I've spent a good part of the summer visiting a bunch of art museums in three different states (so far) to balance the literary art responses with some visual art. Some fruits of that labor were published today in Fevers of the Mind. Here is the link to the poems:
Below are the links to the works they are based on (each opens in a new window).
[Say Jesus were not your magic negro—] in New York Quarterly
[Say Jesus were not your magic negro—] was published today in New York Quarterly. This poem is a part of the series found in The Third Renunciation.
[Say pity is not love, is not action] in Presence Journal 2023
I’m proud to, once again, have a poem in the Presence Journal.
Update: Presence Journal has nominated this poem for possible inclusion in Orison Books' annual Best Spiritual Literature anthology!
Note: This poem takes its title from a line in Shūsaku Endō’s novel Silence.
"compensation" Appears in Home: A Miracle Monocle Mirco-Anthology
I recently started a new series, something that might turn into a chapbook one day. A series of midrash qatan, or “little midrash” on stories, real and imagined, from the Torah. But, of course, midrash qatan is not a thing. I made it up. It stands in contrast with Midrash Rabbah (“great midrash”) which is a thing.
Regardless, I am glad that the first of these poems— “compensation: midrash qatan on Genesis 4:25-32” has found a home in Miracle Monocle’s mirco-anthology, Home. You can read it below. You might want to read the relevant Bible verses in advance.
And no, the title does not contain a typo.
New sonnet in New York Quarterly 68.2
“maybe Jesus just needed to get laid” is now up at New York Quarterly 68.2.
This theological sonnet will be included in upcoming full length connection The Third Renunciation NYQ Books.
Feature at Kingdom Poets
It includes my theological sonnet [Say God is the Tough in the Prison Yard] which first appeared in New York Quarterly, and will appear in my forthcoming full length collection The Third Renunciation.
Three sonnets in The Anglican Theological Review
The Anglican Theological Review was among the first publications to take a chance on my work a decade ago when I was still finding my voice. Back then they took one of my poems.
Thus, I am surprised and ecstatic to have three of my theological sonnet in issue the Summer 2022 Edition, Grab a copy of ATR Volume 104 Number 3 to read
[Say a slave triptych composes the heart],
[Say on such legs that were left me—a heart], &
[Say Jesus has been saving a bottle ].
[Say prayer is just a fire alarm] in The Windhover
I'm proud to be published, once again, in The Windhover. This time it’s my theological sonnet [Say prayer is just a fire alar] in the issue 26.2.
"Mark 10:14" in Issue 4 of Pensive Journal
I am pleased that my poem “Mark 10:14” is appearing in the fourth issue of Pensive Journal (out of Northeastern University). Read the full issue online here. I dabbled with form this time and I think it worked out.
P.S. if you’re a Facebook friend and recognize yourself in this poem, oh well.
