blog of poet, leah umansky

I recently had some poems accepted into a major literary publication.  This journal is one I’ve wanted to be published in ever since I was a college student. Ever since I discovered the journal, really. And yes,  I scoffed at it. It seemed very high brow and a bit stuffy, but every so often I’d see a poem I really admired and think to myself, why not?

Why not?  It’s a natural enough question. People ask it all the time. What I want to know is why do I ask it, and others don’t? What makes me different?  Is that I’m used to the rejection? Is that I really have that much self-confidence?  I don’t think so.   I think I just feel that if I’ll never know unless I try.

What has surprised me, is not the fact that my friends are happy for me, and know how hard I…