Good news and good wishes

Back from Thanksgiving travels. I had a good one (even though it snowed... sigh!) and I hope y'all did, too.

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Happy news from Valparaiso Poetry Review, which has announced its Pushcart Prize nominations for this year -- see editor Ed Byrne's blog for details:

John Balaban: “Finishing Up the Novel After Some Delay”
Barbara Crooker: “Lemons”
W.D. Ehrhart: “Coaching Winter Track in Time of War”
Anne Haines: “Swallowed”
H. Palmer Hall: “Vietnam Roulette”
Diane Lockward: “Temptation by Water”

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And good wishes go out to E Street Band musician Danny Federici, who has taken a leave of absence from the band's current tour to undergo treatment for melanoma. He's an original member of the band and it's hard to imagine their sound without him. You can see the official announcement over at Bruce Springsteen's site; I hope to see an announcement there in the future with words like "back on the job" and "full recovery"...