I've published three new pieces over at Associated Content recently:

Babushka the Moth
World Cup
Foxholed

I've been working on a redesign of the website that should be ready sometime in the nebulous future (I'm horrible at projecting dates, so I won't say when, but hopefully soon).

So, my laptop has gone to the big electronic heaven in the sky, and frankly, it's a bit crippling. So much of my day is spent writing, networking, web coding, and other activities related to promoting and bettering this website that, when the primary tool for those activities is gone, I don't really know what to do with myself. (I'm using a public computer to write this, if you're wondering.)

I've added four new poems to my Associated Content page (links at the end of this article). One of them, Bare, was plucked off my now non-existent Facebook page. The next two, Synesthesia and Geophagia, were poems that were written and then forgotten -- I found them tucked into notebooks (Geophagia was written for a collaborative weblit project that went on an indefinite hiatus, and I don't remember what occasion prompted Synesthesia). The last, Pipistrellus Pipistrellus, was written just last night after walking home from the local coffee shop and seeing the first of this summer's bats snacking on bugs under streetlights.

The reason those poems are on Associated Content instead of here is because, well, I need money. I don't really like presenting the pieces over there -- the ads have a nasty habit of breaking the poems' form -- but if I'm going to be able to afford a new laptop in a reasonable amount of time, it's a lot more lucrative to put my poetry over there than it is to host it here. (Without giving away a lot of numbers, I earn about $1 for every 600-700 pageviews over there.) It makes me feel a bit like I'm selling out...but you gotta do what you gotta do. Until I get a new laptop, most of my poetry will probably be posted on AC.

I hope you enjoy the pieces. Please share them with friends and family as much as you can.

Donations, of course, are always welcome, and every dollar puts me that much closer to getting a new laptop.

Poetry on Associated Content:
Bare
Synesthesia
Geophagia
Pipistrellus Pipistrellus

I just posted my 5th poem for NaPoWriMo over on my DeviantArt page: Different Hearts. Check it out.

In case you haven't been following the news on my Facebook fan page or Twitter, I was nominated early this month for the 2010 Rose and Bay Award for Poetry. The award is given out to a crowdfunded poet, meaning it's a pretty exclusive award -- there are only five candidates.

What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunded works remove the middle-man. Instead of selling my work to a publisher who sells it to you, I sell my work to you directly by publishing it freely online and letting you decide how much you want to pay me through reader donations. You -- every long-time reader and newcomer to the site -- are the crowd that funds me, the poet and artist.

The Rose and Bay Award was put together to highlight the best of the best of these crowdfunded artists, in five categories: Art, Fiction, Poetry, Other, and Patron (a special category awarded to the best members of the "crowd" -- supporters of crowdfunded literary efforts).

Now's The Time To Vote
As of this writing, there are 10 days (or 9, depending on your timezone) left before voting closes for the 2010 Rose and Bay Awards. Right now I'm holding a slight lead in the Poetry Category. I'd like to maintain that lead all the way to the end.

You've read my poetry. If even a single piece of mine has moved you in some way, I hope you'll cast your vote for me. It just takes a few minutes of your time, it doesn't cost you a thing, and it helps me out: winning the 2010 Rose and Bay Award will bring a slew of new traffic into the site, and every new reader grows the crowd.

What are you waiting for? Go vote for me today.

How To Vote
Unfortunately, the hosts of the Rose and Bay Award didn't make the voting process entirely intuitive. Here's a quick rundown. If you have a livejournal account, all you need to do is to the voting page for poetry, log into your LJ account, and cast your vote using the poll.

Now, if you're like me, you probably don't have a Livejournal account. You can still cast your vote. At the bottom of the voting page is a link where you can leave a comment. Just leave a comment saying "Cast my vote for Gabriel Gadfly!" and your vote will be tallied into the final results.

Thanks for your support. :)

Earlier today, I published a new off-site poem, Sharp. That link will take you to Associated Content (the same place I host my Zombie Survival Handbook and other miscellaneous articles.

I don't usually post poetry at AC, but I earn a decent bit of steady income from the site based on pageviews, so I want to test the market and see how well a few pieces of poetry do there. Hop over and check the piece out.

Also, don't forget, if you haven't already, go vote for me in the 2010 Rose and Bay Award for poetry. Voting continues until the end the month, and thus far, I'm still holding a slight lead, but I'd like to see the margin increase. If you're a livejournal member, you can vote by simply logging in and using the poll. If you're like me and don't have a livejournal account, you can vote by leaving a comment at the bottom of the phrase saying "Cast my vote for Gabriel Gadfly!"