Two years ago, after weeks — nae, months! — of work, I finished writing an essay, and I thought to myself, “This is my favorite thing I’ve ever written.”
So I started submitting it to various publications, hoping someone, somewhere, would like it, too. Would want to publish it. Would feel like my piece was a good fit for them.
Early on, the essay made it to the final round at a dream publication, but it ultimately didn’t make the cut.
For a while, I stopped submitting it anywhere. Then, I remembered how much I loved it and started sending it out again.
Last fall, after fifteen rejections, I got an email one night after teaching an evening class. There was this place. A literary journal. And they loved my essay about food that integrates bits of diary entries and snippets of letters. They wanted to publish it.
Guess what today is? Publication day.
It is with great excitement, then, that I shout, “Hey, guys, if you have a few minutes, maybe click over and read this thing! It’s been waiting for an audience for YEARS!”
Plus, maybe you need a feel-good moment. And while this essay might be about food, it’s actually a love story.
The full issue of Palaver can be read here, as a flipbook. My piece starts on page 89.
Alternately, a .pdf of just my essay can be read here.
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