Poetry Forum

Does anyone read anything regularly, either on line or in RL? I've been doing a bit of a search recently, working down the British ezines on http://www.duotrope.com/. I've found a few interesting ones, though nothing I thought completely outstanding.

http://www.otherpoetry.com/index.html - has some good sample poems - anyone heard of this/spent hard cash on it?

http://www.gloomcupboard.com/ is probably worth exploring further

http://www.shearsman.com/pages/magazine/home.html - well, rather strange poems, at first glance.

http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~simmers/ possibly fun. In fact, probably fun.

For those who like rhyming, this is interesting:

http://www.lightenup-online.co.uk/Issue ... ssue_5.htm


Does anyone feel part of a particular British poetry scene, as opposed to an international one? And if so, what's the difference?

Ros

I've been lent a copy of Other Poetry, it seems pretty good, and I like the style of poetry they publish. Plus according to their website, they only take 6 weeks to let you know whether submissions have been accepted or not.

I subscribe to MsLexia, their exercises and articles are pretty good, I think their choices of submissions can be a bit hit and miss at times though.

This site has a really good list of UK poetry publications http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/

Sharra
xx

I would love to know what the pecking order of UK magazines is - roughly, even - but I think I'm starting to get a rough idea of it. As I only submit to magazines that accept email submissions, which is very few of them, on the grounds that I can't be arsed to print stuff out and stick it in an envelope, it may be of academic interest only anyway.

On the other hand, Other Poetry does accept email submissions, and I have just had a poem accepted by them, which is probably my personal best so far.

That's the trouble - there's so much stuff out there it's hard to sift through and find those that a) have lasted more than 5 mins b) are good. That's why I thought if we pooled resources at least we all have some suggestions to go at.

David, thats great about Other Poetry, Congrats! - have we seen the poem you're having published?
Sharra
xx

Congrats, David - so do you subscribe to them anyway?

Thank'ee kindly, ladies. It's an old'un from here. I perhaps shouldn't say which one, as I'm not sure where they stand on sites like this.

I get a free subscription for me troubles, which (as they say) is nice.

I recently subscribed to The Rialto, which is a very nice thing. No email submissions, though.

I think Dave the Wab knows his onions here.

I've got a few subscriptions Ros, and I occasionally wander around the library and look at ones I haven't read, so I've got a half decent knowledge of some. Here's a list of a few (I can't reference a couple at the moment, because Sharra is borrowing them!).

Other Poetry - Good for little pieces; lots of minutely constructed imagery poems from what I remember. They often have a fun centre piece, and the reviews are often pretty concise but a bit bland.

Ambit - It prides itself on being a bit 'risque', so you'll occasionally get some tosh in it, but the editorial is hideously picky, so don't expect to get anything in it until you have a book out already. This is the most international one in my list, it seems.

Poetry Review - An odd one. I haven't been subscribing for long but it appears they are encouraging more and more formal work, whcih i think is an encouraging sign of their open mindedness. You'll get a good mixture here, going from the unkown PHD student who is proud to just have finished reading his Derrida, to the mightily established poet who just writes, well, solid, traditional, British verse. And in a small supply that's great. Ask David about this one actually, because I know he's been buying it a lot longer than I.

PN review - quite academic, run by Michael Schmidt, so similar to what he publishes in Carcanet.

The Dark Horse - one of my favourites for its down to earth editorial policy, its detailed reviews, and its lack of relunctance to publish formal poetry. ON ...

bum, just went for tea and found all of the replies; sorry if I'm repeating what's been said ...

The Rialto is great, even if I had a lazy rejection from the bastards recently. You can be guaranteed it'll have a couple of complete stunners in an issue though.

Smiths/Knoll - quite like Other POetry, but a bit more narrative.

London Magazine - My favourite, and I don't know why. They just always seem to get the mixture right, and often have some great poems.

A few more: the Stand (not my thing), Agenda (quite decent), the wolf (not my thing - like SHearsman), poetry london (good - probably the one with most of the 'big names'), TLS (ha! good luck), Envoi (I think David is an alumni of them if I'm right).

That's about it for now I think. I don't really bother with online publications because I'm a bit of a snob, but there are loads of them too.

Incidentally David, which poem of yours got into Other? Great job by the way.

Wabznasm wrote:Incidentally David, which poem of yours got into Other? Great job by the way.

Well okay, just between you and me, it was [pm'ed, coyly].

And I have never got into Envoi, which is surprising, as the editor seems to be a lady of no little taste and discernment. Or do I mean unsurprising?

Loads of rejections, of course, but that's part of the fun.

Wabz, thanks, that's all interesting. I suppose I tend more towards the ezines because I can see what I'm getting there, whereas the printed ones are all a bit coy about content unless you actually subscribe. An attitude which explains why poets get no money, I suppose.

I had 2 poems published in 'The Rialto' back in the 1980s. The mag is run by a chap called Mike Mackmin who lives at Aylsham in Norfolk. By day he works as a Gestalt therapist and I bumped into him years ago while doing voluntary work for a drug and alcohol charity. I found, however, that he didn't go for my satirical material - only the more serious, poetic (?) stuff.

It's funny how things bubble up because I've just met (in a virtual way) the chap who does the art and design for Rialto via a Norwich Flickr group. He posted the new cover:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/osborne_villas/3369426131/

Good mag. One of the best.

C

There are a few more listed here http://www.inpressbooks.co.uk/magazines.aspx

Which poems did he publish Cam?

This one:

http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/poemsbycam ... inter.html

and this one:

http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/poemsbycam ... Start.html

Have you seen that he's been publishing a chap called Victor Tapner for the last few issues Cam? I thought you'd be interested because the ones that Mackmin is releasing seem to be part of Tapner's sequence on the history of East Anglia. I think the latest was about 4 issues back if you have access to it. It's very, very good.

Oh, forgot about The North, which is another excellent one in my opinion. The editor, Peter Sansom, is a pretty decent poet in his own right too. That's actually one of my favourite magazines for its features, like lists of poet's bookshelves, 'challenges', decent reviews, etc.

Thanks wab; I'm afraid I haven't looked inside The Rialto for years.

However, Mr Mackmin has just agreed to do a 'Lit Norfolk' interview for me - so if anyone has any questions they'd like asked please let me know.

Cheers
Cam

Just had a poem accepted by http://www.otherpoetry.com/index.html

Like David, I'm not really sure where I stand regarding the poem being on here and another site, should I delete them?

It's "The People's Pond"

cheers
Kris

Brilliant. Well deserved.

I haven't deleted mine at all. I think these are probably stuck somewhere in the unfrequented recesses of the old wardrobe of our past. No-one's going to know or care.

I've just checked with Rod at Other Poetry, and apparently the next issue - which I hope to be in - will be out shortly. Hurrah.

It's good to be reminded that this is actually supposed to be a poetry site. Let's keep it that way.

Congrats Camus

A recent arrival on the scene 'Popshot' combines poetry and illustration in an interesting way by choosing from submitted poems that have been written on a set theme and sending them to artists who produce the picture to fit the piece. I don't do subscriptions but I've bought the last three issues and I'll probably buy the next one.

http://www.popshotpopshot.com/

Here's a handy link I just came across - http://system.newzapp.co.uk/GPage.asp?L ... M0MDU0MDQ=

Ladies and gentlemen, these are your targets.

David wrote:Here's a handy link I just came across - http://system.newzapp.co.uk/GPage.asp?L ... M0MDU0MDQ=

Ladies and gentlemen, these are your targets.

It's true, but they're only marketing the mags they support. I wasn't that keen on what I've seen of Dream Catcher. Rialto always says it's the one to aim for, but then they would, wouldn't they?

I like the look of Smiths Knoll, and Obsessed with Pipework (who I have to support as they have just accepted 2 of my poems!)

Ros

Ros wrote:
It's true, but they're only marketing the mags they support. I wasn't that keen on what I've seen of Dream Catcher. Rialto always says it's the one to aim for, but then they would, wouldn't they?

I like the look of Smiths Knoll, and Obsessed with Pipework (who I have to support as they have just accepted 2 of my poems!)

Ros

Congrats again Ros!

Thanks, Brian!