New Issue of VPR

The Fall/Winter issue of Valparaiso Poetry Review was recently posted. VPR was one of the early online literary journals and showed that an online journal could publish strong work and make a real contribution to poetry. Editor Ed Byrne has done much to make VPR a highly respected online journal and one that has served as a model for others that have followed.

This issue contains poems by 35 poets:

Claire Bateman, Shari Wagner, Michael Dobberstein, Elise Hempel, 

Philip Dacey, Susan Cohen, George David Clark, Kim Bridgford, 

Greg McBride, Gary Fincke, Judy Kronenfeld, Joanne Lowery, 

John A. Nieves, Mercedes Lawry, Laura Davies Foley, Scott Brennan, 

John Ronan, Joannie Stangeland, Darlene Pagan, Mark Thalman, 

Marilyn McCabe, Kate Fox, Doug Ramspeck, Amy Eisner, 

Patricia Caspers, Rose Postma, Athena Kildegaard, Thomas Alan Holmes, 

Elizabeth Harlan-Ferlo, Austin MacRae, Judith Harris, 

                                                           Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, John McDermott

The featured poet in this issue is Thomas Reiter. Although I've never met him, he's a fellow New Jersey poet.

This issue also includes five book reviews.

And my poem, "How Heavy the Snow." It's in good company.

Summertime and the Reading is Wonderful at Ithaca Lit

I had the pleasure of being the Guest Editor for the Summer 2012 issue of Ithaca Lit, a very nice online journal founded by Editor Michele Lesko and co-edited by Sherry O'Keefe. This issue marks the end of the journal's first year, so a big round of applause! I had poems in the first issue, Autumn 2011, and the guest editorship came about as a result of that. The journal comes out four times a year, each scheduled to occur on the solstice.

One of my jobs was to suggest a poet to be the issue's Featured Poet. I suggested Bruce Guernsey and Michele agreed that he'd be perfect for the spot, especially since his new book, From Rain: Poems 1970-2010, had just come out. Bruce is the former editor of The Spoon River Poetry Review as well as an accomplished poet with five full-length collections and seven chapbooks. He's also been featured four times on Ted Kooser's "American Life in Poetry" and has a fifth feature coming up. After reading his new collection, I sent him the interview questions which he then responded to. His responses are wonderful. Be sure to read this Interview. I had a hard time but a good time selecting just five of Bruce's poems to feature. I think you'll enjoy the range, craft, and variety of these Poems. (You can purchase From Rain at Amazon.)

My other role was to invite a handful of poets to submit work to the journal. Hard to narrow down to just a handful, but I'm happy to say that work was accepted by all seven of the poets I invited. In addition, there is work by five other poets. One aspect of this journal that I like is that each issue is limited to a dozen poets, making the journal one you can get through in one sitting but also one you'll want to return to. You'll remember these Poems.

Yet another admirable feature of the journal is its attention to art. Every single page has a piece of art as its header. As you can see from the two images I've included here, the theme for this issue is Chairs. How appropriate for summer! But there's more. There's a featured artist, Michel Delgado. You'll find an Interview with Michel conducted by the editor and, best of all, a Gallery of his work.

There's also an interview with Seamus Heaney, a music feature, and several prose pieces. Please visit Ithaca Lit and be sure to bookmark it. You'll want to go back.

Anyone Need a Snarky Rejection?

Yet another online journal is about to enter the scene. The editor apparently recognizes that there's a lot of competition for our attention, so she's attempting to carve out a niche for her journal. Rude rejections. Great. That's just what poets need.

Here's the relevant excerpt from the call for submissions:

[nameless journal] aims to shake up the literary magazine submissions process by promising honest and at times belligerent responses to poetry submissions. Poetry acceptances need more flattery and rejections need more snark. Expect responses ranging from "This poem is so beautiful it makes me weep" to"Meh" to "Reading this poem makes me want a cartoon anvil to pulverize my skull." 

Why would an editor want to respond with belligerence and snark? For the sake of a cheap laugh at someone else's expense? Sounds like this new editor is in the business of hurting people for the sake of being original. That's not what editors do. Editors are in the business of promoting poetry and poets.

When I checked the masthead, I was not surprised to discover that this editor is a student still in an MFA program. Let's hope she grows up before she does much damage. Such a bizarre intention regarding notifications suggests that this editor is not ready to be an editor. 

She also says that "Publication will be highly selective." That's if she gets any submissions.

To add to the entertainment value of her rejections, the editor will keep a page called "The Wall of Shame." Here she will post angry responses to her snarky rejections—"Passive agressive, nasty, and/or bizarre responses to poetry rejections will be posted here (sans personal identifiers)." How delightful.

For you sissy poets, the editor allows the option of stating in your cover letter that you want to receive a form rejection. 

I say don't bother. Just go somewhere else.