Question

I have a serious question.  I want to know how much poetry is tied to popularity and fad.  I am asking for some very serious reasons.

1) Collin Kelley has stated "good" is a matter of taste.

2)Anyone who denies the increase of poems placed before the first section (in what always seems to be a three sectioned book) and "Notes" pages in books, is just lying to make friends.

Which leads me to ask:  Why does it appear manuscripts are being chosen as if they have been matched up against some sort of checklist?

Three sections?  Check

Poem with personification of some exotic animal?  Check

A Notes page to explain regional or colloquial language?  Check

One poem at the beginning of section three which "breaks" the mold?  Check

At least two ghazals?  Check

One poem about god which does nothing to clarify the poet's position? Check

Not so Subliminal nod to Bob Hicok? Check.

. . . well, you get the point.

* * *

I am being serious.  Why?  Because I am writing yet another manuscript of landscape meditation, and I really am having a lot of fun writing it and quite proud of the poetry in it, but that will only get me so far if there aren't any editors out there who enjoy these poems, too.  I know going in I've got a fight on my hand, but it would make things a lot easier inf I could figure out what's going on.

When I write poems about pop culture and contemporary themes, I get a lot of poems accepted for publication, but when I write these landscape meditations, I go for months without any good news from editors.  I don't want to simply aim my writing where I know it will hit the mark and be accepted.  I want to write the poems I know which need to be written.  It just feels like what my wife said to me.  She told me what I am writing is simply not in style right now.  Now, I know I am no Wendell Berry or Dave Lee or Gary Short, but I can and do hold my own, and I do know a thing or two.

So, my original question stands.  How much of this thing is popularity and fads?  Am I just not finding the right venues?  What am I missing?

Hobble Creek Review is now Up!

Hey, everyone!  Come on over to Hobble Creek Review and have a read.  Our latest issue is up and ready for everyone to have a look!  This issue features the following poets and writers:

Carol Berg                     
Will Cordeiro                   
Marilyn Haight              
Ruth Huber                     
M.J. Iuppa                      
Kathleen Kirk                 
Mercedes Lawry            
Leny Lianne                    
Linda Martin                     
Corey Mesler                    
Mark J. Mitchell                
Kimberly O'Connor         
Andrew Shields                  
Lauren Tivey  
Steve Wheat                 
Scott Wiggerman


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I would also like you to consider submitting for our next issue, which is going to have a special section edited by Jeff Newberry, focusing on the Gulf Coast region.  So come on over and stay a while.  Pass the word if you read anything you like, and as always, let me know which poems in particular you like so I can pass on the word to the poets.  Hearing good things about one's writing is always helpful.