That's What it's like to be rejected

Trashed from two magazines in the last two weeks. For legal reasons, I will not name the magazines directly. X(1) rejected 3 poems. X(2) rejected the same 3 poems, rewritten. They [X(2)] were, however, more helpful, offering the following:

Thank you for sending us "3 poems". We appreciate the chance to read
it. Unfortunately, we're going to pass on it at this time. Please refer
below to the editor's notes as to why.

Editor's notes:
Unoriginal subject matter
trite wordings
cliches

Thanks again for you submission.

I doubt the "thanks".

JPC

New to Review

"Nox" by Anne Carson

Two New Pieces in CommonSense2.com

This month I have two new pieces in CommonSense2.com.

The first is a review of Alice Walker's poetry collection A Poem Travelled Down My Arm:
http://commonsense2.com/2010/07/book-reviews/a-poem-traveled-down-my-arm-by-alice-walker/
Alice Walker and I have had a troubled history (my review of her collection Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth is the only 100% negative review I have ever given), and so I found myself surprised when I enjoyed the new collection of poems. Indeed, I have great respect for Walker's recent work, which seems to be a return to form after a dry spell.

The second piece is titled "The McLaughlin Group (with Monica?)":
http://commonsense2.com/2010/07/cultural-criticism/the-mclaughlin-group-with-monica/
In which I attempt to figure out what Monica Crowley was put on the McLaughlin round table and beg Tony Blankley to come back.

JPC

Snarky

I read with a small grain of salt,

a poem last night without fault

though it made no sense

I'm sure it's not coincidence

That Lewis Carroll authored the thingametault.

*

All of Snarks and Boojums last night

Resulting in Dreams quite afright

I covered my head

While I slept in my bed

to save myself from creatures of non-light.

*

No doubt Carroll is to blame

for this rambling, quite innane,

but the matter of fact

is I don't know where he's at

because Carroll isn't really his name.

*

Snarky Snarky Snark,

JPC