Author: 17numa

The Southern Collective Experience Is Alive on YouTube

~ 17numa ~ 3 Comments
Thanks to the selfless efforts of Holly Holt, The Southern Collective Experience has now launched a new channel on YouTube. We would be extremely grateful to anyone who takes a moment to swing by and subscribe. Doing so will allow you to get in the loop for all future videos that are posted. And to anyone willing to spread the word around, well, we’ll love you even more than we already do.
 
Check out some of these links to videos that have been posted so far:
 
Cliff Brooks, Kaleb Garrett, and I had the honor of performing as the featured guests via Skype at an event hosted by Mad Swirl earlier this month. It was an absolute blast, and we’re looking forward to many more collaborate efforts in the future.
 
Chani Zwibel says a few words about what being a part of The Southern Collective Experience means to her.
 
Cliff Brooks reads his poem “Coffee House Layouts” at – you guessed it – a coffee house in Jasper, Georgia.
 
A reading of “Such a Novel Concept” from my forthcoming poetry collection “Chaos Songs” recorded at the Visions of Verse event last month.
 
We have all kinds of exciting events lined up in the months ahead, so please do hop on board with us here on the ground floor of this new YouTube venture. Also, anyone interested in checking out the roster of fine folks involved with the SCE can do so here at our main website.
 
We’re just a few weeks away from the publication of The Blue Mountain Review summer issue. We can’t wait to share what is shaping up to be another jam packed edition full of poetry, prose, photography, essays, book reviews, and interviews featuring some incredible contemporary talent. Feel free to dig into the current spring issue here to get a feel for how we roll.
 
Thank you for all your support. It is truly appreciated, and we are doing our level best to reciprocate the warmth back to the artistic community at large.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Ships in the Night…May 2016 Recap

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment
Opening Gambit
 
Neon nebula
Big Bang star shock righteousness
Creation in bloom
Well, another one bites the dust. May is now officially a moment of the past. A blip on the radar. A passing ship in the night. So it goes. I’ll continue to keep my eyes focused on the future, but I think it’s cool to at least say a few words about some of the recent happenings…
 
First of all, I’d like to thank the editors associated with these twenty-five venues for accepting and/or publishing my words during the month of May:
 
The Blue Mountain Review; Section 8 Magazine; Nibstears; Poetry Paraphernalia; Dissident Voice; Dead Snakes; Visual Verse; The Commonline Journal; The Piker Press; Slim Volume: See into the Dark anthology; GloMag; Sick Lit Mag; Immagine & Poesia; Whispers; Tuck Magazine; Kind of a Hurricane Press 2015 Storm Cycle anthology; Scarlet Leaf Review; Infernal Ink Magazine; International Times; First Literary Review-East; Ink in Thirds; Birdsong Poets; Setu Magazine; bear creek haiku; and The Metaworker.
 
Links to all the work from these publications can be found on the Poems, Reviews, Interviews, and Essays Pages here at 17Numa.
 
Issue 3 of The Blue Mountain Review was released through The Southern Collective Experience in May. It features poetry, prose, photography, and interviews from many talented contemporary writers and artists. My essay “Trust in the Process” serves to close out the issue. We are already hard at work putting together issue 4 which will be released during the Summer.
 
Akiwemimo Idris and Awwal Karrem of Nibstears published an interview in May that I was asked to give after winning the poetry contest at their site earlier this year. I did my level best to answer their questions genuinely.
 
Also, an interview I gave several months back was published by JD DeHart to launch his new site Poetry Paraphernalia.
 
Holly Holt wrote an incredibly generous review of my chapbook “Songs of a Dissident” recently that the fine folks at one of my favorite venues, Section 8 Magazine, were kind enough to publish. I was truly humbled by what Holly had to say about my work. If you have a moment, please check it out here.
 
The radio show (Dante’s Old South) that fellow members of the SCE and I recorded for Chattanooga, Tennessee station WUTC/NPR back in April aired a couple of nights ago. I’ll be sure to post a link to the broadcast as soon as it is archived and made available at their site. I also had the privilege of reading alongside Cliff Brooks and Holly Holt at a Visions of Verse event during May. Mechelle Wilson Ballew did us all the honor of capturing some great photographs of our performances, and Holly was on the spot to record a video of me reading “Such a Novel Concept” from my forthcoming collection, “Chaos Songs,” which will likely be out sometime this Fall through Weasel Press (check out my last post to read more about how I hooked up with the awesome team at Weasel Press). The video can be viewed on our Instagram page via this link.
 
I’ll be kicking off June with another reading as members of the SCE will be calling in live via Skype to headline an event in Texas being put on by the wild wordsmiths at Mad Swirl. I’ll be hitting the road soon to make the drive up to Jasper, Georgia where we’ll be meeting at the WYYZ radio station. I imagine it’s going to be one hell of a good time.
 
My main priority over the next week will be sending Raja Williams at CTU Publishing the final edits for “Happy Hour Hallelujah.” At that point, all that will need to be done is making the decision on which photograph to use for the cover, and then the book will be right on schedule for a late June release.
 
There are a number of other upcoming events this month that I’ll be writing about as they draw nearer. For now, I just want to say thank you to everyone who stops by here at 17Numa to support my work. It means a great deal, truly. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy month ahead…
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Lemonade and Greener Pastures

~ 17numa ~ 5 Comments
Necessary Chaos
 
If you keep your eyes open,
your head held high,
and your feet constantly moving forward,
even the most desperate circumstances
can eventually lead to greener pastures.
 
If you maintain mindfulness,
make a conscious choice not to panic,
and keep your perception clear,
even what at first appears to be a falling sky
can start to seem like heaven coming closer to earth
Scott Thomas Outlar spends the hours flowing and fluxing with the ever-changing currents of the Tao River. I have probably included that line in nearly 100 publication bios during the course of the past two years. And I ain’t just whistling Dixie when uttering such a sentiment.
 
I know that life is not all kittens, cupcakes, and cotton candy. Sometimes it throws a nasty curve your way. Other times it tosses a 101 mph fastball straight at your head. In those moments, it’s absolutely necessary to hit the ground quickly so you don’t suffer a concussion. However, it’s just as important to immediately stand back up, step into the batter’s box, and dig your heels into the dirt. The next pitch will be coming just as fast. There is no time for fear or uncertainty.
 
OK, enough with the baseball analogy. That’s old hat. I used to play the sport, but it’s not my bag anymore. I’m a writer now. So here’s an anecdote:
 
I woke up two days ago, opened my email, and discovered an unexpected letter from the owner of Longsword Press addressed to every author, editor, and photographer involved with the publisher. It stated, essentially, that he had bit off more than he could chew and so was shutting down the operation immediately and suspending indefinitely all books that were in production. The news came without any warning. Absolutely out of the blue. In fact, I’d just recently received a personal copy of the finalized book in the mail, and it was scheduled to be published at the end of May.
 
Talk about a punch in the gut to start your day.
 
I flow and I flux. Before even finishing the last half of the letter, my focus was already shifting toward what needed to be done next to solve the unfortunate problem. Prior to Longsword Press popping up on my radar, I had been planning on submitting “Chaos Songs” to Weasel Press. My poetry and fiction has been included in a few of their anthologies during the past couple of years, and so I’d been contemplating sending them a manuscript to consider for quite awhile. Not to put too fine a point on the matter, but the time to take such a step had obviously arrived.
 
I sent a query letter to the publisher, Weasel Patterson, explaining the strange turn of events and the mess I now found myself in. Thankfully, he responded within a few hours and told me that he was going to send the manuscript over to Em Rose Ramser for review. Just knowing that the book was going to be in front of someone’s eyes put me in a state of calm.
 
I woke up the next morning to another letter informing me that Weasel Press would be taking “Chaos Songs” on board for publication later this year. Hallelujah! Within a period of 24 hours I’d gone from receiving the worst news in the entire two years since I started publishing to being lifted back up to an even higher plateau than I was on to begin with.
 
I’ve long respected Weasel Press, and so having the opportunity to now be involved with them has turned what could have been an embarrassing disaster into a blessing in disguise. I’m on cloud nine, and I want to say (or scream from the mountain top) thank you to Weasel Patterson and Em Rose Ramser for believing in my work and, quite frankly, for saving my ass from a terribly sticky situation.
 
I’ve been in touch with Davide De Col, the photographer whose work graced the original cover of “Chaos Songs,” and he has assured me that we can still use his photograph moving forward.
 
I have no time or energy to waste on drama. I do not have any hard feelings toward the publisher of Longsword Press. I wish him all the best in wherever life takes him next. If I hadn’t become involved with his press, I never would have met and connected with several new friends I’ve made during the past months. Also, the book would not have evolved from its original draft into the finalized version it is now in.
 
Lemons into lemonade, my friends. It’s a damned fine beverage.
 
Douglas Adams was fond of writing in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”: Don’t Panic! I certainly second the motion. Hell, I’ll even give it a “Hear, Hear!” for good measure.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Empty Electronic / But / Still Haunted / The Second Coming/Don’t Choke / Easy Does It – by SCOTT THOMAS OUTLAR

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment

Cheers and thank you to Kelly Fitzharris Coody for publishing five of my poems at her site Sick Lit Mag recently…

sicklitmag's avatarSICK LIT MAGAZINE

Empty Electronic

 

 

Flash drive oblivion

white washed

with scarlet light fever

soothing the scabs

with a salve of scratches

down

to the bone

that grinds to dust

that fades to dirt

that dances on the ash

and laughs

with full moon madness

under pulsing stars

puncturing black holes

in the empty night

while webs

of electric sirens

sing woven psalms

across the sky

But

 

 

I am not in love,

and so I have

no one

to whom

I can write a love song.

But her hair was lovely,

and her smile was amber honey.

But her lust was eager,

and her comfort was an even greater gift.

I cannot remember

the way electric currents

traveled from

her fingertips

to mine.

But her skin was a garden,

and her light was purely born within.

But her breath was an ocean,

and her voice was soft whispered lilacs.

View original post 357 more words

New Interview…Links…Upcoming Events

~ 17numa ~ 4 Comments
Oxygen and Ink
 
It felt nice
to hold the proof copy
of “Chaos Songs”
in my hands
 
Many years of effort reaching fruition
 
It was nice
to touch the oak tree
by the mailbox
and give thanks
 
Many years of rings branded in the trunk
The opposite of love is not hatred, but fear. I have often said that it is good to love one’s friends, family, and allies with a fiery passion, and to hate one’s enemies with an equal fervor.
 
Life is a game. Play to win. There is no cliché nor platitude beneath me. Only solid ground. I feel no shame.
 
Light up, shine, and burn as if such a course of action was your only option. News flash: it’s certainly the best.
 
I have amazing people in my life. The importance of that aspect cannot be overstated. I’m also healthy and happy. Who wants to dance? Plenty of singing is also allowed…
My weekly contribution at Dissident Voice, “One Hundred Pennies per Hour,” is out now on the Sunday Poetry Page. Next month will mark the two-year anniversary of when my work began appearing regularly. Time is relative. This smile on my face is not. It’s an empirical truth.
 
The latest anthology from Pankhearst, edited by Kate-Garrett Nield, is out now. Slim Volume: See Into the Dark includes my poem “Whipped” alongside an amazing list of fellow contributors. It is available on Amazon.
 
Cheers to Ada Fetters at The Commonline Journal for publishing my poem “Variations on a Theme” recently. It’s always a pleasure to appear at her site.
 
Thank you to Akinwemimo Idris and Awwal Karrem for interviewing me at Nibstears concerning my first place finish in their poetry contest, as well as other facets of my work.
 
I’m excited about a number of events that are scheduled during the next several months, including the release of my poetry collection “Chaos Songs” through Longsword Press at the end of May; a second book, “Happy Hour Hallelujah,” coming out with CTU Publishing in late June; several readings and radio appearances; and the publication of many poems, interviews, and reviews in venues that I highly respect.
 
Thank you to all those who swing by 17Numa to read about what’s happening in my life. Your interest in my words means the world to me. There are still so many things left to say…
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Gravitating toward Cool

~ 17numa ~ Leave a comment
Class at Midnight
 
The greatest lesson I ever learned
 
was
 
it’s ok to be happy
 
it’s ok to have fun
 
it’s also ok to be sad
 
but it’s much more fun to be happy
 
I’ve always liked a good party
as long as it’s with the right people
 
I’ve never been one for stuffed suits
but anyone barefoot has usually been cool
“Chaos Songs” is coming soon from Longsword Press. A proof copy is on its way through the mail to my home at this moment. These things are good. Taking this deep breath, I am thankful.
 
Several months ago I was asked by JD DeHart to participate in an interview series he was conducting at his site Profiles in Poetry. My answers to the questions he sent me went up at the time, but that blog was eventually closed down later in the year. Now, though, JD has decided to launch a new site, Poetry Paraphernalia, and I feel honored that he has kicked things off by reposting our interview (which can be read here).
 
I’ve had a handful of poems released at these three fine venues so far in May:
 
Thank you, as ever, to the awesome Angie Tibbs at Dissident Voice for publishing  “Waking up to the Smell of Smoke” on the Poetry Page this week.
 
Thank you also to Stephen Jarrell Williams for posting three poems (“Kill the Lights”; “Come and Conquered”; and “Levee Breach”) at his site Dead Snakes, as well as to the editors of Visual Verse for using my poem “Gilded Illumination” – a response to this month’s interesting prompt.
 
Well, reading over what I’ve written here so far, it would seem that the theme of this post is thankfulness….so I’ll stick with such a state of mind until the end by saying: thank you to everyone who reads my work (here at 17Numa and elsewhere)…and thank you to all the inspiring people in my life who continue to motivate me on a daily basis with a constant desire to seek the evolution of creative expression.
 
Everything is cool. Take off your shoes. It’s all ok.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar
 
P.S.
 

April Recap…The Natural…New Interview…Chaos Songs

~ 17numa ~ 4 Comments
The Natural
 
“What should I write a poem about?”
I asked my niece
after she followed me outside
to the front porch
where I’d sat down to work.
 
“Cats and dogs and spiders
and Spider-Man and plants
and trees and berries and pinecones
and snakes and pine straw and seeds
and rocks and buttercups and sticks
and dirt and Band-Aids and butterflies
and tops of acorns and flyswatters and rubber bands
and plastic holders and cigarettes
and that’s all…
except one last idea…
Star Wars.”
 
I think Natalie is going to be
much better at this than me.
The poem above was written earlier this afternoon right before the sky fell with some serious intentions to soak the earth. The storm was not quite that of Biblical proportions…but this is a post about poetry so let’s take some creative license and just pretend it was nearing such a level. I must admit that it was the most enjoyable collaborative effort I’ve ever taken part of. She’s definitely a natural. I’ll have to start delegating my work more often.
 
I haven’t been posting here at 17Numa as much of late. After missing the monthly recap in March, I didn’t want to fall too far out of rhythm…so here’s an honest attempt to right the ship with a few thoughts about some of the goings-on from April.
 
First off, I’d like to say thank you to all the editors associated with these twenty venues for accepting and/or publishing my work in the past month:
 
Dissident Voice; Dead Snakes; Infernal Ink Magazine; Mad Swirl; UFO Gigolo; Duane’s PoeTree; Visual Verse; KNOT Magazine; Venus in Scorpio; Full of Crow; Torrid Literature Journal; The Piker Press; The Poeming Pigeon; Lunaris Review; Longsword Press; VerseWrights; Green Panda Press; Yellow Chair Review; Peeking Cat Poetry Magazine; and Whispers.
 
I finished up three interviews during April, two of which (Duane’s PoeTree and Nibstears) are scheduled to come out sometime in the not-too-distant future. The latest, however, was just released recently as part of the new interview series at Adam Levon Brown’s site. My ramblings can be read here. I usually take myself oh-so-seriously when spouting off at the mouth about my work…but this time around I tried to keep things light and fluffy with a side of pure, unmitigated fun.
 
The most exciting development during April involved a fortuitous online meeting with Tom Janikowski of the newly launched Longsword Press. We’ve been working together of late to whip my poetry collection “Chaos Songs” into shape. After going back and forth with drafts, the final version is nearly complete, and it is set to be published in May. Longsword also just released the debut Spring 2016 issue of its online publication. My poems “Painting Ourselves into Corners” and “The Passage” (both from the new book) are included. Check it out here.
 
I first started sending out submissions of my poetry in June of 2014. I just went back and read some of the emails I was sending out at that time to double check on the date. Sweet Jesus, I was a tad bit obnoxious and presumptuous in some of my early cover letters. But, hell, I guess it must have worked because it has led to some fairly positive results in the past 22 months. In fact, I recently hit a nice milestone back around the middle of this month when my 800th poem was published. I’ve definitely become more professional since that first poem appeared at Dissident Voice (for the most part). Even if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t necessarily change my approach. I regret nothing! Everyone acts like an ass now and then. Karma has certainly kicked me in mine enough times through the years to make sure the ledger always remains in balance. No need to get into specifics and boohoo about the past. I’ll just put it this way: it’s fair to say that I’ve paid my dues. Now my eyes are constantly set on the future. Everything remains in a perpetual state of calm. I’m always comfortable and content…but never complacent. On that note, it’s time to forward march into May…
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar
 
P.S.
 
Anyone who would like to connect with me can do so on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow this blog to stay abreast of upcoming announcements. I always dig meeting new people, so please feel free to drop me a line and say hello.

Reduce to Base

~ 17numa ~ 2 Comments
If I had to describe my style of poetry
I could call it: Arsonist
 
I’ve found that once one
starts playing with fire
it’s difficult to set down the matches
 
I could say my pen is an inferno
but that’s too poetic
so I’ll just say my tongue is a flame
 
This world is burning
but I came here to dance
 
I could talk about a rising Phoenix
but that’s old hat
so I’ll just talk about the dust and the ash
Truth is, I describe my style as being prose-fusion poetry. It’s a license to cheat…but not to steal. It’s a lesson…in something. Maybe.
 
I stay in the moment with eyes toward the future. Mostly.
My new poetry collection “Chaos Songs” will be released next month through Longsword Press. I’ve been working the past couple of weeks with Tom Janikowski (Founder/Editor/Publisher) to bring this project to life. The process has been beyond ideal. Tom and his crew at Longsword know what they’re doing. They provided excellent notes on the original manuscript which led me to construct a much better book. The cover photo, I believe, captures the essence of the work perfectly. It was taken by an Italian photographer by the name of Davide De Col. The full cover design is nearly complete, and I’m looking forward to sharing it soon. It’s good to work with good people.
 
Speaking of which, I’ll be seeing more good people from The Southern Collective Experience at a poetry reading later today. The last event I attended was a taping in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the WUTC/NPR station earlier this month. That show is set to be broadcast on May 29. Issue 3 of The Blue Mountain Review will also be released in May. Good people. Good art. Many more projects on the horizon. The SCE is ever evolving and expanding. Please feel free to swing by and check out our website.
 
My poems “The Swarm” and “Making It up as We Go” appear in the April issue of Full of Crow. The issue has been one of the better reads so far in 2016…it’s full of amazing poets. Elynn Alexander really put together a strong compilation.
 
I’ve had work appear in three print publications this month (Infernal Ink Magazine; Torrid Literature Journal; and The Poeming Pigeon). Links to all my published work from so far in April can be found on the Poems Page.
 
The state my mind occupies most of the time is one of thankfulness. Despite the fiery nature of my writing, I am an eternal optimist. I have a fierce love for the species of humanity and for consciousness itself. I have gratitude for God. My Creator. If you don’t understand what that means, I’m afraid I can’t help you. The future excites me. It’s going to be good.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar

Poems by Scott Thomas Outlar -Looking for a Cherry, Pulpit and Heart-Shaped Phoenix

~ 17numa ~ 4 Comments

Cheers and thank you to Jade Blackmore for featuring three of my poems at her site Venus in Scorpio this week…

vscorpiozine's avatarVscorpiozine's Blog

Looking for a Cherry

Vonnegut said,
so it goes.

So it did,
so it does,
so it ever will.

I suppose some truths
just can’t be topped.

 Pulpit

There are some people who preach love
but the message is hollow
because they do not first love themselves

There are others who preach love
and it is genuine
but they are naïve
and so it does not spread

I guess the point is:
If you want to change the world
shut up with all the preaching
and just start living it

Heart-Shaped Phoenix

Cobain quoted Young by writing,
it’s better to burn out
than to fade away.

I would suggest
that there is plenty
of gasoline to go around…
so we can dance
around these flames
for quite awhile
before our little hearts
have had their fill
of fiery fun.

Bio:

scottthomasoutlarScott Thomas Outlar hosts the site 17Numa.wordpress.com where links to…

View original post 41 more words

Two Poems…March Publications…Fair Warning

~ 17numa ~ 1 Comment
Simple Shuteye
 
Perfect peace
reigns
in a dream
where she dances
carefree
with a smile
shining
from here to eternity
and a gleam
in her eye
that promises
everything
will be just fine
upon the wake
A few weeks have passed since I last posted here at 17Numa. Deep breath.
 
March has been a month of much convergence. Alignment. Nuclear fission at the core of absolution. Eruption.
 
It is the role of the poet to show that chaos births order. That’s one hell of a millstone to carry around. I have a lot of friends who wear it with grace. It’s a good time to be alive in this day and age. Have faith and know that there is a light which will never be snuffed out.
 
Two reviews for “Songs of a Dissident” have been released in the past couple of weeks. Many thanks to Janine Pickett for writing very kindly about the chapbook at her site Indiana Voice Journal. Thank you also to Michael and Val Organ of Tuck Magazine for publishing Sunil Sharma’s humbling thoughts. The fire inside my soul is never near the threat of extinguishing, but when editors that I respect are generous toward my work it does feel as though more gasoline gets added. All I want to do is burn. Is that too much to ask?
 
Truthfully, I’d be happy with a flood just the same.
 
OK. Now the words are ready to start crawling from out my ruptured mind to bleed forth upon the page. Seeping from the dingy corridors of a decadent consciousness. Hell, I don’t always go dark and ugly but sometimes the urge is overwhelming. Then again, I can just as quickly turn off the spigot and get lighthearted. It’s all fun and games after all, except for the fact that it’s deadly serious. The world has been at war for a long time…just for the record. The intensity of a violent trajectory is ramping up as the proxy battles being fought overseas seem to now be ready to come home and roost. I am only an observer. I’m here to report what I find in the field. If I could stop the madness by magically snapping my fingers, then I’d immediately start to create a funky beat with the sound. But that more than likely won’t do the trick at this stage of the process. So all I can say at this point is: heads up, watch out, and get right with whatever God you love the most. If there were an alarm, I’d ring it. I’m simply suggesting that the storm has been brewing for years now and so when it finally hits it’s going to be a big one. Fair Warning.
 
With all the dire foreboding about the oncoming dystopia out of the way, I can now safely return my attention to some really cool news concerning my poetry. So far in the month of March my words have appeared in eight print publications, three of which are based out of the UK:
 
The Stray Branch Issue 17
Pittsburgh Poetry Houses Volume I
PUSH Issue 20
Tigershark Magazine Issue 9
Futures Trading: Anthology Three
Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze Anthology
The Seventh Quarry Issue 23
The Angry Manifesto Issue 4.0/5.0
 
Links to all these journals, along with other online publications from March, can be found on the Poetry Page. 
 
Thanks for swinging by. If you’d like to connect, please feel free to hit me up on Twitter and/or Facebook. I’m always stoked to meet new people.
 
Selah,
Scott Thomas Outlar
 
Curses, Crosses, and Crucibles
 
One step
leads to the next
 
There is something
in the air today
making me question
everything
 
I am thankful
for such moments
that test my faith
 
Forward movement
is the blessing of God’s grace
 
The future is a promise
openly rewarded
to those with courage
 
Survival is embedded
in our activated DNA
 
There are people
in this world
who will hate you
for their own reasons
 
A simple smile
is a perfect reminder
that love will always
win in the end