I've been working on the table of contents for my second manuscript, tentatively titled THE BREAKING now. I will get some computer help hopefully with this from P tomorrow. He put it in some table of contents program and now pages one to fourteen don't have page numbers anymore. It's been a year since it was put into the program, so who knows what I did. Hopefully I haven't screwed it up or anything. I have been steadily trimming the manuscript and am feeling better about it these days, recognizing the content and aesthetics of trauma may not appeal to some, but I have to write the book the way I wrote it. I will trim some more modifiers, yet part of the wildness in the book, I want to keep. That's the whole point re: breaking, the breaking, the fall etc. One reviewer kind of said the manuscript was a "maverick on a mad run."

It is difficult for me to move on and send it back with some criticism that it's not yet ready, but I have been working on it quite a bit now, so hopefully I can get the help I need with the table of contents and send it to reviewers. I don't mind going through another round of revisions after they look at it.

Ugh. I'm wanting to listen to some Enya and work on newer poems, which I have a lot of now. I have some work still out at various places and so far, the feedback has been good, a lot of ink on rejections and a lot of encouraging comments. I had 3 taken, so hopefully more will be taken. I have a huge batch of newer poems which I would like to start focusing on in regards to revision.

Life is good, better than it has been in years. I feel the manuscript is coming together, and I'm able to identify my own sensibilities matter just as much as those of other people. I tend to be a people pleaser and am wanting to please others with it, but the fact of the matter is, I was a "maverick on a mad run" of sorts when I wrote it. It's not titled The Breaking for nothing.

I am basically enjoying my time to write and revise very much. I am extremely broke ALL THE TIME, but I am finally free from the burden of being an adjunct. My time to heal is here. Some are saying I need to get a book out because where I am in my life, because of where I've been. I think they may have a point, but I am in no real hurry, but there's time to revise with editors.