[James Wilk]

I received my contributors' copy of Raintown Review in the mail today and there were quite literally dozens of familiar names (my apologies to anyone I've left out) within its pages:

Mike Alexander, Bob Donahue, Nigel H., Rose K., Tiel Ansari, Jennifer R., Allen T., Terese C., Paul S., Diane Dees, Mags T., Rick M., Kate B., Ray P., Marybeth R-L, Stephen S., Wendy S., Tim M., Michael C., Alan Wickes, Janet K., Frank O., Maryann C., Nemo and me.

Funny essay, "This is Not a Manifesto," by Quincy, Reviews by John Sexton of Rose's Bundle O' Tinder, David Stephenson's Rhythm and Blues and Jehanne Dubrow's The Hardship Post.

A decidedly non-controversial introduction by the editor, Anna Evans.

All in an attractive dark olive cover featuring a photo by Juliann Butcher.

[Alan Wickes]

Hi Jim,

Sounds like good stuff - so many familiar names.

I'm pleased to be included with such excellent writers. Quincy is sorting a contributor copy for me, hopefully. I'm really looking forward to reading this, once the carrier pigeon struggles across the pond with my copy.

best wishes

Alan

[Rick Mullin]

Jim,

Your description makes the painful ecstasy of waiting that much more ecstatic and painful. I assume that Quincy's essay title is in the vein of Magritte's pipe painting title?~,:^)

Thanks for the group plug.
Rick

[Quincy Lehr]

And (as Anna would no doubt want me to note) some contributors not from the po-boards (or not very much), but whom you'll want to know (if you don't already):

Philip Dacey, Fintan O'Higgins, James Benton, Michael Burch, David Rothman, Peter Austin, Chris Bullard, Duane Caylor, Barry Abrams, Patrick Chapman, Jim Burrows, Justin Quinn, Barbara Smith, Ona Gritz, David Phillips, Jack Granath, Richard O'Connell, Mags Treanor, Steven Ray Smith (who used to be around here a lot but isn't much anymore), Mary Alexandra Agner, and Robert B. Shaw.

And I may be leaving a couple of people out (a certain Classic professor who lives in Brooklyn and is represented in the issue by a sonnet would probably prefer not to be mentioned on this board).

Incidentally, I'm also glad that among the contributors (including reviewer), we have six Irish folks (one resident in Prague), three Brits (one resident in the UAE), two Australians (more or less), and a Canadian. I hope that this modest (and not entirely unprecedented, mind you) expansion beyond American New Formalism (not that y'all aren't our homies and all) is something we can maintain in subsequent issues.

At any rate, I'm quite pleased with the issue, and hope that those without an ongoing personal stake in the journal will feel the same.

Quincy

[David Rosenthal]

All right, Quincy you've convinced me -- I'll send for a subscription as soon as can scrpe together some magic beans.

Meanwhile, congrats to the Sphereans! Another successful colonization!

(Congrats also to Quincy and Anna, on what looks like another stellar line-up and on what seems to be an ever widening reputation. As soon as I can scrape together some poems, I think I'll submit to your little upstart rag.)

David R.

[Gail White]

My copy came today & I'm eager to get into it.

Quincy & Anna, my subscription is on its way to you!

[Terese Coe]

Still no copy here yet... But congrats to the usual suspects!

[R. Nemo Hill]

Just got mine.
Looks good.

Nemo

[Allen Tice]

Mine came today, and all those who want to recall Auden's clerihew about Martin Buber and his tuber can find a prompt on p 27, next to my poem about tuberoses. Nice issue !

- Allen Tice

[Janet Kenny]

Originally Posted by Gail White

My copy came today & I'm eager to get into it.

Quincy & Anna, my subscription is on its way to you!

Mine too. I keep talking but fail to act. The time has come...as the walrus and Midnight Oil remarked.