Monday Oct 07

hoppenthalerFrom the start, it has been my particular guiding principle to be inclusive and eclectic.  This not only mirrors my own way of appreciating poetry, but it seems if not utterly democratic then at least striving to be so.  My joys as an editor are many.  Those times when I have been fortunate to bring readers the work of highly acclaimed poets are special to me, but what makes me happier still is to be able to offer that notable work in juxtaposition with the remarkable poetry of lesser-known poets whose work I run across while living a poet’s life. 

So I feel blessed that my Congeries has featured not only Maxine Kumin, Campbell McGrath, Michael Harper, Claudia Emerson, Medbh McGuckian, Alicia Ostriker, Alberto Rios, John Tranter, Carl Phillips, John Burnside and Dorianne Laux, but also Anna Journey, Sandy Tseng, dawn lonsinger, Tracey Knapp, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Mihaela Moscaliuc, Joni Wallace, Rebecca Lindenberg, and Heather Hartley

Each day reveals new reasons to seek what is found in poetry, and these needs influence our engagement with individual poems.  This selection of poetry from the past year, those that on this very hot July day seem particularly urgent to me, suggests the larger discussion found in each individual Congeries, as well those conversations along the growing arc of them.  These discussions, of course, expand, veer, and surprise when considered in the greater context of the many offerings Connotation Press: An Online Artifact provides.

It would be impossible to list each outstanding contribution to the Congeries here; rather, I've listed here just a few choices from each month.  It has indeed been a wonderfully odd and often beautiful year’s journey, and I hope that the following poems will provide you with the same sustenance I’ve found in them.  I’ll be back with a new Congeries in September; enjoy the summer!

 

September

   John Allman John-Allman "Annus Mirabilis"

    Richard Jackson  Rick-Jackson2 "Nothing but Trouble"

Al Maginnes AlMaginnes "Before Elegy"

         
Mihaela Moscaliuc mihaelamoscaliuc "Blood Oranges for Easter"

 

October

Kathy Fagan Kathy-Fagain "Elendish"

              
Margot Schlipp Margot-Schlipp "Optimum Conditions"

                            John Gallagher John-Gallaher "Daily Life in Classical Antiquity"


November

Duhamel & Lemmon Denise-Duhamel Amy-Lemmon "It's Complicated"

    
Reginald Dwayne Betts Reginald Dwayne Betts "Sometimes It's Everything"

Kwame Dawes Kwame-Dawes "Cross Roads"

         
Suzanne Cleary Suzanne Cleary "Freud's Little Statues"

Tracey Knapp Tracey Knapp "Inheritance"


 

January

       Alicia Ostriker ostriker"Back to the Garden"

           Claudia Emerson Claudia-Emerson-1 "Variations from the Porch"

                                                                  Janice Harrington JaniceNHarrington "Honeysuckle"

                     Joni Wallace wallace "Star Spangled Valentine . . ."


February

James Richardson James Richardson - Bio Pic "Shore Town, Winter"

                        
Anna Journey Anna Journey - Bio Pic "Fable Sleepless with Colic . . . "

               dawn lonsinger dawn lonsinger - Bio Pic "The Further We Wade Out"


March


                          Alberto Rios Rios_Alberto_9498aa "One Thursday Afternoon . . . "

April

    Cynthia Cruz  cruz “The Unheard Music”

Rebecca Lindenberg  lindenberg “The Winged Skull . . .”

            Michael Burkard burkard “small paintings on paper”

 

May

Medbh McGuckian  MedbhMcGuckian-creditSuellaHolland-TheGalleryPress “Gold Star Mother”

          Brendan Galvin  BrendanGalvin “Meeting the Bird Club”

        Sandy Tseng  SandyTseng-creditMarkChen “Movement of Birds”

        Renee Ashley  ReneeAshley “Less than the Plow”

                    Heather Hartley  HeatherHartley “Nine lives in ten or eleven lines”

 

July

           H.L. Hix  HixH.L. “Oracle’s Voice”

                              Carl Phillips  PhillipsCarl “As for That Piece of Sundown . . .”

          Keith Flynn  FlynnKeith “The Brides of Christ”



April

John Tranter                       “The Ideal”

Cynthia Cruz                       “The Unheard Music”

John Burnside                    “Comedy”

Dorianne Laux                    “Paper Dolls

Rebecca Lindenberg          “The Winged Skull . . .”

Michael Burkard                 “small paintings on paper”

Jim Daniels                          “Fresh Figs”

 

May

Medbh McGuckian            “Gold Star Mother”

Brendan Galvin                  “Meeting the Bird Club”

Sandy Tseng                        “Movement of Birds”

Renee Ashley                       “Less than the Plow”

Heather Hartley                  “Nine lives in ten or eleven lines”

 

July

H.L. Hix                                “Oracle’s Voice”

Carl Phillips                         “As for That Piece of Sundown . . .”

Keith Flynn                          “The Brides of Christ”

Kathleen Graber                  “Florum Principi”