RK Rugg
Reviews
Reviews
I finally got organized enough to submit to this year's SFPA Halloween Poetry Reading, curated by Patricia Gomes, former poet laureate of New Bedford, MA. My contribution is "Granite Tears on Halloween" (poem (written and audio) and art), a piece inspired by statuary on the grounds of Hammond Castle, just a short trip north of where I live.
Illumen Magazine of Speculative Poetry, October 2023, includes one of my favorite poems that I wasn't sure would ever find a good home, but Illumen is perfect for "My Electric Lycanthropy." This is my second poem to appear in this publication (my first went on to be a Dwarf Star nominee.) SpecPo in the Timber Ghost Press blog, July 15, 2023. Timber Ghost is a Western Horror publisher and this poem, "Selway Bitterroot," is based on my time outfitting and guiding in the wilderness area waaaay back in the Idaho Panhandle. Eccentric Orbits, An Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry: Volume 4 from Dimensionfold Publishing. I'm very proud to have a number of poems selected for inclusion in the 4th volume of this annual anthology of speculative poetry, edited by Wendy Van Camp, the poet laureate for the city of Anaheim. I have four pieces included in this year's collection, including;
Utopia Science Fiction (April/May 2023). This publication holds a special place in my heart as they were my first paid market, and this is my third poem to find a home here. 'The Ancients We Are Told Made Great: Erasure poem from Isaac Newton's 'Preface to the Principia,' May 8 1686" is, I think, a good fit with the publication's mission to print optimistic SF. https://www.utopiasciencefiction.com/ SpecPo in a mainstream literary publication (which is always a fun accomplishment!), my short piece "Birdwatching During the Pandemic" appears in Tiny Wren Lit (Issue #4, Unthemed) which went live online in late April 2023 and is free to read at https://www.tinywrenlit.com/issue-4 2022 SFPA's Eye to the Telescope On Sending a Mission to Explore the Outer System appears in the Quests issue of the Science Fiction Poetry Association's publication, Eye to the Telescope. SFPA's Eye to the Telescope Duty appears in the Veterans of Future Wars issue of the Science Fiction Poetry Association's publication, Eye to the Telescope. Asimov's Magazine of Science Fiction, May/June 2022 Vol. 46 Nos. 5 & 6. I couldn't be more pleased to have I Recalled Old Earth Last Night in a Dream appear in one of my favorite SF magazines. (Editorial notes for this one included the line, "I can't resist the charm of this pantoum," and you'd better believe that I'm on Cloud Nine about that.) Eccentric Orbits, An Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry: Volume 3 from Dimensionfold Publishing. I'm delighted to have work included in this next volume of speculative poetry, edited by Wendy Van Camp. I have four pieces in Volume 3, including :
2021 New Tales of the Round Table includes my "Camelot- A Villanelle" In the current issue of Illumen Magazine , a quarterly digest of SF&F poetry... "Ten Squared" is a poem crafted from ten lines of ten syllables each. Dwarf Stars Nomination! SpecPo: My poem Ten Squared originally published in the Summer 2021 issue of Illumen, was nominated for the SFPA's Dwarf Star award for poetry of 10 lines or fewer and appeared in the print anthology. The April/May 2021 issue of Utopia Science Fiction Magazine includes my SpecPo, "Prodigal" Eccentric Orbits: An Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry, Volume 2 contains my poem, "In An Ivory Tower". It is a form known as a Prime 53 Poem and I'm delighted that it found a home in this beautiful book from Dimensionfold Publishing. "The Beasts Are Gods" (SpecPo text and audio) in January 2021 issue of Abyss & Apex magazine 2020 "Northern Rockies" (SpecPo graphic) in November 2020 issue of Snakeskin poetry webzine. "Tapestry" (SpecPo) in October/November 2020 issue of Utopia Science Fiction magazine. "They Say at this Time of Year" at Science Fiction Poetry Association 2020 Halloween Poetry Reading |
Nominated for Pushcart Prize!
December 2, 2023, Boston, Mass. – Raymond K. Rugg has received a nomination for the prestigious Pushcart Prize, a literary prize that honors the best poetry, short fiction, or essays published in the small presses over the previous year. The nomination is for his poem, "Life and (Erasure Poem)” written under the name RK Rugg and which appeared in a special AI discovery issue of Space and Time Magazine, the oldest continuously published semi-pro magazine for speculative fiction. “I think that erasure poems are wonderful for finding unintended themes or meanings in text,” says Rugg. For this piece, he employed ChatGPT to construct a narrative that included a communication from an AI spaceship pilot, and then ‘erased’ or eliminated words and lines in order to create the poem. "The erasure reveals the essence of humanity in the farewell speech of the Artificial Intelligence, it highlights that which gives our lives both poignancy and meaning. Lacking life, an AI will never fear death. Never fearing death, an AI will never know life." Rugg currently writes and teaches in a New England mill town located at the heart of the infamous Bridgewater Triangle. His poetry has been shortlisted for the Dwarf Star awards and the Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine Readers' Favorites awards. His past projects include editing the speculative-fiction anthology, Life on the Rez; Science Fiction and Fantasy Inspired by Life on America’s Indian Reservations. Check out Space and Time Magazine Asimov's
Readers' Favorites Finalist! I'm incredibly honored to announce that my poem for Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (I Recalled Old Earth Last Night in a Dream) was selected as a finalist in the 2022 Reader Awards. You can read it by clicking directly to the poem, and you can see all the finalists for all categories by clicking to the full list. Thanks to everyone who voted! And check out my poem presentation and some photos of the event by visiting my Asimov's Event page! |