Tuesday 26 March 2013

How the book happened

I'd been in contact with Helena Nelson since before she started HappenStance - we both had an interest in small magazines. She asked me to send her some poems. It's heartening to find someone who's interested in your poems. If that someone writes good poems, reviews and prize-wining essays, then it's especially validating. I'm eternally grateful. Then she asked for more poems. I guess I sent in twice as many poems as were necessary. She essentially shaped the collection, protecting me from my worst excesses. Several prose poems and "clever" sonnets failed to make the cut. Some decent poems weren't included because they were too much like other pieces, or too different. It does no harm to have some poems ready for a 2nd collection ...

We fiddled with punctuation and ordering a little. I wanted to start with a birth and end with a death.

I suggested the title. There are puns on "moving" (emotional, not-still) and on "parts" (pieces, roles). My local library has this sign stuck to their door.

A few covers were offered. I liked the suggestiveness of the chosen one.

The official publication date was Christmas Day 2010.

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