I know getting a poem published in a print journal is a fairly banal event for most of the readers of this blog, but the last time I published a poem in one, Ron Silliman was still drinking, and I was only about 12 years older than Julia is now. Jimmy Carter was president. What makes it even more special is that my daughter Julia has a poem in the same issue.

For years I did not even consider myself a "poet." It seemed embarrassing, somehow, like what if people expected me to be all sensitive and self-absorbed? I made only sporadic and unsuccessful efforts to publish. I have a few poems floating around the internet, but, call me old-fashioned, that never seemed like "real" publication to me. It's too easy. So thanks to Gabe Gudding for publishing Julia and me in the same issue. Now I feel like a real "poet."