Welcome back!

A couple of years ago I made the decision to consolidate this blog with my own, but Poemeleon has grown a lot since then and it deserves its own space, and I need somewhere to make more public announcements.

To begin with, several of our contributors are up for Rhysling Awards this year. Our congratulations go out to:

Diana Adams

Mary Alexandra Agner

Jeannine Hall Gailey

Lynn Strongin

(We're keeping our fingers crossed for you! To read the full list of nominees click here.)

I would also like to announce our nominees for this year's Best New Poets anthology (published by Meridian, University of Virginia Press):

Jon Stone, for "Bullshit Related Injuries in the A & E"

Ellen Goldstein, for "Landscape"

We've had a little luck with this particular anthology (Alex Grant's "The Steps of Montmartre" was chosen for inclusion in a prior year's issue), and these are certainly memorable poems, so we wish them the best of luck. To be nominated, the poem must have been published sometime during the twelve months prior to the deadline, and the poet must not have a full-collection in print, or in progress to be published before November of the following year. In combing through the issues, I was amazed at just how accomplished our contributors are; there were only a handful who met the requirements, which made it both easier (fewer to choose from) and harder (how to choose?).

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Also, I've made a change to the publication schedule:

As many of you know, after mothering two small boys for nearly ten years, last year I decided to go ahead and apply to a MFA program that would allow me to work from home while still managing the household, Poemeleon, as well as my own writing and reading schedule (nevermind the fact that I am expecting again, which should throw a brand new wrench into the works!). I will complete my first year this June, but something that I hadn't factored in was that the mandatory residency period falls just when Poemeleon's issues should be coming due (June & December). This past issue was delayed until March as I struggled to get caught up after the new year, so I have decided that to better serve everyone's needs the new publication dates will be October and April. The next issue, which will focus on the issue of gender, has a submission deadline of June 30. Last year we implemented an online submission form which is now in full swing. It has made for a more efficient way to read and keep track of submissions. And as always, we encourage you to track your submission through Duotrope's free submission tracker.

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In other news:

Every associate editor has come to me first as a contributor: Maureen Alsop and Ren Powell had poems published in the first two issues, and Tom Hunley, who sent me poems first, then later book reviews. In keeping with what seems to be our tradition, we are adding a new Associate editor. We have published her in several issues, and as she is retiring from her University position this year, we are pleased to welcome to the staff Judy Kronenfeld. A little more about Judy:

Judy Kronenfeld is the author of two books and two chapbooks of poetry, the most recent being Light Lowering in Diminished Sevenths, winner of the 2007 Litchfield Review Poetry Book Prize, which was published in Summer, 2008. Her poems, as well as the occasional short story and personal essay have appeared in numerous print and online journals. Recent and forthcoming poem credits include Natural Bridge, The American Poetry Journal, The Innisfree Poetry Journal, Calyx, The Hiram Poetry Review, The Pedestal, The Cimarron Review, as well as a number of anthologies, including Bear Flag Republic: Prose Poems and Poetics from California, edited by Christopher Buckley and Gary Young (Greenhouse Review Press/Alcatraz Editions, 2008) and Beyond Forgetting: Poetry and Prose about Alzheimer’s Disease, edited by Holly Hughes (Kent State University Press, 2009). She is also the author of a critical study: KING LEAR and the Naked Truth (Duke U.P., 1998). She has taught in the Department of Creative Writing, at the University of California, Riverside for twenty-five years.

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And if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, the humor issue launched last month. It includes poems, reviews, and essays by:

Malaika King Albrecht, Sherman Alexie, Renee Ashley, Diego Baez, Lavina Blossom, Deborah Bogen, Jason Bredle, Patrick Carrington, Alex Cigale, Barbara Crooker, Carol Dorf, R.S. Dunn, Tim Earley, Kate Fetherston, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Richard Garcia, David Graham, Alex Grant, Matthew Henrickson, Paul Hostovsky, Tom Hunley, Luisa Igloria, Roy Jacobstein, Julie Kane, Janet Kirchheimer, Judy Kronenfeld, Robert Krut, Haley Lasche, Wayne Lee, Paul Lieber, Sarah Maclay, Holaday Mason, Ann E. Michael, Jessy Randall, Moira Richards, Penelope Scambly Schott, Marian Kaplun Shapiro, Martha Silano, J.D. Smith, Mari Stanley, Jon Stone, Marilyn L. Taylor, Charles Harper Webb, & Katherine Williams.

Have a look, and if you want to keep up with what's going down on Poemeleon, subscribe to the NewsBlog, or if you're on Facebook be sure to join the Poemeleon group page.

Many thanks for three fruitful years and many more to come!

Cati Porter

Founder & Editor, Poemeleon: A Journal of Poetry