Editor Interview: The Anglican Theological Review

Strong spiritual poems

Although significant well-established journals come to mind (Poetry, Image, Christianity & Literature, the Notre Dame Review, the Gettysburg Review, etc.), I never overlook the work of smaller discerning publications, too many to mention, which sustain both well-known and lesser-known poets, time after time.

All our contributors become this poetry editor's favorite poets. We're happy to have published the work of Mark Jarman, Andrew Hudgins, Michael Mott, Jeanne Murray-Walker, Ronald Wallace, Peter Cooley, Henry Hart, Shane McCrae, Marjorie Maddox, among other excellent poets.

Rooted in the strong literary and theological tradition of Anglicanism, the journal features the work of poets belonging to various communities of faith. Also, ATR is international in scope and found in numerous libraries around the world; therefore our poets are read in every continent. Lastly, the theological character of the journal allows the poems to appear as part of a larger spiritual whole. This makes them relevant to deeply held religious experiences and more likely to be memorable.

Please visit our website; check out the featured poem (as well as those in our archives); read and follow our guidelines carefully. If you have any question about a submission, do not hesitate to e-mail the poetry editor: [email protected]. As far as your work is concerned: remember the inexhaustibility of its source and write always with that Presence in mind.

The ideal submission is one that shows an awareness of what we publish and of our guidelines. It should include a brief cover letter with a short bio note and relevant contact information. Submitting more than one poem is often a good idea (3-5 poems), with no poem being longer than a page or a page and a half. Although we accept postal submissions, electronic entries are more convenient, but they should be specific to the ATR and not part of a simultaneous submission.

Some authors forget that we do not consider simultaneous submissions and they send us work which is not targeted to the ATR (for example, there is no cover message addressed to the poetry editor by name). I tend to assume the poems are being sent to other editors as well and therefore rarely consider these submissions. Please note that we respond within a month--so the author's work is not held up for a long time.

Publication credits do not influence the selection process. However, I consider cover letters to be an important courtesy to the editor, and these letters normally include some evidence of how serious the poet is about her/his work--not necessarily through a long list of credits.

I read every word, from beginning to end--even when I know I am not likely to accept a poem. I believe this to be a necessary (though not too common) courtesy. Also, although the number of poetry submissions we receive precludes long responses, every response I send out is personal.

Most if not all editors (and I am not an exception) are writers themselves. Our days are balancing acts between those callings.

I do not edit a poem in order to accept it for publication. The poem should work, as is. On very rare occasions, if all that stands between rejection and acceptance is a word or a punctuation mark, and if the poem captivates me otherwise, I may correspond with the author about it, with the hope of publication.

Not usually.