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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

What I'm Reading: Vinyl

74º ~ the sun is busy with its rising through a sky of gauzy white and blue, everyone here is giddy with the prediction of lower temps, but more importantly lower humidity, the weatherman was almost radiant with the good news last night

This morning has been a disorderly approach to reading time. Eventually, though, I settled on reading the premier volume of a new online journal: Vinyl Poetry. I believe that I linked to this journal through either Adrian Matejka or Kristy Bowen's blogs, as both are poets I admire and both have poems in the issue.
Cover Art by Allie Kelley (alliekelley.com)
I have to admit that the cover art whetted my appetite. The pluck and joy of the that little bluebird with its worm (an early bird, perhaps?) made me smile and want to click through, even though I already intended to do so. I've since also gone to the artist's website, listed above, and you should too, if the work moves you as it did me.

Here's a list of poets making an appearance in Volume 1:


WOW! That's quite a list, and after reading through the issues, I'm pleased to say that the whole thing stands up quite well. Also, kudos to the designers of the site for making the navigation between poets simple.

My favorite poems from the mix include:
Adrian Matejka's "Cocaine Blues" (a Johnny Cash poem, exquisitely wrought)
Anne Marie Rooney's "Alice, leaving the Caterpillar" (always hard to add to a legend like Alice's, but this one works)
Kristy Bowen's "how to re-imagine your life through mythological characters" (wonderful weaving of allusions and new additions to our mythology)
Sasha Fletcher's "all the tired horses" (a prose poem of bewilderment laced with darkness)


There are three other writers in the issue who, when asked by the editors to submit a handwritten grocery list, each moved in an entirely different direction from each other. Check out the results from Julianna Baggott, Jeff Mann, and Bob Hicok.

This is definitely a journal I'll return to for Volume 2. Also, hats off to the editors, Gregory Sherl and K.M.A. Sullivan for their submission policy. I'll let you discover that one on your own, Dear Reader, click here.

8 comments:

Tyler Gobble said...

That is quite the list for a first issue!

Looking forward to being able to delve into issue one deeper and can't wait for the future issues.

Sandy Longhorn said...

Tyler, it really is quite impressive. Enjoy!

Allie Kelley said...

I am so glad you like my art.

Sandy Longhorn said...

Allie Jane, thanks for stopping by. Hope you'll keep me posted about when you'll be making your art available for purchase.

Sherry O'Keefe said...

way cool. i've lost count on how many times you've directed me to something i really needed to experience.

i agree, that artwork is the bird's chirp!

Sandy Longhorn said...

Aw, Sherry, thanks for the kind words. Hope you enjoy the reading!

Jessie Carty said...

Oh no you found another journal for me to read!!

Sandy Longhorn said...

Jessie, that's exactly how I feel! :)