NaPoWriMo Poetry Chapbook Contest Finalist To Be Published by Local Gems Press in a collection of 30 themed poems from R.J. Huneke titled American Political Asylum.

I could not be happier to have been selected a finalist in the contest, I am ecstatic to announce that my first ever book of poetry will be published by Local Gems Press.

The 2018 Local Gems Press NaPoWriMo Poetry Chapbook Contest was a challenge.

I had never written poetry to a theme, even one as loosely interpreted as a I created for American Political Asylum, and to then write a poem a day for thirty days straight for April’s NaPoWriMo was a daunting, refreshing, and invigorating task.

I regard poetry as the freest form of expression through writing.

Whether mimicking Shakespearian sonnets or a stream of consciousness flow a la the beats, Ginsberg and Kerouac and Dylan, or simply divulging a work equally as visual on the page as it is said verbally, like ee cummings, I find writing poems liberating.

Having written non-fiction and fiction for many publications over many years, even poetry’s sonnets have a freedom of verse, akin to song lyrics, that transcend standards of diction, grammar, and punctuation.

Much as I enjoy breaking the rules in prose, poetry is all about making your own rules.

You choose the rhythm, you write the song, and you write the letters in an order to show a smoking cigarette butt, whose poem’s title trails the top of the tendrils of smoke and ash (thank you Ed Stever for that example that will always stick with me).

You can make your own ways to express stanzas, or go to one of the oldest and most challenging (to do it right and make it impactful with bite at the ending) of poetic structures and forms in the haiku.

Yes, there are haiku in the upcoming book.

And yes, friends and family, I am again working on my Holiday Haikus for the 2018 season (late as usual haha).

But let us get back to the book, folks.

American Political Asylum will feature works reflecting my feelings of America, from the past, the present, and the future.

And in so doing this required some happy works of an American puppy named Indiana Jones, but also some grim works tackling the hostile political climate that has assaulted American society of late.

As many around the globe flee their lands and war and atrocities they seek asylum in places like the US of A.

So the ‘Asylum’ refers to that but also to the random madness seen around the world and especially here, in American, which I love and choose to live in.

For me, the asylum inches closer around us, Americans, daily.

And so, my thoughts, rants, philosophical views, my raving and morbidly dry sense of humor, and my love of the country I was born in take center stage amongst thirty very different poems.

If nothing else, I believe they are different than what many have done before and I hope they are at least half as entertaining to you as they are to me.

If so, let me know, and I will know my job, and my pen’s, was a success.

Updates on release dates and the incredible cover art will be coming to you, Eager Readers, as soon as I have them.

Happy New Year!

~RJH

New books COMING including American Political Asylum, yes it is true!

It has been far too long, my friends.

Nearly five years after my car accident, I am not yet at 100% but my creative drive has never been stronger these past years, and so many new projects and art are coming very soon.

I, R.J. Huneke, promise: winter, I mean, art is coming!

What has been extremely difficult for me mentally and spiritually has been coping with the fact that I have not been able to write and work on art every day, as I have for many years.

It is a part of my soul and every day the compulsion is so strong that it can override the need for sleep, money, and even food (which for me is saying something).

But my brain has needed to rest and recover, as well as my body.

Regardless of this, I have been hard at work on some interesting goodies, invigorating pieces for me (and hopefully for you too), some of which I will spill the beans on here and some I will wait until the time is right.

My frustration is often paralyzing because when I can write, edit, and make art it is still taking me far longer to accomplish anything than it used to . . . most of the time.

I am happy to say that there are times where the magic comes back, full force, and there is that amazing indescribable storm of swiftness as things pour from my vessel to the medium.

And I have come a long way from having to teach my eyes to see straight again and scrawl or type without inverting letters and words.

I can also stand on one leg again.

This is unrelated but gives me infinite joy as I can stretch as I used to and jump on Dragon and go mountain biking through the walls of trees, the winding needle-strewn paths, and the steep peaks and valleys of the trails.

I get many of my best ideas this way, so I guess it is a little related. 

You see I do ramble on even more than I used to (also saying something for me).

Now to the art!

As of today I have been declared a finalist in the Local Gems Press NaPoWriMo Chapbook Contest and been offered a publishing contract for my first ever book of poetry titled American Political Asylum!

I had little hope I would win the contest outright, as there are so many gifted poets in the world, and my work, in this case, was largely political in nature.

But in writing a poem for every day in the month of April 2018, I met a challenge to myself to complete a themed compilation of poems, which I had never done before.

And, what is more, the difficulties surrounding the United States of America have had me either depressed, scared shitless, or enraged (or all three at once) nearly 24/7 and writing this book was a tremendous relief to my mind, body and soul.

I hope you, Eager Readers, enjoy it.

It is not all gloom and doom, nor is it all politics.

American Political Asylum is a theme based off of the title and so anything American, anything political, and anything needing asylum fell into my hands to carve into works.

There are some hilarious pieces, as well as one about my Dalmatian puppy Indiana Jones.

What else, do you ask?

Well, Rune Works Productions Ltd. will once again have a booth at New York Comic Con!

And for it, there will be a comic book written by yours truly based in the Cyberwar world, taking place before the tale in Cyberwar.

The artwork will be like nothing out there now and dark! Elizabeth Yoo is going to blow the doors off of the house!

There are also two children’s books, a wholly new mystery suspense maybe even a touch of science fiction or fantasy (who can say at this point) novel, and of course the refined next book in the Cyberwar Series, which is currently being perused by agents before, hopefully, going to the publishing houses.

This book will make Cyberwar a prequel and be the true launch of an interesting and twisted series that delves far more in-depth into the Cyber United States and Wangluo and everywhere in between, as only Sheetrock and Xera Finn and company can live it.

I have also relaunched a site for POWkabam Comics and artists, like myself, are writing their own views on any and all things comic books there so check it out: powkabam.com.

What else?

Sorry, you will have to stay tuned to that Bat Channel.

I can promise to try and communicate with you here and on Twitter far more often than I have the past few years.

I am healthier than I can remember and loving life, so be ready because this art is going to be special, all of it.

Thanks for tuning in. I will not tune out, and I suggest you do not either.

Art is coming!

​~RJH