In 2017, I’m focusing more on featuring writers who have influenced me personally, in addition to posting weekly poetry prompts. For the first feature, I’d like to share some great news about my Full Story partner Subhra Bhattacharya. With a little help from me and Duotrope, he landed a few publications recently, two poems and one short story. First, Plum Tree Tavern published a nature poem of his. Second, Rat’s Ass Review published his latest love poem. Third, Enchanted Conversation, a fairy tale magazine, published his beautiful story New Leaf (thanks to Rachel Poy who provided some excellent critique on this piece!). As many of us endeavor to turn over new leaves and set goals in the new year, I’d like to encourage all you writers to push yourselves as Subhra is doing, not just to write, but to edit, refine, and publish your work.

Subhra only joined the Jersey City Writers poetry group a few months ago, but he has been incredibly enthusiastic, writing so much that I felt bad that we only had so many open slots for workshop. I decided he would be a great writing partner, pushing me to keep writing and refining my work, and I invited him to participate in the Full Story. The Full Story is a prolific group within Jersey City Writers, organized by Allison Goldstein, where we read one full length manuscript a month and meet to critique it, a book club of sorts. You also pair up with a writing partner and meet regularly, usually weekly, giving each other mini deadlines to push both of you along in finishing drafts of your manuscripts. We workshop all sorts of texts- novels, poetry, and plays. This group was instrumental in me getting my first poetry chapbook published, which is due out in March 2017 from dancing girl press. Exciting things are happening for Jersey City Writers! Congrats again to Subhra!