Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Beauty in thought & acts
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: We have a lot of respect for literary and art magazines with a strong identity, rooted in transcendence, lofty thinking and formal elegance.
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: We've published extremely talented poets, among which Sourav Sengupta and Joe Kidd. Among the dead, we cherish Dante, Charles Baudelaire, the master of paradoxes (we recommend Roy Campbell's quasi perfect translation), and William Blake, the visionary. Hermann Hesse and Charlotte Brontë are dear to us. James Baldwin's lucid prose is sorely missed at this time. As for art, the team has a deep sense of reverence for polymaths: Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Blake, who was also a visual artist, also Caravaggio, Veronese, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Among the living, we admire Maria Linares Freire's sacred geometry art and Oluwole Omofemi's mastery of color.
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: First, we are a polymath review of poetry and art! We love deep thinking and feeling expressed in elevated and harmonious form. Revue {R}évolution seeks modern polymaths; those of us poets, artists, philosophers, and storytellers who are eager to discover the Self. Our approach to poetry, art, and literature in general is holistic and based on transcendence, which is why mythology matters so much for us. Also, we reunite the East, the West, and Africa. Check our philosophy before you submit. Sankhya inspired the creation of our review.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: Unless your text is deeply metaphysical, avoid free verse. Poetry is formal and requires mastery of rhythm. It is a genre in itself. Poetry is not prose. The purpose of art is perfection. Perfection is intent, the quest of every creator. A lifetime may not be enough to reach it but seeking perfection in creation always produces delightful poetry/art, even masterpieces. Read our guidelines carefully and follow the instructions if you want to avoid rejections. Read our mission, the Editorial Eternal + our article series on the origins of poetry-art. Mole over them. Then craft your poems accordingly or select the best fit for Revue {R}. We want to publish the Blakes, Baudelaires, Brontës, and Eliots of our time. We are extremely sensitive to beauty, harmony, truth, and technique, whether you are a poet, storyteller, thinker or visual artist. Also, we expect authors and artists submitting to us to know literature/art and the rules of poetry/art. To become a master, you have to be a disciple first.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: This quote by poet and mystic Sri Aurobindo describes the ideal submission: "Beauty pure in line, faultless in rhythm, replete with strength, illumined with light and vibrant with delight."
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: We are not a mainstream magazine. We really are a polymath review of poetry and art. We only publish poetry-art that peaks. Poetry is the outcome of an extraordinary state of consciousness (otherwise everyone would be a poet). Using simple language to express the extraordinary is not only faulty, it's bad taste and boring. Be lavish but be careful: excellence in poetry/art does not mean empty mimicry or cryptic literature. We are sensitive to unique perceptions expressed in unique voices. Be authentic. Be an erudite. We've created a video series to help you out with this. Watch it. Follow our recommendations if you want to be published in {R}
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: A short cover letter with a relevant biography of 500 characters is enough. We appreciate creative statements: why you are writing this, what your intellectual/spiritual/metrical passion is, and most importantly, why you are submitting to Revue {R}évolution. Authors and artists are free to mention their publications and awards in one short sentence although that does not impress us. Your work will tell us who you are, not what others think you are doing.
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: Within the first few paragraphs, we know whether we're going to reject or accept a piece because poetry is all about intent. Intent is palpable within the first lines.
Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?
A: Just mindful reading.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: A lot of reading, writing, and web editing. We also take extra care of our author pages. We want talented poets and artists to be beautifully visible. Part of our mission is to create flawless aesthetics for them and their work.
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: Revue {R} loves technology. Social media is a fantastic tool which, unfortunately, is misused as it helps spread mediocre literature and art. While posting a personal story on social media can help with one's personal catharsis, diary texts are not poetry. Poetry comes from ancient Greek "poiesis," the act of bringing truth into existence. It is a well codified practice, with specific formulas and outcomes, just like science. A text posted on social and tagged "poetry" doesn't make it poetry, especially if it displays poor writing and thinking skills. Flooding the internet with diary or superficial poetry only hurts the work of those who are sticking to the genre by making their craft invisible. That's deeply unfair. To become professionals and make a living out of their craft, talented poets need to be visible. Also, the future of poetry depends on them. The same goes for art. "Art" has diverse etymologies which are all complementary. One of them comes from the Sanskrit "Artha," sense, goal, or essence, and connotes to existential purpose and mastery. On social media, art is mostly recreational (or cathartic, lacking technique). As a result, a lot of talented artists struggle to be visible. Revue {R} embraces technology not only because we are geeky poets and artists, but also because it is part of the solution. We use technology to craft beautiful and bold issues and help talented poet-artists become even more visible!
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: Poets accepted for publication in Revue {R} are usually savvy. We hardly edit poems. We can however edit philosophical essays and translations for the sake of clarity or accuracy.
Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?
A: No.