The Weekly Atticus (02/17/2018)

Deadlines are Leather-Clad Mistresses | The Weekly Atticus

February 17, 2018

A recap of the week at Atticus Review, along with some extras.

Dear ,

           “One forges one's style on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines.”                         ~Émile Zola

When I started applying to MFA programs, I limited my search to East Coast schools that offered a low-residency option. I would be flying in from Heathrow and growing a child inside me, so the parameters seemed warranted.I was fortunate to be accepted by my first choice, a program that required me to fly into the States twice a year for 10-day residencies. Between residencies, I would send my advisor five "packets" (a mix of creative and/or critical work) per semester. The schedule felt intimidating, but exciting too.As these "packet" deadlines loomed, my chest tightened. Sometimes I was anxious for feedback, sometimes I barely eked out enough work to satisfy requirements. But I got it done each time, using anxiety to propel me forward. I felt relief when I hit "send" after every cycle, and I thought I would feel the same once I completed the program.What I didn't expect was this: After I walked across the stage and collected my degree, I missed those damned "packets." Looking back, I see the value of those deadlines. They compelled me to take the words I had rattling about in my head and put them on the page. They were the forceful nudges I needed to do the painful work. Deadlines are the leather-clad mistresses that keep me in line, and I'm thankful for them.Now, I self-impose deadlines and use lit mag submission windows and contest deadlines to propel me. I thrive on the stress because it makes me productive. If we readjust how we view deadlines, we also seize control. Maybe you've been eyeing a submission category on Atticus? Give yourself a deadline and make it happen. And for the poets out there: the deadline for our first annual poetry contest is tomorrow... so get cracking.Good luck and thanks for reading. We're glad you're here.

Managing Editor

ATTICUS NEWS

Have a poem you've been working on? 

(DEADLINE TOMORROW!)

We're very excited to announce that our first ever Atticus Review Print Annual is

!  The issue will be available to purchase at

in Tampa, Table 340.

THIS WEEK AT ATTICUS

FERAL TOWN by Adam Gustavson

INTERVIEW: THE ART OF DARKNESS & LIGHT: An Interview with Scott G. Brooks, cover artist of our first Atticus Print Annual"There is always an aspect of vulnerability, in the sense that I may be revealing too much about myself..."READ ON

BOOK REVIEW: DIVINING IS READING IS WRITINGA Review of IDEAL SUGGESTIONS: ESSAYS IN DIVINATORY POETICS by Selah SaterstromReview by Torin Jensen"...a radical approach to literary production and reception."READ ON

FICTION: TAYLOR SWIFT VALENTINE'S DAY ADVICEby Tom Andes"Regan imagined the Datsun falling apart, hubcaps rolling into the desert, like a cartoon jalopy. Even if the Datsun did die, she and Crowbar would keep trucking. Arizona awaited, a place that seemed to promise a different idea of herself: no longer the Catholic girl from Virginia who listened to Mother, but something feral, untamed, and free."READ ON

POETRY: HOW TO COOK A DUCK'S EGG by Hannah Kimbal"it’s just cracking an egg, nothing special, though novelty itself warms the skin. "READ ON

POETRY: INFATUATIONby Connie Post"I am in love with silenceThe way it can fracture a roomhow it moves across the stairwaythrough youas if you wore the wrong dress"READ ON

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