Let Me Eat Cake!

I have not been around the poetry forum for quite awhile, and for good reason.

As many of you know, I graduated from Goucher's nonfiction MFA in August. Immediately thereafter, I landed an agent in New York; she was enthusiastic about representing me and my book about cake (it's not a recipe or coffee-table book; it's history, folklore, personal narrative, interviews, and reporting). She helped me write a book proposal, and within a month, I had Random House, an S&S imprint, and Simon & Schuster bidding on my book. I went with Simon & Schuster, and I've been writing like crazy.

My contract deadline was 12/08, but if you know me, you know I am impatient. I finished the book and sent it off to my editor a few weeks ago. She'd bought the book based on a proposal and didn't want to see any chapters until the book was done, so I was very worried. I sent the book by email on a Friday, and by Monday, she had written back to say it was "delectable"!

We are trying to get the book out by Mother's Day next year. What a long process! It's worse than birthing a baby! It will be called Let Me Eat Cake: A Celebration of Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla, Baking Powder, and a Pinch of Salt.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up and explain why I basically quit poetry. I'm still in touch with Julie and some others of you, and I think the only poetry I'll be writing for the next year is in the form of song lyrics, but I may post, if I get a wave of inspiration. I think the next book is working itself up to the surface.

Take care!

Leslie