Deirdre Lockwood—An Introduction to Error: Poems

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

AN INTRODUCTION TO ERROR: POEMS
Deirdre Lockwood
Cornerstone Press, September 16, 2025, Paperback, $21.95
ISBN-13: 978-1968148157

Lockwood reports:

While putting together my debut poetry collection, An Introduction to Error, I realized many of my poems share an obsession with things going wrong. This includes personal and societal mistakes, misapprehensions, and accidents—as well as the scientific notion of uncertainty.

In science and life, if we’re lucky, our mistakes lead us to a deeper understanding and sometimes even transform us. Borrowing the form of a scientific manuscript and playing with the duality of empirical and more intuitive ways of knowing, my book explores settings from the laboratory to the natural world. The topics include salmon ecology and my container ship voyages as an oceanographer.

My publishing journey had its share of trial and error, too. I’d been publishing my poetry in literary journals for about 20 years when I began to shape the manuscript and submit it for publication. Most debut poetry collections are published through contests run by small publishers that cost about $25 to enter, with slim chances of success. From 2020 to 2023, I submitted the manuscript to 37 competitions and open reading periods, spending over $500 in fees. The manuscript received honorable mentions and encouraging rejections, but it was still a bridesmaid.

In the meantime, I sharpened the manuscript through feedback from trusted readers, and I wrote new poems connected to its themes. I submitted and placed many of the poems in journals. This helped build excitement for the manuscript and connected me with fellow writers. Then in 2023, I submitted it to Cornerstone Press after learning about it from a fellow poet. It’s a teaching press at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point led by Editor and Professor Ross Tangedal, and it’s run largely by undergraduates.

Cornerstone accepts fee-free submissions with a cover letter, book proposal, and manuscript. My manuscript was accepted just three weeks after submission, a welcome change from the long waits of contests. I appreciated having both support and creative control in the editorial process and cover design, which features art from printmaker Eunice Kim. Ross, his staff, and other Cornerstone authors, including some here in the Pacific Northwest, have provided invaluable support as I launch my book.

Contact Information: -

• Deirdre Lockwood: delockwood@gmail.com
  • Lockwood’s website: Deirdre Lockwood
  • Bluesky: Deirdre Lockwood
  • Instagram: @hjartagold
  • LinkedIn: Deirdre Lockwood
• Book:
  • Cornerstone: An Introduction to Error: Poems
  • Lockwood’s book webpage: An Introduction to Error: Poems

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Banner image adapted from original photo by Deirdre Lockwood.

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