The Swing of Things.

Having the opportunity to support my wife throughout pregnancy and in child birth has been something I’ve really enjoyed taking time off for. While I have been working my day job throughout most of this time, the brief sabbatical from peripheral tasks has really allowed me to absorb the full spectrum of emotions we’ve been dragged through as a family.

It is definitely a cliche, but the changes in my brain and heart that took place with the birth of my son are going to have a great impact on my work moving forward. Aside from the fresh perspective I’ve been provided, I imagine the biological adaptations one undergoes when a child is born can’t be avoided.

As a writer who tends to lean toward the darker side of story elements, I can see myself better representing the troubles parents/families go through. Its a reflection of life in art, as they say.

First, readers will see these changes in my poetry. Really, that’s only because I’m most likely releasing a poetry collection before my next novels are ready, but also because I’m writing more new poetic content at the moment than anything else. It’s been easier to sit down at the end of the day when the little guy first goes to sleep and pound out a few minutes of words that turn into a complete product. When I’m writing novels, even if I have a few hours of time scheduled, I like to sit down with at least an hour dedicated to writing. That kind of time management helps me feel like I’ve completed the thought I sat down looking to express.

That’s really it, though. I’m glad to be back in the swing of things. I wrote something like 12 poems last night while the family slept. This weekend I’ll be picking up the proverbial sword and starting to attack the edits in my next novel. Maybe I’ll come up with a title for it, but I don’t think I’m there, yet. Kind of strange, because usually they come so easy based on the story. Either way, the ball is rolling, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and A. M. Langston will be publishing at least one thing shiny and new in 2021. If I can work my butt off, I’ll have a new poetry book ready to be shopped around to publishers by New Years. That would be awesome!

Thanks for reading. If you enjoy reading my scatter-brained journal entries here, check out my books. I’ve got novels and poetry collections available in ebook and paperback.

Alex.