Posted Oct 27, 2003
The
National Poetry Review
Issue Number 1
Fall/Winter 2003
The debut issue of this attractive, glossy saddle-stitched review features
poems by the likes of A.E. Stallings, Molly Peacock and Annie Finch. The
National Poetry Review “favors formal verse” as demonstrated in these lyric
lines by Ellen Kirvin Dudis from her poem “Betta Splendens”: “Love never offers.
I see another, / not the other. Nights, I rise for air / -O lost lagoon, O submerged
fire- / and on three inches of water / float these kisses. Your heart’s no larger
than the jar.” And these lines in unrhymed iambic pentameter from Rachel Losh’s
“For Our of Man this One was Taken”: “O Eve, O darting proton, fitful eyes /
as green as bottle glass – your skin’s aswirl / with rivers so swift, the fleet
sails down you first.” Themes of science and spirituality run through this issue,
which consists solely of poetry - no reviews, fiction, or essays. The art on
the cover, a print of a painting by Bruce Brezel entitled “Fall Poplars-Provence,”
is as lovely as the poetry contained within the journal. I hope the issues that
follow are as ambitious and self-contained as this one. [The National Poetry
Review, PO Box 640625, San Jose, California 95164-0625. E-mail:
nationalpoetryreview@yahoo.com. Single issue: $6.00.
http://www.nationalpoetryreview.com/] - JHG
The Southern Review
Volume 39 Number 3
Summer 2003
The august tradition of Southern writing that is The Southern Review
comes by its reputation honestly. The author list is always speckled with literary
stars, mostly with similarly august traditions, like Louis Simpson and Richard
Tillinghast. The content is usually rewarding, and this issue is no exception.
The short fiction in here is as good as it gets; I found myself spontaneously
reading the stories to others. “The Son’s Point of View” by Brock Clarke, a
tale of family tragedy told by one character trying to see it through another’s
eyes, and “Witness Protection” by Mark Jacobs were particularly compelling.
“Witness Protection,” is a haunting story of a journalist who investigates a
mysterious homeless woman: “Inocencia disappeared again. Several years passed.
No one was willing to speculate in my presence about what was done to her. What
lay beyond dispute was the appearance on Little Twig of a women in her twenties,
disheveled and disoriented, too disturbing to be beautiful, who liked to play
checkers.” Among the poems, the light-hearted “Grammar” by Michael Chitwood
was particularly enjoyable. The reviews were intelligent and respectful. Overall,
a good read and a good way to check the pulse of contemporary southern writing.
[The Southern Review, Louisiana State University, 43 Allen Hall, Baton Rouge,
LA 70803. E-mail:
jolney@lsu.edu. Single issue $8.00.
http://appl003.lsu.edu/southernreview.nsf/index
] - JHG
The Seattle Review
Volume 25, Number 2
2003
The Seattle Review, which has been one of my favorite journals since
before I moved to Seattle, has recently become the new bastion of the Pacific
Northwest literary scene, and it certainly manifests a renewed glamour in its
latest issue. The featured retrospective of Sharon Olds by Linden Ontjes, and
essay by Olds herself, generously full of her poetry and personal photos, would,
by themselves, make this issue a must-have. But, as added incentive, the lovely
cover art from Do-Ho Suh and the gorgeous full-color cityscapes of Italy by
Marcia Woodard appeal to visual arts lovers. The poetry throughout this issue,
like the short stories, were moody but varied. I especially liked Ronald Antonio’s
poem “When I Am Who I Am,” excerpted here: “Listen / I am a yellow cockatoo
/ playing riddles in a cage / through which no one hears… I am a monsoon in
the eye of my ancestors / the heartbeats of those / who’ve walked before me
/ and planted their bones / here / in America…” I hope The Seattle Review
continues to showcase the best new and established writers of the Northwest
and beyond. (In the interests of full disclosure, I did contribute a poem to
this issue. But don’t let that sway you one way or the other.) [The Seattle
Review, Box 354330, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-4330. E-mail:
seaview@u.washington.edu. Single issue $7.00.
http://depts.washington.edu/engl/seaview1.html] - JHG
Journal of New Jersey Poets
Issue 39/40
2003
This generously-spirited review produced at the County College of Morris
in New Jersey focuses solely on New Jersey writers and artists, but contains
a surprising diversity of work. Especially whimsical and fascinating were several
black-and-white photos of poet Marianne Moore, including one of her dwarfed
by elephants in the Bronx Zoo. The poetry ranges in style and form from traditional
to experimental. Here are a few lines from Jamie McNeely’s obsessively lovely
“Your Voice”: “…Your voice, a coral-scarred cave // now above sea level, hardly
hollow: How I hear the white tides /…rushing violence down your throat.” And
here are a few lines from Lee Slonimsky’s “Beowulf(s)”: “Our favorite vignette:
/ wood lice gliding out / from a windaxed tree’s floating trunk, / miniature
Beowulfs braving black seas / beneath the glaze of forming ice…” This issue
also contained a handful of poetry book reviews. An interesting peek into the
literary talents of the Garden State. [Journal of New Jersey Poets, County College
of Morris, 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph, New Jersey, 07869-2086. Single issue
$10.00. http://www.ccm.edu/humanities/journal.htm
] - JHG
Haight Ashbury Literary Journal
Volume 22 Number 1
Summer 2003
Most of the poems in this issue of the Haight Ashbury Literary Journal,
with its cover picture of a dove with a peace sign and a giant “PEACE” announcing
its theme, have to do, surprisingly enough, with peace. Consisting mainly of
poetry written by people in the San Francisco area, this affordable, newsprint
review uses this issue to loudly sound the anti-war cry, sometimes more successfully,
sometimes less. Some poems were a bit didactic for my taste, but I know it is
difficult to write about war without devolving into rant or political plea.
I liked the poems that were a bit more oblique, such as Al Young’s “The Pianist
Prepares Her Playlist,” which had a spoken-word, musical feel to it. Here are
a few lines: “…she played juicy bebop piano, she hedged her tunes to satisfy
lovers / and defectors alike… / The consummate music-mathematician, she knew
and understood. / The answers, all multiple, stalked the cracks between the
keys…” Interspersed throughout the review were black and white illustrations,
which I also enjoyed. This is a journal that takes you to a place where the
“beat” movement lives on. [Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, 558 Joost Avenue,
San Francisco, CA 94127. E-mail:
indigo@haightashbury.zzn.com.
Single issue $2.00.] - JHG
Bathtub Gin
Issue 12
Spring/Summer 2003
Bathtub Gin is an irreverent little saddle-stitched journal that will
appeal to those who love the literary world but could care less about the more
academic aspects. This issue includes an interview with writer Mark Terrill,
along with four of his poems, a series of photographs by Caryn Thurman, a couple
of short prose pieces and an array of short poems, as well as some small illustrations
by Harland Ristau. Some of the poetry in this issue tended towards the humorous,
as was the case in Mark Terrill’s work, while other poems reached for the spiritual
and scientific truths, like John Grey’s “Elizabeth Prefers Glow-in-the-dark
Stars”: “You say real stars are just burning / gas, worse than that, they’re
burning / themselves to extinction. Glow-in- / the-dark stars refuse to take
such / a violent hand in their own demise.” This journal calls itself a “bootlegger
of ideas, untaxed and unregulated,” and that spirit can be detected throughout
this issue. [Bathtub Gin, P.O. Box 2392, Bloomington, IN 47402. E-mail:
charter@bluemarble.net. Single issue $5.00.
http://home.bluemarble.net/~charter/btgin.htm] - JHG
Posted Oct 23, 2003
Poetry
International
Issue VI
2002
Poetry International is an annual journal out of San Diego that manages to
present a collection of poetry, essays, art and reviews that feels thoroughly
edited yet diverse and exuberant. The essays are original and lively, especially
Jeredith Merrin's "And Damned If It's Not a Hart Crane-Azure Sky!--Some Notes
on American Modernism and Influence," a discussion of how Modernist writers
have influenced her writing, and Mark Weiss' essay, "The Worlds of Cuban Poetry."
Mark Weiss is also the translator of the featured Cuban poems, including my
favorites, "The Girl in the Forest" and "Mother Goose," two surreal but intimate
takes on popular children's stories, by Eliseo Diego. A few lines from “Mother
Goose”: “…Then / amid the golden flames / that cavernous mouth. / A hurricane
whispers: / ‘Once upon a time…’ / And everything begins.”
This issue lives up to the international part of its title, with poets from
Chile, Germany, Russia, Mexico, China, as well as America and a special focus
on Cuba, including literary luminaries like Octavio Paz and translator-poets
Tess Gallagher and Marilyn Hacker. I particularly enjoyed the poem "It sometimes
happens that the forest disperses itself..." by Vénus Khoury-Ghata, a Lebanese
poet who writes in primarily in French. (Here beautifully translated by Marilyn
Hacker.) The artwork throughout was is fascinating as the writing, many of the
pieces surreal and metaphorical. A very interesting journal, especially for
those who want to keep a finger on the pulse of poetry worldwide. [Poetry International,
Department of English & Comparative Literature, San Diego State University,
5500 Campanile, San Diego, CA 92182-8140. E-mail: fmoramar@mail.sdsu.edu. Single
issue $12.00.
http://www.rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/press/poetry.html] - JHG
eye-rhyme: The Infidel
Number 5
2003
A little journal. Sometimes when we say "little" we mean inconsequential,
insubstantial, or sometimes we may mean unnoticed or even unpretentious. But
when it comes to eye-rhyme, I mean, literally, little. This diminutive
volume measures about 4 ˝ x 4 ˝, which gives it an "experimental" aspect from
the get go. I appreciate the opportunity to think about the meaning of "experimental
literature," which in the case of eye-rhyme includes: unusual, original,
and/or hybrid forms, language that deliberately strives to break the conventions
of normative logic, attention to non "mainstream" or "commercial" literary endeavors,
a preponderance of images and language from "popular culture,” an eroticism
that borders on the pornographic, and a tone, in much of the poetry, as well
as the prose, that defies definition, but that somehow manages to be both bold
and casual.
In their opening note, titled "Attention Reader!" the editors tell us, "We
are fierce and handsome, soft and lovely," and it's true; there is fierceness
and loveliness here. Fierce: "…I've met John / the Baptist and would have liked
/ to deliver his head / on a platter / to my drunk friends" ("City Bus Ride
in April," by S. Asher Sund). Lovely: "This morning I bathed / my eyes with
the tiny / star shaped blossoms / of the Jade plant / in this cold sunlight"
("My Landscape" by Yumiko Tsumura). [eye-rhyme, Pinball Publishing, 2621 SE
Clinton, Portland, OR 97202. E-mail: info@pinballpublishing.com. Single issue
$9.00. www.pinballpublishing.com]
- SR
Euphony
Volume 3 Issue 2
Summer 2003
There is something delightful about opening a literary journal, especially
one with this title, to find the score for a string quartet. Beautifully printed,
lovely to look at, it is possible to appreciate the "Quartet For Strings #1"
by Nicholas Morrison whether one reads music or not. The music is followed by
a dozen or so poems, photographs, including stunning portraits by Wynne Harrison
Hutchings, fiction, and several essays in criticism, a form that is somewhere
between a journal-length review and an in-depth critical essay. Published at
the University of Chicago, much of the work here is authored by undergraduate
and graduate students from around the country. Fiction writer Mathew Raymond
and the Euphony editors get my vote for publishing the best bio of the
year: "a drop-out from Columbia University's MFA program."
For the most part, the poems and stories in Euphony are, quite pleasingly
unpredictable. By this I mean they have the capacity to surprise, to move in
unexpected ways or to reach unanticipated conclusions. Mathew Raymond's "Essaouria
Quartet" (a short story, not another music score) presents four versions or
perspectives of the same scene. Jenny Grassl's poem, "Falling Rocks," falls
on the page in an unusual layout, a form that seems, appropriately, to work
for and against the poem's language. A review by Liam Jackson of a new biography
of Byron begins, exuberantly, "How long ago it was that Byron died!" That explanation
point is all the motivation I needed to read further. [Euphony, 5706 S. University
Avenue, Room 001, Chicago, IL 60637. E-mail: euphony@uchicago.edu.
http://euphony.uchicago.edu/ ] -
SR
Tessera
Volumes 33-34
Winter 2003
The blood red cover announces this volume's theme "Blood/Le Sang," as well
as this Canadian journal's bilingual presentation. The Canadians are leaders
in feminist writing that crosses "the boundary between creative and theoretical
texts," and this issue's introductory essay by editors Martine Delvaux and Catherine
Mavrikakis is an excellent example. This exciting work links personal story
and reflection, ideas about the meaning of "blood relations" and the language
and uses of blood from writers and philosophers and religious texts, and explores
the meaning(s) of "blood" in advertising and social interactions ("Blood.
It's in you to give" – from the Blood Services of Canada). Alternating between
French and English, Delvaux and Mavrikakis’ piece sets the stage for the essays,
poems, other prose texts, and artwork that follow.
Given the consistent quality of the work in Tessera, it's difficult
to single out only a few authors or pieces for special mention. "Marrow: 1-9"
(a work that explores family violence and racism from a child’s perspective)
by Melissa Jacques is the sort of prose-poem-essay-sudden fiction hybrid that
I hope to find in journals like this one. "Blood Courses Through the Veins,"
a poem by Nancy Viva David Halifax offers a lyrical contrast to the more academic
writing, but seems entirely natural alongside it ("Thoughts course / through
these veins / one deep cut and / the earth will rise to meet her.") David Biale's
essay, "Does Blood Have Gender in Jewish Culture?" presents meticulous scholarship
and wholly readable prose. If it seems that more than 200 pages on the "blood
theme" could become difficult (family relationships, vampire literature, the
blood of violence, considerations of the body), it's true. This is often dense,
slow, intense reading, all of it worthwhile, but all together these texts can
be overwhelming. These pieces demand and deserve the most careful and discrete
kind of reading. [Tessera, Women's Press, 180 Bloor St. West, Suite 801, Toronto,
ON, Canada M5S2V6. E-mail: info@womenspress.ca. Single issue $20.00.
http://womenspress.ca/] - SR
Controlled Burn
Volume 9
Winter 2003
In his Editor’s Notes, Gerry LeFemina, who here edits his last edition of
Controlled Burn, admits his preference for poetry. That’s evident from
the journal itself, which offers solid and interesting poems along with some
decent fiction pieces. The fiction highlight for me was Dan Leone’s “Balboa
Park,” which is simple and humorous and involves an old chess player with no
legs. Good stuff. A few minor structural criticisms would include the use of
an overly fancy font, differing type sizes and a number of typos. All in all,
though, the poetry is so good and diverse that any criticism is minor. Poems
that impressed me included Robert Dunn’s “A Procession, Ghana,” and Jim Simmerman’s
more comic poems. While it’s sometimes easy to get slogged down with a journal
devoted primarily to poetry, this one is varied enough to hold the reader’s
interest throughout. [Controlled Burn, Kirtland Community College, 10775 N.
St. Helen Road, Roscommon, MI 48653. E-mail: crockerd@kirtland.edu. Single issue
$7.00.
http://www.kirtland.cc.mi.us/cburn/] - JG
96 Inc
2003/2004
The magazine 96 Inc. is better than expected. It’s a simple production
with the focus squarely where it should be—on the writing. Inside, there are
three decent realistic stories and a lot of poetry. Some of it is by young writers,
some is by established poets, and all of it is high quality. The mission of
the magazine alone makes it worthy of attention. The editorial board of 96
Inc. runs youth programs and is devoted to “the new voice.” Even though
these goals are admirable, the writing stands on its own. This is not a pity
read. Quality work includes Lyn Lifshin’s poems, and a very nice piece, “What
I Didn’t Know” by Judy Katz-Levine. “Her name was one not to be spoken,” the
poem begins, and it layers personal recollection with ambiguity. It was the
one poem in the magazine that made me write “wow” in the margins. Don’t be put
off by the simplicity of the design; this is a good journal. [96 Inc., PO Box
15559, Boston, MA 02215. E-mail: mail@96inc.com. Single issue $5.00.
www.96inc.com] - JG
Out of Line
2003
"We welcome writing that makes us feel and think deeply about serious human
concerns such as tolerance, diversity, freedom, nonviolence, multi-cultural
awareness, healthy relationships, environmental justice, globalization, personal
growth, and spirituality," say the editors of this annual publication from Ohio,
now in its fifth year. This issue features writing on peace and social justice
and includes stories, poems, and short personal essays on a wide range of themes,
among them: war, the conflict in the Middle East, anarchist organizations,
the life of the Pueblo community in the southwestern United States, racism,
the life of migrant workers in the United States, the internment of Japanese
American citizens, living with disabilities, domestic violence, and the events
and aftermath of September 11, 2001. Contrary to what one might expect, encountering
these themes together is not overwhelming. In fact, this accumulation of social
justice themes actually seems to work in their favor, creating a large and more
commanding vision.
One of the most unusual, surprising, and rewarding pieces is Ann Lewison’s
short fiction, "Rose Petals," which begins: "After the flood we built our house
of rose petals." The house is condemned, as it's a federal offense to build
a house out of rose petals. I was impressed not only by the story's success,
but also by the inclusion of the theme of coping with "natural disasters" in
the spectrum of issues related to social justice. A short poem of effective
three-line stanzas by JoAnne Growney, "Pages of Unsaid Words," is memorable,
too, mindful of the women "without wages" in a prison in Nanjing who make the
"black spring clamps" that "wait for manuscripts" in the poet's desk drawer.
Most impressive, though, are translations by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani of
the work of Japanese poet Ayukawa Nobuo, one of the founding poets of the "Wasteland"
group and a pacifist war veteran. Some of Nobuo's work is frighteningly apt
for the current moment, such as these lines from a poem titled "Solzhenitsyn":
"Because everywhere you go/you don't stop to be yourself,/you're always watched
and shadowed." [Out of Line, P.O. Box 321, Trenton, Ohio 45067. E-mail: selongmire@aol.com.
Single issue $10.00.
http://www.readoutofline.com/] - SR
The Green Hills Literary Lantern
2003
This annual journal from Truman State University tips the scales at a hefty
and generous 250 pages —18 stories, 32 poems, an essay, and 3 reviews. Don't
skip the reviews; admirably, GHLL reviews poetry and novels from lesser-known,
independent presses.
By chance or by design, many of the stories in this issue recount the experiences
or perspectives of children, adolescents, or young adults, including Mark Wisniewski's,
"Cecilia," winner of the journal's fiction contest. Wisniewski's story is a
sarcastic look at the underbelly of MFA programs for writers: "'MFA –at-NYU—that's
how she always said it, 'MFA-at-NYU," as if it were a code that meant whoever
heard it should kneel at her feet and kiss them." Another highlight is
Jennie Rathbun's "Lark Ascending," a funny and atypically upbeat story about
a marriage in trouble.
GHLL's one essay is by novelist and founding editor of Ploughshares
DeWitt Henry. "Dress Rehearsal" recounts Henry's trip to the emergency room.
Henry is told he has a muscle tear and is sent home from the hospital with pain
medication. "No sooner did we get home, however, than the phone rang and another
doctor who had just read my X-rays told me excitedly that I had pneumonia. He
had seen the small spot on my lung that the others had missed." This piece belongs
to what is becoming, in some ways, its own mini-genre: stories of misdiagnosis,
medical mistakes, and bungled care.
The poems, as a group, are more eclectic than the stories, though narrative
poetry predominates. "Poems for Buttercup" by Trish Lapidus is one of my favorites:
"Pregnant with me, my sister on her shoulder, / she stokes the wood cook stove
and pulls yesterdays // corn chowder from the icebox…//…When my father steps
in from gathering eggs, // her mind boils out her mouth." Virgil Suárez’ poem,
"The Face of Jesús in Campbell's ABC Tomato Soup," is as memorable as the title.
And I must mention Julie Lechevsky's "Suppplicant": "I would like to develop
more positive / thoughts about my lovers. / I will do this by entering into
prayer." You'll have to pick up this issue to find out what she prays for. [The
Green Hill Literary Review, P.O. Box 375, Trenton, MO 64683. E-mail: jackghll@earthlink.net.
Single issue $10.00.
http://ll.truman.edu/ghllweb] - SR
New Letters
A Magazine of Writing & Art
Volume 69 Number 4
2003
Editor Robert Stewart's interview with Renée Stout — reproductions of her
mixed media assemblages, paintings, and sculptures appear on the cover and on
sixteen pages within — is reason enough to look at this issue, but, not the
only reason. Poems by Sherman Alexie, Simon Perchik, Diana O'Hehir, short fiction
by Lance Olsen, and essays by Janet Burroway, and Jodi Varon make spending time
with the most recent New Letters especially worthwhile.
Stout approves of NL's assessment of her work as "gritty" and "edgy," though
the word "political" does manage to work its way into the conversation. Often,
it's her combination of language and visual images that makes the work gritty,
or edgy, or political. In the interview, Stout talks about her alter egos Madam
Ching and Fatima, about a job painting signs and how that influenced her work,
and about her artistic vision: "Part of me feels like my art should be about
self-examination, and then I also want to record what I'm observing outside
of myself. So there's a balance. I want to know, ‘Where do I fit in this?’"
Six strong poems by Sherman Alexie open the issue, and I am drawn to the
work "Avian Nights," with its verses like "The starlings don't understand synonyms."
Diana O'Hehir’s poems are two of the most affecting and effective imaginable.
"Without," influenced by a news photo of a woman whose hands were amputated
in a civil war begins: "Last night I dreamed my hands were back / I held something
between them." Lance Olsen's story "Sixteen Jackies," picks up where Warhol's
famous "Sixteen Jackie's" leaves off. Simon Perchik, who never disappoints,
is at his best here: "The moon behind the moon / works its tides / the way you
rotate this switch // and the wall still warm / dims…" Burroway is always edgy
and political on some level, and her essay here about "high" and "low" culture
is, as always, thoughtful and satisfying reading. Varon's essay is an outstanding
example of the way in which a writer can integrate personal or family story,
history, and social observation, in deft and agile prose. [New Letters, University
of Missouri-Kansas City, 5101 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110. E-mail:
newletters@umkc.edu. Single issue $8.00.
http://iml.umkc.edu/newletters/] - SR
Posted Oct 5, 2003
New
American Writing
Issue 21
2003
This is a journal that prides itself on taking risks and elevating the new.
In this case, one of the new things it introduces us to is the poetry of Picasso,
featured across seventeen pages, in translation, with lines like “III and in
the organ fry up the dead leaves/ II that draw blood/ III that the lake’s light
astonishes/ I and makes sing.” This issue is rich with allusion to visual arts;
the first section of the journal, Richter 858, includes responses to
painter Gerhard Richter’s work, excerpts from a multimedia anthology on the
same subject. While a fair amount of the poetry appeared barely comprehensible,
someone with an eye for talent seems to have placed the bets here. Big names
like Jorie Graham and Edward Hirsch dot the pages, and poems like Donna La Perriere’s
“Gospel” and the erudite, complex “The Beheading” about the life of Caravaggio
by Clayton Eshleman give you hope that New American poetry might be something
you actually want to read. At least the work, with its dazzling array of forms,
from densely-packed prose to different fonts clustering around the page in different
sizes as if they were afraid of each other, won’t bore you. The challenge may
just keep you engaged long enough to figure out the puzzles inside this issue.
[New American Writing, 369 Molino Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941 Single issue
$8.00.
www.newamericanwriting.com/] - JHG
Beloit Poetry Journal
Volume 54 Number 1
Fall 2003
Beloit Poetry Journal is one of the journals that poetry junkies in
the know call a must-read because of the consistent quality of the poetry they
publish, the freshness of the voices, and the terrific reviews. There can be
no “ho-hum” response to this journal. In this slim but mighty issue, not only
did I thrill to the emotional zing and wit of every single poem, I delighted
in editor Marion Stocking’s review roundup of recent books by poets on poetry.
Her pithy, intelligent descriptions helped me sort my own shopping list (check
Roethke’s On Poetry and Craft, check Kim Stafford’s The Muses Among
Us…) The melancholy themes of many of the poems here revolve around social,
political and financial injustices, like Nicole Cooley’s “Madame X—about the
connection between the famous portrait and a murdered girl X in the Bronx and
a baby X in an ICU. The language in many of these poems leans towards the lyrical,
as these lines illustrate, from Corinne Lee’s “Fulgent” about a poet who reads
futures in palms in a concentration camp to save his life:
Your life will be a velvet Möbius strip, embroidered
with milky galaxies of children. Another hand
presses forward, twists up as if turning
a knob, opens like a heart
to sacrament. Your violin playing
will purify, evolving into drunken ether:”
A true pleasure to read. When I finish BPJ, I always wish for more
pages. [Beloit Poetry Journal, P.O. Box 151, Farmington, ME 04938. E-mail: sharkey@maine.edu.
Single issue $5.00.
www.bpj.org] – JHG
Calyx
A Journal of Art and Literature by Women
Volume 21 Number 2
Summer 2003
This issue of Calyx showcases art, poetry, and prose pieces that describe
women overcoming adversity and celebrating their individuality. Susan Brown’s
acrylic “Monument to New York City,” which uses intricate bird-symbols to communicate
her feelings about September 11, was intelligent and moving, truly a visual
poem. Equally moving was Smoky Trudeau’s short fiction, “Good-Bye, Emily Dickinson”
about a homeless woman who is convinced that she is Emily Dickinson’s daughter.
I enjoyed the lyrical images of bats in “I Watch Nature While Breastfeeding”
by Melissa Crowe:
The bat threads night with ribbons
of sound, and everywhere her call gets lost
she flies. Sometimes the sky
reveals itself a trail of crumbs, sometimes
a maze of walls, trees. Before her
flight, food fracture, and only her voice
tells which is which—
Clever and humorous, Chauna Craig’s “Pluma Piluma and the Utopian Turtle
Top: A Bedtime Story for Women Writers” weaves a tale of two young girls with
speculation about the inner lives of Marianne Moore and Gertrude Stein. This
ambitious journal out of Oregon displays a different facet of women’s artistic
endeavor in each issue, and presents new voices for use to enjoy. Keep up the
great work! [Calyx, PO Box B, Corvallis, OR 97339. E-mail: calyx@proaxis.com.
Single issue $9.50. www.proaxis.com/~calyx/
] – JHG
Diner
Volume 3 Number 1
Spring/Summer 2003
Diner serves poetry Fresh and hot, just the way you like it! This issue of
“Diner” satisfied my craving for concrete, prose, and other experimental forms,
while serving up some of the more traditional fare. (All right, I’m done with
the diner jokes now.) Although generally I prefer more traditional syntax in
my poetry, I found Karen Neuberg’s prose poem, “Persephone,” evocative, especially
these lines:
“Above the trees are died. The mountainous night holds thrall. He uncovers
my heart. One swift tug I’m bare…Though I am sorry, I am more not. I am story.
I am stalk, bud, flower, fruit—cycle arrive after my pleasures.”
Besides reviews and poems, this issue includes two “Blue Plate Specials”
which are profiles of two writers, Gertrude Halstead and Dan Lewis. The bios
in the back reveal a balance of new and experienced voices in the poetry. I’d
say this Diner merits a return visit. (OK, now I’m done, seriously.)
[Diner, PO Box 60676, Greendale Station, Worcester, MA 01606-2378. Single issue
$9.95.
www.spokenword.to/diner/] - JHG
HazMat
Review
Volume 6 Issue 1
Summer 2003
I wasn’t sure what kind of experience to anticipate from a journal named
HazMat, but I was pleasantly surprised by most of what I found between
the perfect-bound covers. Not every piece is a hit, but the ones that don’t
make it fail for lack of craft rather than heart. And there are enough ambitious
and smart pieces to keep you reading all the way to the end. A couple of my
favorites are clustered towards the front of the journal, including the very
first poem, “Soup,” by Molly Scott and “Permission,” by Tami Landers. Here’s
a few of the energetic lines from “Permission”: “Back then, I wouldn’t even
have a female pet – / girls were wimps; everyone knew that. / I can remember
the fat guy in Boyd’s pet shop / trying to find me a boy box turtle; / he said
I was cute. / May I please (have what is mine)?” Interspersed with the poems
are pieces of short-short fiction, or “flash” fiction, which feel fresh and
fun. Pieces with political/activist bent combine with more whimsical work to
provide a nice cross-section of young-feeling, contemporary literary work in
this issue. [HazMat Review, PO Box 30507, Rochester, New York 14603. E-mail:
editor@hmlr.org. Single issue $10.00.
www.hazmatlitreview.org.] – JHG
Rattapallax
9
2003
This issue of Rattapallax focused on new Brazilian poetry, presented
in the original Brazilian-Portuguese along with the English translation, as
well as a scattering of experimental American writings. Quite a bit of the poetry
in this issue was a little too clever or experimental for me, but I warmed up
to some of it after more than one reading, particularly Rodrigo Garcia Lopes’
“Thoth.” Here’s an excerpt from the English translation of the final paragraph
of that prose poem:
“The scintillae of the invisible, splinters of Osiris, silence denuding the
secret made of dry petals; rain’s paradox refining its metals. All is made light
when light liquefies into sound, rain out of season. Signs. Serpents spiral
in their skin…”
Kudos to translator Chris Daniels for his work on that poem as well, as he
really got the fabulous sound effects from the original to come through. I also
liked Brenda Coultas’ “An Early Alphabet” and Fabio Weintraub’s “Universal Gravitation.”
The issue included a CD (a practice that this journal pioneered and is starting
to catch on) that had audio files of poets from the issue reading their work
as well as some Brazilian electronic music classified as “Now Sound.” This style
of music is referenced in a short essay in the journal so you can use that as
your guide to this experimental sound of the moment. If you are feeling adventurous
and want to get a peek at the avant-garde writers of Brazil, this is your issue.
[Rattapallax Press, 532 La Guardia Place Suite 353, New York, NY 10012. Email:
info@rattapallax.com. Single issue $7.95. www.rattapallax.com/index.htm] –
JHG
Concrete Wolf
Issue 7
2003
This journal out of New Hampshire features work from both familiar and unfamiliar
names. While the aesthetic leans towards a free-verse, relaxed sort of poetry,
nothing here tries too hard, and you will occasionally find seemingly effortless,
beautiful feats, like these lines from “Susann” by Cecil L. Sayre:
“How does a woman / with broken fingers / play
guitar? / Delicately, / as if she were / the remains / of something / valuable…her
whispered / strumming / of the strings / almost / inaudible, / she plays / everything
/ she knows, / everything / she remembers.” Humor and poignancy walk a tightrope
between the poems in this issue. The textured paper in grey and white is a beautiful
background effect for poems by the likes of J.P. Dancing Bear and featured poet
Nancy A. Newsted. By the way, don’t be put off by the howling wolf on the web
site – it features downloads of poems being read, which is a nice multimedia
extra. [Concrete Wolf, PO Box 730, Amherst, NH 03031-0730. E-mail: editors@concretewolf.com.
Single issue $10.00.
http://concretewolf.com/] - JHG
Salt Hill
Number 13
Winter 2003
Some rare and unusual features make this issue an especially worthwhile.
In one of only three interviews he has granted in the whole of his long career,
the prolific and mysterious Simon Perchik describes his unusual method of working
and discusses his philosophy of poetry. Perchik tells writer Susan Tepper: "I
try to reach back so you almost feel as if you are the first life form on earth,
the first living cell…" Insights about his daily practice of poetry and about
the submission (read rejection!) process are as fascinating as his approach
to metaphor.
Equally exciting is the translation of Gagan Gill’s poetry and prose from
the Hindi by Arlene Zide. Gill has a special talent for combining intense, almost
desperate themes with casual, matter-of-fact language, and the result is evocative
and powerful. Quirky and original is how I would describe the half dozen or
so stories and dozen and a half poems that make up the rest of the issue, which
includes poems by Kim Addonizio and James Tate, as well as many skilled, but
lesser known writers. As opposed to quirky, edgy, and even sometimes wacky,
like much of the work in this volume, Christopher McCann’s essay “Through Dark
and Deeper Dark,” about the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in Waterloo,
New Jersey, is down to earth and sincere in the extreme: “…many of us were walking
around Waterlook Village with these strange smiles on our faces; we were all
suspended in a kind of delirious feeling of well-being.” [Salt Hill, Syracuse
University, English Department, Syracuse, NY 13244.
salthill@cas.syr.edu. Single issue $8.00.
http://studentssyr.edu/salthill/] - SR
The Baltimore Review
Volume 7, Number 2
Summer/Fall 2003
Sponsored by the Baltimore Writers’ Alliance, this journal features “the
short stories and poetry of writers from the Baltimore area and beyond.” There
are more writers representing “beyond” this issue, including Virgil Suarez of
Florida who must certainly be among the top two or three most frequently published
poets in literary journals in the country. His “Recitative of a Moment’s Fugue”
is a fine example of why: “In Havana the old street vendors / sell their coconut
death masks, / fiber-wigged, a kiss of crimson lips” – he is undoubtedly the
best known writer to appear in this issue. Other memorable offerings here include
“What Robin Hood Really Did,” a poem by Ruth E. Dickey, the title borrowed from
Andrew Applewhaite of the Writing Workshop for Homeless Writers at Miriam’s
Kitchen in Washington, D.C.: “Hundred and fifty people sitting in here hungry.
You do the math. / That’s two grand a piece. That’s security deposit, first
month’s rent. // That’s new clothes, food that I picked. Stop keeping a man
down. / You wanna help me, you gotta give up what you got.”; and “Catch a Falling
Star,” a story by Lori Hultin; and “Boy on the Train Platform in Calcutta,”
a deeply moving poem by James C. Hopkins, which I dare not quote here in fragments
as its appearance on the page cannot be adequately rendered by citing a verse
or two. Hopkins has just published his first full-length collection with The
Word Works, and after reading his poem in The Baltimore Review, I am
eager to read more of his work. [The Baltimore Review, P.O. Box 410, Riderwood,
MD 21139. E-mail: orders@baltimorewriters.org. Single issue $7.95.
www.baltimorewriters.org.] - SR
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