Editor Interview: Ibbetson Street

Free verse, interviews

Istanbul Literary Review, Poesy, Long Island Quarterly, Off the Grid Press, Alternating Current, PRESA, Endicott Review, Wilderness House Literary Press, Wilderness House Literary Review, Bagel Bard Anthologies, Cervena Barva Press

I love many of the small press poets I have encountered and published over the years. Included are: Sam Cornish, Kathleen Spivack, Gloria Mindock, Bert Stern, Zvi Sesling, Barbara Bialick, Timothy Gager, Harris Gardner, Ed Galing, Mike Amado, Miriam Levine, Gary Metras, Lawrence Kessenich, Lo Galluccio, Deborah Priestly, Molly Lynn Watt, Linda Lerner, Afaa Michael Weaver, A.D. Winans, Robert K. Johnson, Hugh Fox, Lyn Lifshin, Mark Doty, Dorian Brooks, Linda Conte, Irene Koronas and so many more..

We are magazine-sized--rather than digest- sized. We have published an eclectic group of poets--from the academy, to the small press--whatever strikes us--or as Auden said: "If the poem makes us cut ourselves while shaving." Our poetry is not from one school. We have a number of fine interviews with poets like Mark Doty, Robert Creeley, Sam Cornish, Jack Powers, Fred Marchant and many others. We were a Pick of the Month in the Small Press Review a number of times.

Stay away from cliche--we look for original language. Any theme but it has to grab us in some fashion. Nothing too obtuse or too facile.

3 to 5 Poems
Bio
The poems have a unique sensibility, and the poet takes chances. Things are proofed well, and include an sase of course.

They expect to be answered right away. Sometimes it takes over 6 months--we get a lot of submits.

Credits, interests, location, contact info.

Sometimes I know by the first line it is not right. Other times it is the last line. I have an intuition what works and what doesn't work...at least for us. Our present poetry editors are Mary Rice, Dorian Brooks, and Harris Gardner.

Well Dorian Brooks, our long-time editor and accomplished poet " Wren's Cry" (Ibbetson Street) looks closely at grammar and syntax, and sometimes edits the poems that the poet may or may not have to agree with.

Well I delegate a lot of duties. I select a handful of poems for each issue. I am always thinking of ways to raise funds, promote our books, and organize readings. I also teach at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston and Endicott College in Beverly, Mass to make a living.