“the Prophet confronts his attacker” was published in New York Quarterly latest issue. This is one of my theological sonnets that also appears The Third Renunciation (from New York Quarterly Books, 2023).
CW: themes of sexual assault.
[Say pity is not love, is not action] in Presence Journal 2023
I’m proud to, once again, have a poem in the Presence Journal.
Update: Presence Journal has nominated this poem for possible inclusion in Orison Books' annual Best Spiritual Literature anthology!
Note: This poem takes its title from a line in Shūsaku Endō’s novel Silence.
New sonnet in New York Quarterly 68.2
“maybe Jesus just needed to get laid” is now up at New York Quarterly 68.2.
This theological sonnet will be included in upcoming full length connection The Third Renunciation NYQ Books.
Three sonnets in The Anglican Theological Review
The Anglican Theological Review was among the first publications to take a chance on my work a decade ago when I was still finding my voice. Back then they took one of my poems.
Thus, I am surprised and ecstatic to have three of my theological sonnet in issue the Summer 2022 Edition, Grab a copy of ATR Volume 104 Number 3 to read
[Say a slave triptych composes the heart],
[Say on such legs that were left me—a heart], &
[Say Jesus has been saving a bottle ].
[Say prayer is just a fire alarm] in The Windhover
I'm proud to be published, once again, in The Windhover. This time it’s my theological sonnet [Say prayer is just a fire alar] in the issue 26.2.
“when asked how to avoid being seen as racist” at Identity Theory
I am happy to have my strange little sonnet “when asked how to avoid being seen as racist” published in Identity Theory .
I think sex with animals is problematic. I think racism is problematic. These two facts are at the root of this poem (which is based on a joke I was once told).
And if you thought this poem involves any drunk children having sex with goats, you should sue your elementary school, you’ll need the money to make up for your poor reading comprehension skills.
Also read the companion poem “when asked what I learned during the ‘community forum’ on the appropriateness of my poem” out from Bending Genres.
Say Grace is a Twinkie or a cockroach in Poetry East
I’m please to be, once again, published in Poetry East.
Sonnet wins The Fare Forward Poetry Competition
I am thrilled to announce that one of my theological sonnets—[Say Jonah was right and grace is wasted]—was the winner of The Fare Forward Poetry Competition!
In addition to publication in the next issue of Fare Forward, there was a cash prize, and bragging rights.
A special thanks to the journals who rejected this poem as not being good enough.
You can read it here
[Say God is the tough in the prison yard] published at New York Quarterly Magazine
Another theological sonnet—[Say God is the tough in the prison yard]— is making an appearance in the world at New York Quarterly Magazine.
"red rover, red rover..." published in Presence 2021
Another of my theological sonnets—”red rover, red rover…”—was published in the 2021 edition of Presence.
[Say James Baldwin was right and white Christians] published at Saint Katherine Review
I was reading Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time shortly after reading The Cross and the Lynching Tree (James Cone).
‘nuff said.
A theological sonnet published by the good folks at Saint Katherine Review
[Say “what if?" is more dangerous than “why?"] at Fare Forward
One of my theological sonnets—[Say “what if?" is more dangerous than “why?"] was published over at Fare Forward.
[Say gravity is grace enough for god-] in The Amethyst Review,
Another of my theological sonnets has been accepted by The Amethyst Review.
[Say gravity is grace enough for god-] shows that I paid (some) attention in both my science and theology courses in college.
Some.
Click here to read it.
New Sonnet up at The Amethyst Review
Another one of my theological sonnets—
[Say prayer’s correctly rubbing God’s back]—has been published by The Amethyst Review.
This one explores the human desire to get a signal out—to be heard and responded to by the numinous. Somehow appropriate for our current reality of social distancing.
Oddly enough, the inspiration for this poem came from a conversation with a student (as many do): something relatively psychotic about a rabbit’s foot. This is what it turned into. I think she would be pleased.
New Poem in Spiritus
“The Third Renunciation”—one of my theological sonnets—was published in the latest issue of Spiritus (20.1).
It takes its title from Mary Margaret Funk's discussion of the 4th century monk John Cassian's three-fold denials in order to follow a path of spirituality:
First, we must renounce our former way of life and move closer to our heart’s desire, toward the interior life. Second, we must do the inner work (of asceticism) by renouncing our mindless thoughts.…Third, and finally, we must renounce our own images of God so that we can enter into contemplation of God as God" (Thoughts Matter, 9).
It is also the ‘title track’ of a book of poems I am shopping for publication (so if you like this one, and know anyone who wants to publish a bunch more like it, hit me up).
[Bittersweet news] 2019 Orison Chapbook Prize Finalist (but not a winner)
I received the following notification today:
Dear Matthew Henry,
I'm writing to let you know that "many strange apparitions" was selected as a finalist in The 2019 Orison Chapbook Prize. Congratulations!While your manuscript was not selected as the winner, you should feel proud of being named a finalist out of a pool of over 325 manuscripts! Choosing a winner was truly difficult.
We'll announce the winner and finalists on our website and on social media shortly.
Thank you for sending such fine work, and best wishes for your writing.
Always the bridesmaid…
Many Strange Apparitions is one iteration of a book of sonnets I’ve been working on for quite some time, and whose individual pieces have been accepted at publications such as Amethyst Review, The Other Journal, Rhino, Rock and Sling, 3Elements Literary Review, Spiritus, and The Windhover among others.
Until they find publication as a collection, I’ll take this honor as a push in the right direction.
[Say the polygamous just understand] at Amethyst Review
Amethyst Review has published another one of my sonnets, [Say the polygamous just understand].
Say the polygamists just understand
the spiritual is always public,
never private…
