First, apologies for my relative absence from this site and yours, with only two poems poking their scruffy heads up over the last five weeks or so. I was in a battle with the laws of physics. More specifically, I was taking a physics course at the University of Virginia. It’s a long story. Okay, it’s not that long a story. It was only because I have lived in this physical world for so long already that I managed to survive, more by wits than learning. At any rate, the transcript for the course is now on its way to my undergraduate home, 28 years after I took my last undergraduate class, to fulfill a distribution requirement unrelated to my field of study. And at some point before the leaves fall off the trees this year, some document attesting to my B.A. in English from Cornell University should actually reach me. What was it like for a fifty year old guy attending a summer course with 18 year old athletes and pre-freshmen?
Long story. But one I’ll tell in time, if there is no more pressing news. But for today, there actually is some news.
During this time of my Sisyphean struggle with inertia, momentum, torque, and midterms, I received notice from Beloit Poetry Journal that they wish to publish a few of my poems.
I am guessing most of you are familiar with BPJ, but if not, feel free to pay them a visit here. My poems will appear in the Winter 2015 issue.
For the moment, I am happily relieved of my recent burdens–remembering the relationship of energy to volts to power to current, and so on–and prepared to get back to writing poetry. I hope you’re still out there to read some, and I will once again be lurking around your own sites to read all that I’ve missed since mid-July.
Translations from the English 
My sincere congratulations, Jeff! Sounds like you’ve been a busy boy! My graduation transcript is about evenly divided between English and Chemistry, Physics, Math and Electrical Engineering, so I guess that makes us “academic brothers” or some such!
Welcome back!
Ron
Okay. NOW I understand you, finally.
Then perhaps you should talk to my wife. She says she is NEVER going to understand me. *g*
🙂
Ron
Glad to see you back. I wondered what happened to you and was contemplating an email but this certainly explains it. Congratulations on completing your requirements, especially having had to do it in a crammed summer session. My hat, if I had one on my head at the moment, would be off to you.
Congratulations – on the degree and the publications!! 😉
Thanks much!
Bravo, JS! Working in higher education in my day job (specifically with older adults) I’m happily imagining the insights you brought to discussions with your adolescent peers… Cheers on the imminent BPJ issue as well!
Thanks, SJ! I was at least a source of some amusement to the rest of the class.
I somehow squeaked through a physics class in 1979. Can’t imagine having to take another course like that today. Or any course, for that matter. Eek. Congratulations!
Congrats!!!
Thanks C.
Yeah. Physics was kind of my undoing. I am not sure I would have paid that price to finish school. On the other hand, sometimes it is pretty fantastic to cross a really old to-do off the list.
Congrats, and great work with your poetry, as always!
Thanks!
That’s great news about BPJ, Jeff!
Thanks, Chris.