Emma’s Final Query Letter

by newerawriters

Emma Mayhood

Attn. Mr. Machlin:

Stagnancy plagues generations that have lost the ability to live in the present and only look ahead, constantly updating and faking connections with a like, a comment, or a link shared, and through this idleness time has collapsed into a fleeting dream.

Your request cannot be processed at this time is a poetry collection exploring relationships forged behind a technological screen and the repercussions of fashioning our relationships after the fleeting nature of technology. Technology both eases and complicates relationships allowing more contact with more people in more places but leading to less time spent in the present. Time has become a convoluted concept we strive to catch up to and grasp. We incessantly ask for more time but its slippery nature prevents us from being able to hold and ultimately capture it. This collection oscillates between immersion in relationships in a technological age, perceived to be contrived, and isolating abstention from the cultural shift entirely. Asking and attempting to answer questions about time, what it means today, and how we can effectively spend it results from the confusion between embracing and renouncing technology.

I am a recent graduate of the Creative Writing program at Eastern Michigan University where we were exposed to various forms of contemporary writing including sound poetry and lyric essay. Coupled with these experiences was my first exposure to social media and the puzzling and, at times, anxious feelings that come with losing personal connections.

This collection focuses on an audience of late teens through mid-thirties who grew up with a plethora of technology and the expectation of constantly emerging technology. The collection is intentionally concise to raise questions about time to explore, reflect, and answer individually. I plan to market using social media in an attempt to reach people who have difficulty separating technology from themselves.

Poems in this collection range from a few lines to a few pages, at times hovering between poetry and prose, and use layout to increase meaning in each poem and the collection. Futurepoem books focuses on innovative and contemporary poetry. This collection asks important questions about how relations between people are mediated by technology.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Emma Mayhood

YouNiversity Project 2014