Submissions by Email

Twice before I have posted a list of print journals that accept email submissions. I continue to be appreciative of journals that have made this accommodation. With the summer months upon us and perhaps with a bit more time on our hands, this seems like a good time to update the earlier list. I have several journals to add to the list. Asterisks indicate the additions. Be sure to check guidelines to make sure submissions are accepted during the summer.

Unless noted otherwise, the journal accepts simultaneous submissions.

The American Poetry Journal

**Baltimore Review

Barn Owl Review—new journal

**Barrelhouse

**Bat City Review

Bateau—new journal

Bellevue Literary Review

**Cadillac Cicatrix

** Caketrain

**Columbia

Cranky

**Crazyhorse

**Gulf Stream

Kenyon Review—no sim

**The Literary Review—closed until 9/08

**The Lumberyard

**The MacGuffin

Many Mountains Moving ($2 fee)

Meridian ($2 fee)

New Madrid

**Ninth Letter

The Normal School—new journal

Pebble Lake Review

Ploughshares

**Poetry

Rattle

Redactions

Redivider

**Slice Magazine

Third Coast Review

32 Poems—no sim—website does not yet reflect the change to submission procedure. Here is the site for the Manuscript Hub

Tiferet





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Poetry As Punishment

Frost Home Vandals Take Poetry Classes
By JOHN CURRAN, AP
Photo Gallery by Marty Lederhandler, AP
Posted: 2008-06-03 10:01:35

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (June 2) - Call it poetic justice: More than two dozen young people who broke into Robert Frost's former home for a beer party and trashed the place are being required to take classes in his poetry as part of their punishment.

Using "The Road Not Taken" and another poem as jumping-off points, Frost biographer Jay Parini hopes to show the vandals the error of their ways - and the redemptive power of poetry.

Frost, here in 1954, was born in San Francisco, but is commonly associated with New England, where his writings were frequently set. He received four Pulitzer Prizes during his lifetime. He summered at the home from 1939 to 1963, the year he died.

"I guess I was thinking that if these teens had a better understanding of who Robert Frost was and his contribution to our society, that they would be more respectful of other people's property in the future and would also learn something from the experience," said prosecutor John Quinn.

The vandalism occurred at the Homer Noble Farm in Ripton, where Frost spent more than 20 summers before his death in 1963. Now owned by Middlebury College, the unheated farmhouse on a dead-end road is used occasionally by the college and is open in the warmer months.

On Dec. 28, a 17-year-old former Middlebury College employee decided to hold a party and gave a friend $100 to buy beer. Word spread. Up to 50 people descended on the farm, the revelry turning destructive after a chair broke and someone threw it into the fireplace.

When it was over, windows, antique furniture and china had been broken, fire extinguishers discharged, and carpeting soiled with vomit and urine. Empty beer cans and drug paraphernalia were left behind. The damage was put at $10,600.

Twenty-eight people - all but two of them teenagers - were charged, mostly with trespassing.

About 25 ultimately entered pleas - or were accepted into a program that allows them to wipe their records clean - provided they underwent the Frost instruction. Some will also have to pay for some of the damage, and most were ordered to perform community service in addition to the classroom sessions. The man who bought the beer is the only one who went to jail; he got three days behind bars.

Parini, 60, a Middlebury College professor who has stayed at the house before, was eager to oblige when Quinn asked him to teach the classes. He donated his time for the two sessions.

On Wednesday, 11 turned out for the first, with Parini giving line-by-line interpretations of "The Road Not Taken" and "Out, Out-," seizing on parts with particular relevance to draw parallels to their case.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood," he thundered, reciting the opening line of the first poem, which he called symbolic of the need to make choices in life.

"This is where Frost is relevant. This is the irony of this whole thing. You come to a path in the woods where you can say, `Shall I go to this party and get drunk out of my mind?"' he said. "Everything in life is choices."

Even the setting had parallels, he said: "Believe me, if you're a teenager, you're always in the damned woods. Literally, you're in the woods - probably too much you're in the woods. And metaphorically you're in the woods, in your life. Look at you here, in court diversion! If that isn't `in the woods,' what the hell is `in the woods'? You're in the woods!"

Dressed casually, one with his skateboard propped up against his desk, the young people listened to Parini and answered questions when he pressed. Then a court official asked them to describe how their arrests and the publicity affected them.

"I was worried about my family," said one boy, whose name was withheld because the so-called diversion program in which took part is confidential. "I'll be carrying on the family name and all that. And with this kind of thing tied to me, it doesn't look very good."

Another said: "After this, I'm thinking about staying out of trouble, because this is my last chance."

"My parents' business in town was affected," said a girl.

When the session ended, the vandals were offered snacks - apple cider, muffins, sliced fruit - but none partook. They went straight for the door, several declining comment as they walked out of the building. The next session is Tuesday.

"It's a lesson learned, that's for sure," said one of them, 22-year-old Ryan Kenyon, whose grandmother worked as hairdresser in the 1960s and knew Frost. "It did bring some insight. People do many things that they don't realize the consequences of. It shined a light, at least to me."



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Speaking of Festivals

The poets for the upcoming Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival are now posted, but the schedule has not yet been set. There is also a list of accommodations and rates. Word to the wise: Book early as places go quickly, especially the ones closest to the Waterloo Village. Also, rates are good only until a certain date.

The festival will once again be held in historic Waterloo Village, now closed but open for the festival. It's an ideal location with its original buildings, pathways, and canal. Lots of open space with a real country feel.

Among the poets are many who've been part of past festivals: Lucille Clifton, Mark Doty, Coleman Barks, Edward Hirsch, Joy Harjo, Robert Haas, Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Sharon Olds. I'm looking forward to hearing poets I haven't heard before: Ted Kooser, Maxine Kumin, Evie Shockley, Patricia Smith, and Beth Ann Fennelly. Among NJ poets are Susan Jackson, BJ Ward, Joe Weil, and JC Todd.

I'll be working there throughout the festival, one of my favorite jobs.

This Friday I'll be going to County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey. The college is the site of the annual Morris County Teen Arts Festival. I've been invited to lead a critiquing workshop. I'm in the process now of commenting on the 10 packets of poems I've received. This should also be a fun day.



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After the Poetry Festival

Poetry Festival: A Celebration of New Jersey's Literary Journals (and Some Neighbors) is over for another year. It far exceeded my expectations. The date was a few weeks later than in the past and The Star-Ledger did not come through with an article for us and the pools had already opened, so I kind of thought maybe the numbers would be down. Wrong! Happily wrong. It was our biggest turnout yet. And that was great as this was our fifth anniversary so I wanted it to be special.

As soon as the doors opened, people started pouring in. The tables displaying the thirteen journals were mobbed. Many journals were sold and lots of submission guidelines and subscription forms were given out. The reading room was packed for all four reading sessions. In fact, extra chairs had to be brought out after the first session. So the 26 poets had a fantastic audience of around 80 to read for (two poems per poet) and lots of applause. Some books were sold; I always wish it were more, but the purpose of the festival is to honor the journals, so any book sales are gravy. More importantly, we had an opportunity to hear new voices and familiar ones. Names and emails were exchanged, and I'm hopeful that lots of good follow-up connections were made.

Here are some photos to give you a sense of the day.

Crowd browsing the journal tables

Jill Hoffman, editor of Mudfish*

Louis Crew reading for Exit 13*

Marion Wrenn, editor of Painted Bride Quarterly*

Teresa Leo reading for Painted Bride Quarterly*

More browsing

Bill Wunder reading for Schuykyll Valley Journal*

Hal Sirowitz reading for Tiferet*

Andrea Lockett reading for New York Quarterly*

Sandy Zulauf, editor of Journal of New Jersey Poets*

Cat Doty and me

More browsing

Photos with an asterisk were taken by Anthony Buccino. More available here.


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Poetry Festival: A Celebration of NJ's Literary Journals (and Some Neighbors)

You're invited!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Poetry Festival:
A Celebration of New Jersey's Literary Journals
(and some neighbors)

A showcase event
featuring 13 Journals and Editors:
Edison Literary Review, Exit 13,
Journal of New Jersey Poets, Lips,
The Literary Review,
Mudfish, New York Quarterly,
Painted Bride Quarterly,
Paterson Literary Review, Philadelphia Poets,
Schuykyll Valley Journal,
Tarpaulin Sky, and Tiferet.

Journals available along with subscription
and submission information

26 poets reading throughout the afternoon

Books available for sale and signing

West Caldwell Public Library
30 Clinton Rd.
West Caldwell, NJ
1:00-5:00 PM Free

Contact library: 973-226-5441

For full schedule and directions:
http://www.dianelockward.com/fest8.html

Ira Joe Fisher reading at the 2007 festival

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Poemeleon's New Issue

Good news: The latest issue of Poemeleon is now online and it's a beauty. Meticulously edited by Cati Porter, this journal has quickly become a force to be reckoned with. If you haven't yet checked it out, do not delay doing so. Devoted to the persona poem, this issue is filled with voices and surprising revelations.

Diana Adams offers two stunning poems in the voice of Frankenstein—"Frank, The Error of Days" and "Frankenstein's Ice Mirror." The second poem begins with these snazzy lines:

The left orb protrudes
but the right's a diamond,
it captures riverwords,
dwells on velvet faces
on turned earth and chittering trees.

Deborah Bogen is a poet whose work I've read in a number of journals and am always happy to meet again. Who could resist this title: "Pastor Jackson Attends the Grateful Dead Concert"? Her two persona poems prompted me to jot down the title of her book, Landscape with Silos, on my To Order Soon list.

Pat Fargnoli, Poet Laureate of New Hampshire, has three poems in this issue. One, "The Questions of Bluebeard's Wife," is particularly interesting as it consists of a series of questions. "Undertaker’s Wife" left me breathless as the speaker talks about being touched at night by the hands that all day have touched the bodies of the dead.

Be sure to read David Graham's multi-part poem, "I Call to Remembrance My Song in the Night," a poem written in the voice of his late father-in-law. The poet performs the difficult job of imagining and expressing someone else's struggle with Alzheimer's.

So far, I'm not quite halfway through the issue, thus the absence from my list of people with names later in the alphabet. But this should give you powerful motivation to take a trip on over to Poemeleon. Also, the introductory comments by each poet about the experience of writing persona poems are fascinating and instructive.

Of course, I'm also excited about this issue because there's a lovely review by Ingrid Wendt of my book, What Feeds Us.

Now I'm on the look-out for appropriate subjects for a persona poem or two of my own.



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Letters to the World: Panel, Party, Readings

Letters to the World was unveiled at this year's AWP in New York. The book was proudly displayed at the Red Hen booth where each Wompo listserv member was able to pick up her contributor's copy. Because of the uniqueness of the publication project, list member Ann Hostetler had proposed a panel presentation. This was held on Friday morning and was a huge success. Wompos who had known each other only online were able to meet face to face. Each panelist told about her role in the anthology's creation and then read one poem from the book. Thus we heard voices from around the world.

The panelists getting ready to present, left to right: Annie Finch, Lesley Wheeler, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Ann Hostetler, D'Arcy Randall, and there but outside the frame, Kate Gale and Rosemary Starace

Saturday night Red Hen held a book launch party at The Bowery Poetry Club. The women poets again gathered, this time to sign each other's books and to socialize.

Kate Gale proudly holding Letters to the World

Wompos Diane Kendig, Julie Enszer, Julia Lisella's sister, and Pat Valdata

Though the party ended that night, members of the Wompo listserv have been organizing readings across the country. An online registry was started months ago. Members who live somewhat close together have met for these readings. Here are some photos from four readings.

April 13, 2008
Avol's Bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin
Karla Huston, Shoshauna Shy, David Graham (we have a few man-pos),
Marilyn Taylor, organizer Susan Elbe, and Wendy Vardaman

April 17, 2008
University of Washington's Women's Center. Seattle, Washington
Susan Rich, Julene Weaver, Martha Silano, Kelli Russell Agodon, Carol Levin,
Shin Yu Pai, and Lana Hechtman Ayers

Shin Yu Pai reads from the anthology

Susan Rich reading, Carol Levin seated

Sunday, May 4, 2008
Barrington, Rhode Island
Ruth Foley, Diane Kendig, Elaine Brown, Joyce Heon, Joanie DiMartino,
Audrey Friedman, and Ada Jill Schneider who organized the reading

Audrey Friedman reads

Sunday, May 4, 2008
Round Top, Texas
Chris Leche, Alicia Zavala Galvan, Judy Jensen,
Wendy Taylor Carlisle, and Katherine Durham Oldmixon

Wendy Taylor Carlisle reads

Alicia Zavala Galvan and organizer Judy Jensen

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