Ben Kline's Blog

Apologies for the long silence. The day job and move consumed my summer.

Twang and Stiff Wrist arrived. I do not recommend releasing three books in a six month span, or even the same year. Trying to promote one is herculean. Three proved too much. But hey, if you’re reading this, consider purchasing either or both!

I embarked on a mini reading tour in September and October while the day job quieted. Saw a lot of people I’d not seen in a while. It felt good to be a poet again.

I think I’ve abandoned the dead mom book. It’s a strong body of work, but honestly, thinking like an editor or publisher, it’s not marketable. The rejection email from the editor at Scribner (where I’d been blessed with an invitation to submit!!!) confirmed this and …I don’t know if I’m in the right place to attempt a rewrite?

Instead, I moved on to working on Twang’s second volume, set mostly during the Clinton and early internet years, and I started writing a chapbook/maybe book of poems set at a gay wedding, inspired by a fantastic one I attended in September.

I also joined a new regular writing salon. We meet twice a month and I’m by decades the oldest member and they are delightful and welcoming and such different poets from me…I’ve learned so much from them in the short time I’ve been part of the group. So grateful.

That’s the latest. It’s been REJECTION CITY all spring and summer. I had my first acceptance since spring the other day and had forgotten how happy that yes feels!!

PS: I intend to update the merch page with all the new books. I just haven’t had time!!

Hello big scary world,

and Happy Summer Solstice! I hope this post finds everyone doing ok. I’m unsure any of us are fully well. We find our solace where we can, help others as we’re able, and try to stay upright and forward.

Winter and spring 2025 saw the debut of a few new poems – check out the Publications page for that info! – and the arrival of It Was Never Supposed to Be. It’s had nice sales, and the work has received a handful of incredibly thoughtful, moving reviews. I’m terrible at writing reviews, and thus respect that work, though I tend not to read any about my own work. However, a couple came into view that just…well, one of them brought me to tears.

Twang is on quiet sale. More on Twang in August! You know, August, when I’ll have completed my role in the two-year migration project at my day gig, moved to my new place, AND finished my mandatory jury pooling.

Stiff Wrist lands in European bookstores in a week or so, then stateside later this summer. Check out the 14Poems account on Instagram for all the posts, stories and videos about Stiff Wrist, including yours truly reading some of the work!

Hello!

A quick update, as I prepare for the first official reading and book signing for IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE, happening today at 5PM at Downbound Books in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood. (My next reading will be at Juniper’s in Covington KY on the evening of March 20th.)

I’ve not been writing much – the day gig is eating my brain power – but I’ve been revising when I can. I’m working through the first proof of TWANG. The editor did an AMAZING job. Wait until you see the cover!

I think the dead mom manuscript is…finished? I dunno. It’s 2 years later. The shock hasn’t completely worn off.

I’ll be sending STIFF WRIST off to London soon too. Working on a final pass of that manuscript next weekend.

What a strange time.

Check out another new interview about It Was Never Supposed to Be over at Tupelo Quarterly. L.J. Sysko asked me Proustian questions about my writing life as well as the motivations and inspirations underpinning the book!

I wanted the book to capture the nature of change and how you can like parts of it/not like other parts of it. And how do you navigate that as a thinking person?

https://www.tupeloquarterly.com/editors-feature/be-kind-rewind-where-poetry-meets-proust-an-interview-series-by-l-j-sysko/

Over at the amazing kith books, you’ll find a new interview with me all about It Was Never Supposed to Be. It’s long, it’s irreverent and sad at times, it’s funny. Pour a glass and enjoy the interview.

At last, It Was Never Supposed to Be is out in the world!

Purchase your copy here!

has started appearing in good places. I love every chance I get to see that gorgeous cover!

Updated the publications page today. How have I already published 19 poems this year? That’s bizarre. I feel like I’ve spent most of my time working on the final manuscripts for my upcoming three books vs writing new stuff. Mind you, as publishing works, a lot of this year’s publications were submitted and accepted in 2023!

Today we move through the autumnal equinox and night surpasses day until next spring. Normally, I’m a long day, hot weather kind of person, but this brutal summer has burned off my love of swelter. At least until the first cold snap and morning spent scraping frost off the windshield.

Meanwhile, I made my official masthead debut as a poetry editor with Driftwood Press. It’s been a treat (and a lift) to read manuscripts all summer for the Adrift Chapbook contest. So. Many. Amazing. Chapbooks. The amount of talent and quality submissions is a blessing, even as it made our tasks that much more difficult.

Lastly, I’m trying to book readings for the late fall and winter to promote It Was Never Supposed to Be. It was a blast reading for the Poets for Harris event and got me back into the mood. (You can find me at the 1:35:15 mark in the Harris event video linked above.) I’m hoping to create a couple of local and live events too. So we’ll see what develops!