Print Journals That Accept Online Submissions

Cream City Review, FIELD, CutBank

Time to once again update the list of print journals that accept online submissions. The list has grown this time by nine journals. Clearly, more and more print journals are moving to online submission managers. I suspect that means more submissions received, which might be good or bad. And I'm sure it means a lot less paper in the office and fewer paper cuts. It certainly is a boon to poets. Far less paper used up, no mailing envelope or SASE, and what a savings in stamps! Thank you, Journals!

Journals new to the list (not necessarily new journals) are indicated with a double asterisk.

The number of issues per year appears after the journal's name.

The reading period for each journal appears at the end of each entry.

Unless noted otherwise, the journal accepts simultaneous submissions.

As always, please let me know if you find any errors here. And good luck.

Agni—2x
Sept 1 - May 31

The American Poetry Journal—2x
September 1 - April 30

Baltimore Review —2x
all year

Barn Owl Review—1x
June 1 - November 1

Barrelhouse—2x
at this time closed for submissions--check before submitting
all year

Bat City Review—1x
June 1 - November 15

Bateau—2x
all year

Bellevue Literary Review—2x
all year

Boston Review—6x
Sept 15 - May 15

Caesura—2x
August 5 - Oct. 5

Caketrain—1x
all year

Cider Press Review—1x
April 1 - Aug. 31

Columbia—2x
September 1 - May 1

Copper Nickel–2x
all year

Crazyhorse—2x
all year

**Cream City Review–2x
August 1 to 1 November
December 1 to April 1

**CutBank—1-2x
October 1 thru February 15

Feast—4x
print and online journal
all year

**FIELD—2x
all year
no sim

Fifth Wednesday—2x
no Jan, Feb, June, or July

Gargoyle—1x
next reading period will begin June 1, 2011

Greatcoat—1 or 2x
all year

**Grist—1x
August 15-April 15

Harvard Review—2x
Sept 1 - May 31

Hawk and Handsaw—2x
Aug 1-Oct 1

Hayden's Ferry—2x
All year
pays

The Hollins Critic—5x
Sept 1 - Dec. 15

Hunger Mountain—1x
all year

**Iron Horse Literary Review—6x
all year

Jubilat—2x
September 1 - May 1

Kenyon Review—4x
September 15 - January 15
no sim

The Literary Review—4x
Reading period begins September 15

The Los Angeles Review—1x
Submit to Poetry Editor: lareview.poetry@gmail.com
Sept 1 - Dec 1

The Lumberyard—2x
all year
open submissions begin August 2010

Lumina—1x
Sept 1 - Nov 15

The MacGuffin—3x
all year

The Massachusetts Review—4x
October 1 - May 1

Meridian—2x ($2 fee)
all year

Mid-American Review—2x
all year

The Minnesota Review—2x
all year

The Missouri Review–4x
all year

Naugatuck River Review—2x
for the Summer issue January 1 through March 1
for the Winter issue July 1 through September 1 (contest only)

New England Review—4x
no sim
Sept 1-May 31

New Madrid—2x
August 15 - November 1

New Ohio Review—2x
Sept-May (summer okay for subscribers)

New Orleans Review—2x
Aug 15 - May 1

The New Yorker
weekly magazine
all year

New York Quarterly—3x
All year

Ninth Letter—2x
September 1 - April 30

Parthenon West Review—1x
Jan 1- May 1

Ploughshares—3x
June 1 - Jan. 15

Poetry—11x
year round
no sim

**Poetry Northwest—2x
September 15 - April 15

Post Road Magazine—2x
check website for submission dates

Potomac Review—2x
Sept 1-May 1

Puerto del Sol—2x
September 15-March 31

The Raintown Review—2x
all year
considers previously published

The Raleigh Review—1x
All year

Rattle—2x
year round

Redactions—1x
year round

Redivider—2x
all year

Red Rock Review—2x
No June, July, August, or December
no sim

Rhino—1x
April 1-Oct 1

roger—1x
Aug 1-Jan 1

Rosebud—3x
All year

Sakura Review—2x
Check submission periods

**Salt Hill—2x
August 1-April 1

San Pedro River Review—2x
Jan 1 - Feb 1 / July 1-Aug 1

Slab—4x
currently open for submissions

Slice Magazine—2x
Feb. 1 - April 1

Smartish Pace—2x
All year

Sonora Review—2x
All year

The Southeast Review—2x
All year

Southwest Review—4x
No June, July, August
$2 fee

Sou’wester—2x
August 15 - May 15

Spinning Jenny—1x
Sept 15 - May 15
No Sim

Sugar House Review—2x
All year

Tampa Review—2x
Sept 1 - Dec. 31
no sim

Tar River Poetry—2x
via email
Sept 15 - Nov. 1
no sim

Third Coast Review—2x
Sept 15 - April 30

Tiferet—2x
Sept 1 - June 30

Tinhouse Magazine—2x
September 1 - May 31

**Tygerburning Literary Journal—1 x
October 15-December 15

Upstreet—1x
Sept 1 - March 1

Versal—1x
Sept 15 - Jan 15

Verse Wisconsin—4x
All year

**Washington Square Review—2x
August 1 - Oct 15
Dec 15 – Feb 1

Weave Magazine—2x
April 15 — July 31

West Branch—2x
Aug 15 - April 15

Willow Springs—2x
all year

Poetry from Paradise Valley

Click HERE to Order

 I love poetry anthologies. As a reader of an anthology, I enjoy the variety of voices and styles. As a contributor to an anthology, I appreciate the opportunity to have a previously published poem reach a wider audience. As both a reader and a poet, I am happy to recommend to you a new anthology, Poetry from Paradise Valley, edited by Edward Byrne, the editor of Valparaiso Poetry Review, one of the first online journals I ever submitted to and still one of my favorites. Once the journal reached its tenth year, Ed decided to celebrate this milepost with an anniversary anthology of poems he's published in the journal. Rather than stuff the collection, Ed limited it to 50 poems.

Here's how Ed describes the collection:

Poetry from Paradise Valley includes a stellar roster of 50 poets. Among the contributors are a former Poet Laureate of the United States, a winner of the Griffin International Prize, two Pulitzer Prize winners, two National Book Award winners, two National Book Critics Circle winners, six finalists for the National Book Award, four finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award, two finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, and a few dozen recipients of other honors, such as fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts. . .

Not bad! Needless to say, I am delighted to have my poem, April at the Arboretum, included among the poems of such a "stellar" group of poets.

You can purchase the book at the Pecan Grove website. There you will find an order form or you can use the convenience of PayPal. The book is also available at Amazon, but the publisher's site is the better deal.

Here's the list of poets included in the anthology:

DAVID BAKER * JOHN BALABAN * CLAIRE BATEMAN * J.P. DANCING BEAR * MICHELLE BITTING * JARED CARTER * KATHARINE COLES * BILLY COLLINS * MARK CONWAY * ALFRED CORN * BARBARA CROOKER * KWAME DAWES * CORNELIUS EADY * LYNNELL EDWARDS * W.D. EHRHART * CLAUDIA EMERSON * BERNARDINE EVARISTO * PATRICIA FARGNOLI * ANNIE FINCH * DAISY FRIED * BRENDAN GALVIN * PAMELA GEMIN * REGINALD GIBBONS * DAVID GRAHAM * H. PALMER HALL * JONATHAN HOLDEN * T.R. HUMMER * GRAY JACOBIK * ALLISON JOSEPH * DAVID KIRBY * DORIANNE LAUX * LAURENCE LIEBERMAN * FRANNIE LINDSAY * DIANE LOCKWARD * SEBASTIAN MATTHEWS * WILLIAM MATTHEWS * WALT McDONALD * ELISE PASCHEN * KEVIN PILKINGTON * STANLEY PLUMLY * SHEROD SANTOS * MARGOT SCHILPP * FLOYD SKLOOT * DAVE SMITH * VIRGIL SUAREZ * DANIEL TOBIN * CATHERINE TUFARIELLO * 
BRIAN TURNER * INGRID WENDT * CHARLES WRIGHT 


Eve's Confession: The Movie

Many months ago I was contacted by a composer named Paul Carey. He had come across my poem, "Eve's Confession," from my first book, Eve's Red Dress, and wanted to set the poem to music. He offered to pay me! How cool was that! We quickly arrived at an agreement, a contract was sent and signed, and Mr. Carey got to work. Weeks later he sent me an mp4 of the result—my poem set to music and sung by the Women's Choir of the University of Illinois. I love the operatic style and the grand drama of the entire production.

Here's Paul's description from his website:
The text for this piece is from Diane Lockward's collection of poems called Eve's Red Dress, a quirkily brilliant deconstruction of the Eve story. This poem really pokes a lot of good-natured fun at Eve—she just can't resist the modern-day apple fritters (and who can blame her—I mean really, WHO can!).

The musical setting is all hustle and bustle as Eve goes shopping for the fritters and then in an endorphin-fueled frenzy just has to gobble them all up. I also added in some faux medieval organum for fun toward the end—after all, why not reference the church when the word "guilt" shows up in the poem? But right after, Eve gobbles up the last fritter anyway and the piece ends uptempo and loud.

After receiving the mp3, I thought it might be fun to take it one step further and make a video of the poem with Paul's music as the sound track. I set about finding appropriate images, fiddled for hours with the timing of each clip, and ended with the movie you find now displayed here. Before watching the video, it's probably a good idea to first read the poem. I think it will enhance your appreciation of the music.

Eve's Confession

Sunday morning I slipped
out of bed, ran to the bakery,
and bought two apple
fritters, bulging
with fruit and slathered
with sweet white frosting—
breakfast in bed for me
and my husband.
     While he slept on
in innocence, ribcage
peacefully rising
and falling, the kitchen
filled with essence
of apple. And oh!
those fritters looked
divine. I broke
off a sample—wickedly
good—then another
and another.
     Of course, it was
my husband's fritter
I sampled. I stuffed
my mouth. Globs
of tart gooey apples slid
down my throat, apple
after apple, and chunks
of dough, crusty
from the fryer.
     I could feel
my cholesterol rising,
arteries hardening, and I
didn't care. That fritter
was delicious.
     As the calories
mounted, guilt entered
the kitchen. And still,
that pastry beguiled me.
"Eat of this fritter," it called.
"Okay," I said, "one last bite,"
but I knew I was going to fall
and fall, knew in my evil
heart I was going
to eat it all.

The Twenty-Sixth Poem

Man reading poetry while waiting for his wife to get ready for a night out

Novelist Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) has an excellent article in the January issue of Poetry. Entitled Happy, Snappy, Sappy, the article details Handler's poetry-reading practices. Like many of us, Handler values poetry because it can be tucked into odd moments. He reads poetry while sitting in a large, comfortable chair in his living room as he waits for his slower-dressing wife to get ready for their evening out. Excellent.

A long-time lover of poetry, Handler likes his poets and poems in small doses. He says, "But even with a standard volume—you know, about eight years of work for some poets, or a week and a half for Charles Simic—there are only so many poems by a single poet one can read in a sitting. I read two or three poems by Campbell McGrath in a row, and I’m infused with joy at the enthusiasm of his breadth. I read seven or eight, and it is truly admirable that he can maintain a consistency of tone and yet always be surprising. Ten or twelve and that just might be enough Campbell McGrath for a little bit, no offense. Eighteen poems without a break and, seriously, Campbell, shut the fuck up."

Oh dear.

It seems, then, that Handler prefers to dip in and out of a single collection rather than take it in all at once. I think that's too bad. I think he's missing something.

While he appreciates the number of years it takes to accumulate enough poems for a book, Handler seemingly fails to appreciate the intensive labor that goes into assembling those 40-50 poems into a coherent, aesthetically-pleasing whole. He should know that the artistic arrangement of those poems takes many hours, many attempts, and lots of brain and heart work before getting it just right.

Most of the poets I know find this one of the most difficult aspects of their work as poets. Most of them ask at least one other poet pal to read the manuscript in progress and see if it coheres. Workshops are offered on this part of book development. Some poets with editorial expertise have made a cottage industry out of manuscript assembly and critiques. But why should we bother if readers are reading just for individual poems?

Because they should not be reading just for individual poems. The book is not a bunch of poems; it is a collection of poems. That distinction is often the very one that gets a manuscript accepted or rejected by a knowledgeable publisher.

I doubt that Mr. Handler would think it was okay if readers of his novels chose only to read a few chapters and then called it quits. Enough already, Daniel! But he might rightfully argue that a novel has plot and character development. Most poetry collections do not. Nevertheless, I want to argue that something is missed by the reader who reads only for the poems. And I want to suggest how a collection might more profitably be read.

First, I want Mr. Handler to read an entire collection, whatever book he now has at hand. He should read as he usually does, concentrating on the individual poems, but he should read them all in the order in which they appear in the book. Then the next day or next week he should move onto a more careful reading and consider the following:

The overall organizational plan of the collection

Does the book's title give a hint as to the overriding plan or theme? Why might the poet have chosen not to use sections? Is there some kind of parade going on, some movement or progression? If there are sections, why 3 instead of 4? What seems to be the mission of each section? Are there section titles, and if so, do those give some clue as to what's in each section? How are the sections related to each other? Is there any connecting link between the first poem and the last poem in each section? Between the first poem and the last poem in the book?

There must be some reason why the poet ordered the poems as he did. Is there chronology or shifting time? Alphabetical order? Seasonal arrangement? Is geography in any way involved? A pattern of images? Maybe from darkness into light or back and forth? What's going on with mood or tone? Is there a shift from despair into hope? Is there a foolish inconsistency or a sensible one?

The careful reader will find some continuity, some pattern at work. Yet the pattern must be subtle or it becomes predictable. Too much sameness and the reader becomes bored.

The connections from one poem to the next

Does the end of one poem somehow lead into the beginning of the next? Is there continuity of tone or perhaps some intriguing shift? Is there a repeating image or perhaps a contrasting one? Remember that cardinal from the first poem—does he resurface ten poems later? Then maybe again and again? Is his female partner introduced? Or perhaps some new kind of bird? Do images recur? Is there a constellation of related images?

These connections should ideally be subtle. That's why some readers miss them. That's one reason why a poetry book invites us back for multiple readings. Yet these connections, even if missed, if we read the collection as a whole book, work some kind of magic upon us. A later repeated reading, done more carefully, will very likely reveal some of these connections. When that happens, there is a frisson of pleasure. An oh yes kind of moment. When made throughout the collection, these discoveries are as delightful as when they are made within a single poem.

So I'd like to suggest that Mr. Handler continue to read poetry books for the poems and continue to be part of the audience for poetry. Blessings on his good head. But I'd also like to suggest that he consider each poem as part of the whole. That he move beyond a bunch of poems and discover the collection. That he tell his wife to take her time getting dressed.

Robert Frost said something to the effect that if a book has twenty-five poems in it, the collection itself must be the twenty-sixth. Please, Mr. Handler, find the twenty-sixth poem. You'll be glad you did. So will Campbell McGrath.

Courting Creativity

I read Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit with a red pen in hand as it became evident just a few pages in that I'd be making lots of margin notes. I want to share a baker's dozen of Tharp's ideas and words with you.

1. "Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits."

That seems like a contradiction, but it makes perfect sense. It also discredits the idea that inspiration strikes us unexpectedly and out of nowhere.

2. "The irony of multitasking is that it's exhausting. . . you're not doing anything excellently. You're compromising your virtuosity."

Multitasking keeps you from doing anything excellently. I love this thought! We are often so proud of ourselves for juggling many tasks simultaneously. Better, Tharp suggests, to concentrate on one thing at a time.

3. "Metaphor is the lifeblood of all art."

I've had a long-time affair with metaphors. I love them. It's what attracted me to the Renaissance and John Donne.

4. ". . . the real secret of creativity is to go back and remember."

I'm still mulling this one over. Seemingly a contradiction, but surely not as memory seems to incite invention.

5. "Before you can think out of the box, you have to start with a box."

Exceptionally cool thought. See picture above.

6. ". . . you don't have a really good idea until you combine two little ideas."

Perfect. Court the clash. The collision of opposites. Find a connection between seemingly unrelated ideas.

7. "Your creative endeavors can never be thoroughly mapped out ahead of time. You have to allow for the suddenly altered landscape, the change in plan, the accidental spark—and you have to see it as a stroke of luck rather than a disturbance of your perfect scheme."

I want that altered landscape. Take me off the mapped-out route.

8. "In creative endeavors luck is a skill."

We can make luck happen!

9. "Creativity is an act of defiance."

Again, the idea of collision. Look for trouble. Welcome it when it comes. At least when writing.

10.  ". . . a generous spirit contributes to good luck."

Yes and yes again.

11. "You're only kidding yourself if you put creativity before craft. Craft is where our best efforts begin."

Students, are you paying attention?

12. "Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering. Combining the two is the essence of the creative life."

What could I add to this? Nothing.

13. "Failing, and learning from it, is necessary. Until you've done it, you're missing an important piece of your creative essence."

Suffer the pain; then cherish the failures. 

My Writing Resolutions

This year instead of creating a list of new resolutions for 2011, I've decided to revisit last year's list and see how I've done. What kind of progress have I made? Or failed to make? So here's last year's list with new thoughts added in italics.

1. Write on a more regular basis. Aim for three morning sessions per week. Show up at the kitchen table. Do chores later. Or not at all.

I've done very well in regards to ignoring chores. Not so hot on the regular writing. Definitely have fallen far short of the three mornings per week. I think I'll aim for a more realistic two sessions per week in 2011.

2. Remember that bad writing is better than no writing. It doesn’t all have to be your best work. It can’t be.

I've done both bad writing and no writing. I've got some new poems that I like, but am not satisfied with my productivity. Must do better in 2011.

3. Remember that the bad writing is clearing a space for the good writing that will soon follow. Believe that.

Oh, I do remember and I do believe. I really do. I have cleared a space. Must fill it.

4. Try more forms. Maybe a rondeau.

I've written one new sestina and one sonnenizio. No rondeau. Someone has challenged me to do a canzone. I will take up that challenge! Someone else has challenged me to do a double canzone. I think she's pushing things.

5. Buy as many collections by other poets as you can afford. Simply congratulating someone on his or her new book is not enough. Spread the word.

I pat myself on the back for outstanding achievement of #5. I have bought a boatload of poetry books—as you would know if you could see my kitchen table. I use my blog and my newsletter to spread the word. I am good.

6. Write at least two reviews this year. Minimum.

Done it! Yay for #6! And me!

7. Send out queries to community colleges requesting a reading and / or workshop.

Back to reality here. I tried a bunch. Most didn't even respond. I became discouraged and abandoned the effort. But if you'd like to have me at your school, just give a shout. Still happy to go. Have poems; will travel.

8. Be bolder about asking for an honorarium. What you do is worth something. If the answer is No, go anyhow as long as it doesn’t kill your budget.

Does this count: I gave up a booking when the host lost his funding (due to some violation of rules on his part) and then withdrew the agreed-upon honorarium. A two-hour drive each way. So I said sorry, no can do. I've still done a number of freebies.

9. Remember that reading for free is better than not reading at all. Hope to gain new readers at the non-paying venues. Hope to have a good time. Support series that are just getting off the ground.

I remember. I sure do. Most of the readings have been fun. When they go well, I love doing them.

10. Be on the lookout for new subject matter.

I am good for #10. Ears always perked up, eyes open.

11. If you get a good line or phrase while watching TV or nodding off in your chair, write it down. Don’t count on your memory. That good idea will be gone by morning.

I now keep a little notebook on the shelf next to my comfortable chair. I've added a bunch of ideas to it as well as to my kitchen table little notebook. Now must use them in regards to #1 above.

12. If your husband keeps interrupting while you are revising, politely ask him to stop.

Should I just give up on this one? He continues to interrupt. I ask him politely (usually) to stop. He stops. Then a few weeks later, he starts all over again. Bummer. 90% of these interruptions are to read me something from the newspaper. Each interruption is preceded by a little Hm noise of astonishment which thus constitutes a double interruption.

13. Work hard for your new book. But put the emphasis on fun. Enjoy it.

I give myself an A here. I have worked hard for the new book and have definitely enjoyed it so far. I am immensely grateful for all the support and interest, a good deal of it from friends I've acquired through this blog. Thank you! And Happy New Year and much writing success to all.