Florida: Poetry and Prose - Book Tour and Giveaway

​Florida offers lush landscapes, infinite sunshine, and a chance for renewal. But its footing as a place of refuge and joy continues to shift as easily as its miles of sandy shoreline. 

Florida: Poetry and Prose
by Glenn Erick Miller
Genre: Poetry, Fiction

Florida is a land of extremes. Depending on the perspective, it can be seen as either beacon or demon. It is an epicenter of dreams, both wonderful and broken. It offers lush landscapes, infinite sunshine, and a chance for renewal. But its footing as a place of refuge and joy continues to shift as easily as its miles of sandy shoreline.

Florida: Poetry and Prose explores our complicated relationship with place. This love story serves as the backdrop for observations on identity, family, and the desperate attempt to safeguard memories against the march of time. The poems speak to the longing for human connection and the promise of permanency. At the same time, they revel in satire and the irony of setting down roots in a paradise that may soon be under water.

The collection is anchored by a pair of short stories which pit tragedy-tested love against the stark realities of nature and an increasingly uncertain world.


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​ANCHORS
(excerpt)

After a few more trips to the garage, there were only two plants left. Ed moved the ladder nearer to the edge of the pool and climbed, the wind gusting against his back. He had a sudden, aching desire to have a beer with Frank, to bust each other’s chops and doze off as afternoon turned into night. Ed hoped the power would stay on long enough for Iris to cook something in the crockpot, making the house smell like pot roast or chili.

He decided he’d ask her. No, he would just do it himself. She was busy besides. He’d rustle up some chili with diced onions and peppers, like she preferred. And maybe, when the game was over, he’d mute the television and just tell her what he’d been thinking about lately: that he didn’t want to die in Florida. That it’s a hellish place, that the ocean and all the storms terrify him. That their neighbors annoy him with their incessant talk of golf, fishing, and the price of prescriptions. He’d tell Iris that he wanted them to move back home.

Ed descended the ladder. His foot slipped, but with his hands occupied, he had to find balance some other way. He shifted his weight and leaned forward.

The power went out when he was on the bottom rung. The storm, with its hideous green darkness now unabated by any artificial lights, roared. It unleashed a torrent of wind and rain, heavier than anything Ed could imagine possible.

It was too much for him; he couldn’t fight it. He felt his feet lift away from the ladder. He was suspended for a split second, then the wind slapped him backward into the pool.

Glenn Erick Miller is the award-winning author of "Camper Girl," a Young Adult novel and "Red's First Snow," a picture book. Another picture book, "What Can it Become?" won a Florida SCBWI's Rising Kite Award and is forthcoming.
He earned his BA from SUNY Oswego and MA from Binghamton University. During his long career in education, he has been a tutor, program coordinator, GED teacher, and college professor. He divides his time between New York's Adirondack Mountains and Southwest Florida.


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Advice for new writers
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1. 1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. A healthy mix of humor and humility are valuable for one’s sanity. Because writing is so personal and intimate, it’s easy to place a lot of weight on ourselves and our output. The folks in my critique group often remind one another that in the end, “It’s just a book.” Thus, being grounded and keeping things in perspective is essential for our growth AND our mental health. When we take ourselves too seriously, we can become arrogant, close-minded, and self-centered—neither of which lead to positive results.
   2. But—you have to be a serious student of your craft. It’s not enough to want to be a writer; you have to want to learn how to write. Be a good apprentice by honoring those who have come before you. Study their techniques closely, just as a welding or carpentry student would do. Read, read, read. Read a lot of different things and for a lot of different purposes. Read for pure enjoyment but also read to learn the art of stringing words together. See how others develop scenes and characters. Like a painting student would, copy the methods of the masters. It’s the first step in finding your own style. Besides poetry and fiction, there are incredible books out there about craft. Identify a dozen craft books like Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird” and Stephen King’s “On Writing.” Make a reading list and give yourself a deadline. As you read, take lots of notes. After a few months, you’ll have a stronger sense of craft, and you’ll be a more confident writer with a ton of momentum.
   3. Also, be patient. Slow down and observe the wonderful details of life on this fragile planet. Like a visual artist, make quick sketches describing a leaf or dictating an overheard conversation. Pay attention to how the wind moves a loved one’s hair. Scribble down descriptions of everyday things: the sound of a car starting, the smell of snow, the taste of fresh popcorn. If we rush through life, we miss so much of it.
   4. Setting goals can help you stay focused. It’s so easy to get distracted by the noise of modern society, especially social media. It’s also easy to set unfair expectations for ourselves (I speak from experience). So, while goals are good, I find that short-term goals are most useful. For example, I’ll draft a new story by Friday, I’ll read Robert McKee’s “Story” this month, or I’ll submit that polished story to three literary journals every day until someone accepts it. Like a good exercise routine, a good writing routine creates a healthy habit. Whether you feel like it or not, put your butt in the chair until you meet your daily goal. Tomorrow, do it again. You’ll be amazed at your progress when you set goals and follow a routine for a week, a month, a year.
   5. Find your space. Like most writers, I like solitude and quiet. But I know people who like to write in coffee shops and libraries. Some writers listen to movie soundtracks as a way to inspire the rise and fall of emotion in their stories. Others write best when they sit outside. Try a lot of different things and keep an open mind about where/when/how to write. Also try different modes. Buy an old typewriter, write long-hand, or draw storyboards. You’ll probably find that what works changes with each writing project.
   6. Be creative in other ways. It’s unhealthy to become hyper-focused on a single outlet, so spend time playing an instrument or drawing doodles. Take up baking, take up photography, or design that little writing cabin you’ve always dreamed about having. Adopting other creative pursuits will feed your writing. Not to overuse the exercise analogy, but we all know that the best approach to fitness is to focus on every part of our body. If we only work out our bicep muscles, the end result isn’t going to be very healthy…or attractive.
   7. Avoid comparisons. It’s human nature to compare ourselves to others, but there’s a fine line between admiring another writer and beating ourselves up when they succeed and we don’t. Your writer friend’s trajectory as a writer isn’t ours. It’s a waste of time to try to mimic it. All we can do is keep working to build our own path. It’s easier said than done, but one thing that can help is limiting our time on social media. While it’s nice to share with and support other writers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison. I’ve found it helpful to take days-long or even weeks-long breaks in order to focus on my own growth.
   8. Be persistent. Those who find success aren’t the most talented, but those whose work ethic is the most consistent. An athlete can’t develop a good game if they don’t practice and play every chance they get. A writer won’t end up with a book worth publishing if they don’t grind away in the moments before or after work, or when the kids go to sleep, or when writing is the last thing they want to do. However, if you work persistently, you will become more talented. The hard truth, of course, is that the work has to come first.
   9. Find your people. One of my graduate school professors warned me that writing is a solitary and lonely pursuit, so it’s important to seek out community. I completely agree. After many years of feeling isolated, I’ve recently been blessed to be a part of a few wonderfully supportive critique groups. Along the way, I’ve found temporary writing buddies and mentors and am grateful for those connections. I’ve also found a lot of big egos, cliques, and selfishness. Like dating, it takes trial and error to find fellow writers who give as much as they take and who you like being around. But it’s essential to our well-being to keep looking.

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