[Michael Juster]

I have some funky poems in the new issue of Per Contra, which has just gone online. They published my Putin epigram and four excerpts from my book of Billy Collins parodies.

[Ned Balbo]

Congratulations, Mike! I was just heading over to enjoy them, so while I'm at it....

http://www.percontra.net/issues/34/

[Michael Juster]

Thanks, Ned, and kudos to Chris O'Carroll, who caught a typo in the second line of "Why Verse Should Be Free Range." The word 'free" in the second line should be "blank." It should be fixed shortly.

[Susan McLean]

Fun poems, Michael. I think Collins is hard to satirize because he is so deadpan and understated to begin with, but you have managed to nail a number of his techniques. Those who know his work well will catch your allusions to it, which make some of your poems even funnier.

Susan

[Bill Carpenter]

Will The Billy Collins Experience be available in book form? The title is intriguing. It suggests that you are making a point about "experiencing" Billy Collins poems collectively, which is so unlike the experience of the individual poem's intelligence and polish, even perfection.

[Michael Juster]

Thanks, Bill & Susan!

As for book publication, that will turn on the good-heartedness of publishers. I am just starting to work on the book publication, and I need to be less lazy about placing individual pieces.There is another "Collins" piece in Boston College's literary journal, Post Road, and there are imminent "Collins" pieces in Evansville Review and Alabama Literary Review.

Faux Collins also provoked a very intrigued but anxious rejection note from Missouri Review--lol.

[Bill Carpenter]

Instead of presenting them as parodies, how about as "Billy Collins Poems by A. M. Juster" or "More Billy Collins Poems by A.M. Juster"? You would be serving a known market. As long as you put your own name in big enough letters to avoid allegations of palming off.

[john savoie]

Clever poems, attractive journal. Are they ever open to unsolicited poetry submissions?

[Michael Juster]

John. I believe the answer is "yes," but on an unpredictable basis. The move to electronic submissions is swamping all the journals--Poetry is closed for a few more weeks, and I can't remember Poetry ever closing to submissions.

[Susan McLean]

For what it's worth, the title The Billy Collins Experience evoked for me the many tribute bands that go around aping the Beatles or other famous bands of the past, or the theme parks that have rides based on Harry Potter, etc. I liked that suggestion of the ersatz as a cover for satire.

Susan