Sort of a Dear John letter

Yesterday I received a letter from River City Publishing. It was complimentary about my Big Baby novel, but said that it did not qualify as a finalist in the Fred Bonnie Memorial Award competition. Said my book gave an accurate regional picture of the South in its time setting. It also said they had extended the deadline to June 30, 2012, so I guess they're still receiving entries. So I hope they find whatever they're looking for.

Up until a few days ago, I was hankering to rewrite Big Baby. But with this new novel to work on, I now plan to send BB somewhere else to linger for another year, while I finish this one.

Susan's Memorial Day dinner yesterday was wonderful. We were quite a crowd, gathered around her new dining room table. And I sat in her beautiful new armchair in the living room. Ramey and Reed spent an hour or so going up and down the street with Reed's scooter, so Ramey was too tired to go to the poetry reading at seven p.m. She and Suze were planning to watch the Hatfield-McCoy miniseries on TV at eight o'clock, anyway.

The poetry reading at the Arts Council drew a small crowd and lasted a long time. I was the only one there who didn't bring a poem to read. Something's wrong with my printer. Joan had brought a printout of the poems we wrote at the Private Eye lecture, and I did read my two short ones.

Speaking of TV, I watched "Mermaids" on Animal Planet last Sunday. They showed photographs of bone weapons supposedly made by the sea people, and webbed fingers and ridged skulls that had washed up in various places, or that were found in the bellies of sharks. They found evidence of these people first because of the difference in their calls from dolphins or whales, and they told how primitive "ancestors" might have developed, some on dry land and some in the sea. Uh huh.

"And when the Sirens sang,
and we bound each other to the mast,
I could have tied slip-knots, and where would you be
now?"

I also thought of the "perfect little woman" that SDS and Lawrence found.
*
"Dear Mrs. Cage:

"Thank you for submitting Big Baby to the Fred Bonnie Memorial First Novel competition. Even though we extended the entry date until 30 June 2012, we have decided to start sending out letters to those whose works we have already read carefully.

"Competition is keen this time around, and there were many variations in genre--from literary, experimental, romance, science fiction, hardboiled mystery, fantasy, historical, and suspense. We received manuscripts from all over the US, and your story captures the time period and the mountain people beautifully; it was a very good read. However, I regret to inform you that your manuscript did not place for future readings for the final Fred Bonnie award.

"I am sure you will find a home for this novel! Just continue writing and submitting your manuscripts to competitions around the country. As you know, the more exposure your work gets, the better. We wish you the best of luck and great success in your writing.

"Yours truly,
____(signed)____
"Editor"
**
I think I've found a competition for entering BB again. Most of the publishers I've found aren't accepting new submissions except through annual competitions, so I'll go that route.
***
I've also found a flea exterminator. But it seems all the work will have to be done by me, like thoroughly cleaning the house and vacuuming some more, and me and Mo staying out of the house for four hours after they bomb the rooms, then vacuuming more and more. So after I get another supply of vacuum cleaner bags, I'll go that route.