Elizabeth MacDuffie, Editor-in-Chief of Meat for Tea: The Valley Review, contacted me to say she was going to publish “Sailing Lessons” in the next issue. I’m so glad this story is finally finding a home. Even though Stories on Stage-Davis acceptet it for reading, it has been rejected by forty other publications. So, either I finally edited it down to a publishable form, or, as is often the case, editors’ tastes simply differ.
When I was riding ultra-distance events (anywhere from 100 miles to 750 miles, given the type of event), I knew that completing the ride had less to do with strength than perseverance. Or, one might say, stubbornness. That seems to be a useful trait in writing as well.
As for the journal, they’re out of Western Massachusetts. They publish by theme: the theme of the issue my story will appear in is “Ham.” Accordingly, I made one word change (“tuna fish” to “ham”) to meet the entry criteria. The name of the journal is a funny story, and one of the reasons I submitted there. In short, the editor received an invitation to have a cup of tea, only the invitation had the unfortunate typo œmeat for tea. I love that someone had the sense of humor to appreciate that error so much she’d name her journal for it. You can read the story here.
Update May 2019: Volume 13, Issue 1of Meat for Tea is now available. You can buy a copy here.
