When Jenny Cavallero, a D.C.-based comedian, writer, filmmaker, actor, and disabled person, approached me about being interviewed for DCPL’s Access This podcast, I was excited and in awe. Sometimes, the imposter syndrome voice grows louder in my head. Sometimes, I’m able to shush her and remind myself, hey, Marlena, you’ve published books, you’ve been writing […]
I’m so honored that my book Crumb-sized: Poems was included as a finalist in Etchings Press’ Whirling Prize in 2019. The theme this year was space, and you all know how much of a space nerd I am. Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Whirling Prize: Unmanned by Jessica Rae Bergamino Eating the Sun: Small Musings […]
My book launch party is this Friday, July 15, at Walls of Books in Washington, D.C. If you’re in the D.C. area, be sure to come out for a night of reading and space exploration. I’m celebrating my first collection of poetry, On that one-way trip to Mars from Bottlecap Press! There will be drinks, snacks, […]
When your book is out in the world you start seeing people actually reading it. One of your old professors rates your book on Goodreads. It’s actually real. A physical thing taking up space on people’s bookshelves or weighing down their backpacks. Maybe people will read it on the Metro or a road trip. Maybe […]
Another one of my space poems was published this spring! This year has been amazing for my poems — they’re sprouting up everywhere! “Aging with the solar system” was published in Black Heart Magazine on April 17. It explores the laws of physics, time, and relativity. The age you are now on Earth is not […]
My first book of poetry, “On that one-way trip to Mars,” is being published by Bottlecap Press! The collection will be launched on May 6, but you can pre-order starting April 22. You can purchase a copy on Bottlecap’s online store. These poems travel the solar system, describe my skeletal dysplasia, what it would be like to float […]
District Lit, the literary magazine where I’m the Poetry Editor, is having a Space Issue! We’ve been impressed with some of the scientific and space-themed works we’ve gotten, so we wanted to dedicate a mini-issue to space. Send us your work that searches the stars, sends us into warp, touches strange worlds, or knows how […]
Dear Robot’s editor Kelly Jacobson asked the anthology contributors to share our inspiration for writing. She is running a blog hop from November 30-December 4, where anyone who comments on her blog post or any contributor’s blog hop posts will be entered in a drawing to win one of five copies of the anthology (please leave your email address, […]
I would go to Mars if I wasn’t too short for NASA’s height restrictions. I had two more space-themed poems published in Crab Fat today — “On that one-way trip to Mars” and “Star searcher.” I explored the upcoming possible one-way missions to Mars, and if I would go, and falling for a stargazer. You can see the other […]
I, for one, know I’m a space nerd. I admit it. I reblog photos of galaxies and Carl Sagan quotes on Tubmlr. I follow NASA, ESA and other space exploration news with earnest. I watch YouTube videos of astronaut Chris Hadfield explaining science on the ISS to kids. So I wanted to share my favorite […]
Discovery will return to Earth, be displayed in Smithsonian Marlena Chertock MARCH 7, 2011 President Barack Obama’s 2011 budget has restricted NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the moon. The 30-year NASA space shuttle program will end in 2011 and NASA funding has been re-tasked. NASA shuttle Discovery is on its last mission. Discovery is […]