Measure Closing
 

From Paul Bond:

Friends,

After a lot of careful thought, Rob Griffith and I have decided to cease production of Measure: A Review of Formal Poetry after the next two issues. We are grateful to all our poets and subscribers, who have made editing the journal such a fulfilling job these past thirteen years. We will continue to publish single-author collections through Measure Press. Thank you.

This is very sad news.

This is, indeed, an immeasurable loss to the world of formal poetry. I wonder what will become of the X. J. Kennedy Parody Award, the winners of which were published in Measure, (though I notice that winners have not been announced for that contest yet, whose submissions closed at the end of September 2017). Measure also published the Nemerov winners. That contest has ended, but if anyone wants to revive it or something like it, I wonder where the winners would appear. The world of formal poetry appears to be contracting on all sides, which is not a good sign for those of us who love it.

Susan

I inquired about a month ago after the XJ Kennedy results and Rob said that the judge had not yet made up his mind. I just hope he does so in time to publish the results in one of the two remaining issues. For that contest as well as the Nemerov, people paid entry fees and there ought to be winners announced and prizes given even if the winning poems can not be published.

(I inquired six weeks ago, on Facebook)

Very sad news indeed. It seemed like the anchor publication for formal poetry, the one you could count on. Plus the high visibility and support of the contests associated with it. Free verse and experimental poetry has many venues, and the older publications like Poetry have gone away from publishing formal in favor of what the editors perceive as popular and “current” and New. But at least this decision is not based on “the market” or other external trends, but a more personal decision. I know it’s a lot of hard work to publish and maintain a literary journal, often with not much in return. So thanks for all you did, and I hope more venues will spring up to fill the gap in due time.

Best,
Siham

Bob, I tried to access the Measure Press announcement of the 2017 X.J. Kennedy Parody Award and got this.

The deadline was September 30, nearly six months ago.

The entries must have been stellar, since the judge seemingly can't make up his mind! :)

Oh no.

I just saw this. I just recently got in the summer issue. I feel like one of Larkin's 'unlucky charms'.

What a shame.

Damn. This is sad news. A strong journal, and necessary venue. I was saving up some formal poems to send to them (no simultaneous submissions.)

What journals are even out there anymore that will take formal poetry seriously? It's not a long list.

As a relative newbie at this, I second Andrew's question.

Light, The Hopkins Review, First Things, New Verse News, New Criterion, Dappled Things, The Lyric, Commonweal, Rattle (more than you might think).

I don't mean to disrespect other journals, but I'm tired and working from memory. I hope others will help fill in the gaps for me.

We have also lost recently formal-friendly editors at Sewanee Review & Southwest Review who have been replaced by editors with very different taste.

Here are a few other titles of journals that take formal poetry, at least some of the time: Lighten Up Online, Better Than Starbucks!, Blue Unicorn, Able Muse, The Asses of Parnassus, Mezzo Cammin (women only), The Rondeau Roundup (contests for poems in repeating forms), Autumn Sky Poetry Daily, The Evansville Review, The Road Not Taken, Valparaiso Poetry Review, The Orchards Poetry Journal, Think Journal, The Classical Outlook (translations of Greek and Latin poetry and poems on classical subjects), Transference (translations), Star*Line (science fiction and fantasy poetry).

Susan

None, no just kidding. F=Formal; MF=Mostly Formal; C=Contests; T=Translations
Able Muse (F), Alabama Literary Review, Antiphon, Angle (MF), Atavic Poetry, Asses of Parnassus (F), Autumn Sky Daily, The Barefoot Muse (F), Birmingham Poetry Review, Better Than Starbucks, Blue Unicorn, Cave Wall, The Classical Outlook (T), Crazy Horse, The Critical Pass Review, Commonweal, Contemporary Rhyme (F), Dappled Things, Ecotone (MF), Ekphrastic Review, The Evansville Review, Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry (C), Goblin Fruit, Hudson Review, The Hopkins Review, Kenyon Review, Lighten Up Online: the quarterly verse webzine (F), Lunch Ticket, Iron Horse Literary Review, IthacaLit, The Lyric (F & C), Light (MF), Lavender Review, Margaret Reid Prize (C), Mezzo Cammin (F), The National Poetry Review, New Verse News, Off the Coast, The Orchards Poetry Journal (F), Oxford Poetry, Peacock Journal, PNR Review, The Poetry Porch (MF), Poetry, River Styx, Poem Tree (F), Rattle, The Raintown Review (F), RHINO Poetry, The Rondeau Roundup (C), The Road Not Taken: the journal of formal poetry (F), Rat’s Ass Review, Richard Wilbur Award (C), Star*Line, Strong Verse, Society of Classical Poets Journal (F), Shenandoah, Snakeskin (MF), 32 Poems, Think Journal, Thrush, Umbrella, Unsplendid (MF), Valparaiso Poetry Review, WestWard Quarterly (MF) ...

Edited in:
− American Arts Quarterly − The Rotary Dial + Alabama Literary Review + Thrush + Unsplendid + Peacock Journal

Michael, Susan and Erik

Thanks so much! That seems pretty definitive and really useful.

Yes. I do appreciate it as well. Still lots to wade through there. Some of those journals aren't necessarily places you should be proud to have your work. But it's better to have some sources to wade through rather than not.

This is a heartbreak.

My deep gratitude to Rob and Paul for their years of work on this brilliant and necessary journal.

And thanks for the lists of formal-friendly journals . . . but I think there's a little bit of bad news there, too: my understanding is that American Arts Quarterly no longer publishes poetry.

Is that so? Sorry to hear it. I noticed Susan McLean's New Test For Narcissism in its most recent issue.

The Alabama Literary Review is most receptive to formal poetry (if it's really good!).

It never rains but it pours, eh? Thoughts off-the-cuff:
Journals I took for stones now come and go.
Like plants, they need chronic upkeep to grow.
New blooms spring up, upstarts, Rat’s Ass Review . . .
of which you wonder: who the hell are you
to start the next poetry magazine?
Some thrive and all diversify the scene.

Most recent publication on their website is 2016.

Duotrope is a good source for some of this, but so frequently publications say they are open to formal poems but then you read what they publish you hardly see any.

Silly me, I forgot Erato-friendly Peacock Journal!

Out of curiosity, what's up with the Raintown these days? I left in 2016, but I've seen nothing regarding suspension of publication (and I still get emails asking about the status of submissions from time to time).

But per Measure, I can vouch for the amount of time and especially energy that doing a little magazine reasonably well takes. A dozen or so years with full-time day jobs, one's own writing, families, and so on is a remarkably good run. And Measure, let's recall, while a fairly different journal from The Formalist, was at the same time consciously taking that particular baton.

Tim Green has told me more than once (while rejecting my formal poems, but encouraging me to try again) that he really wants to publish more formal work in Rattle, but he just doesn't receive many high-quality submissions in form.

So if you don't see many formal poems in a venue that claims to be form-friendly, that doesn't necessarily mean that the editor isn't, in fact, form-friendly. He or she may simply be very, very picky, due to the high volume of other submissions.

Not that that makes the rejection sting less, when you know that the editor didn't reject your work because it rhymed, but because it stank.

Still going, though the most recent issue was delayed for some time. I submitted something last year that was rejected in September, and submitted again in January this year—still waiting on that one.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Serious note, my Duotrope tells me that Raintown rejected something yesterday.

Not to spam this. Question on "Blue Unicorn."

People's thought on this? Their blurbs are, let's say, an odd mix. Is it a worthwhile publication?

Andrew, Blue Unicorn is a small print journal, so it is not a high-visibility venue, but it does regularly include some formal verse and translations in form, along with free verse. I have been published in it for many years. It is not political, so it is not likely to get you in hot water for the company you keep.

Susan

An update on Erik's list:

Able Muse (F): Alive and Kicking
Alabama Literary Review: Hasn't published in 2 years
American Arts Quarterly: Nothing online since '16...how do you submit?
Antiphon, Alive and Kicking
Angle (MF): Indefinite Hiatus
Atavic Poetry: Duotrope thinks it's defunct
Asses of Parnassus (F): Alive and Kicking
Autumn Sky Daily: Alive and Kicking
The Barefoot Muse (F): Defunct
Birmingham Poetry Review: Alive and Kicking
Better Than Starbucks: Alive and Kicking
Blue Unicorn: Alive and Kicking
Cave Wall: No new issues in over a year
The Classical Outlook (T): Alive and Kicking
Crazy Horse: Alive and Kicking
The Critical Pass Review: No New Issues in over a year
Commonweal: Alive and Kicking, but religious-based journal
Contemporary Rhyme (F): Defunct
Dappled Things: Alive and Kicking, but religious-based journal
Ecotone (MF): Alive and Kicking, but "place-based" only
Ekphrastic Review: Alive and Kicking
The Evansville Review: Alive and Kicking
Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry (C): Alive and Kicking, but a competition
Goblin Fruit: "Website's security has been compromised for over a month"
Hudson Review: Alive and Kicking
The Hopkins Review: Alive and Kicking
Kenyon Review: Alive and Kicking
Lighten Up Online: the quarterly verse webzine (F): Alive and Kicking
Lunch Ticket: Alive and Kicking
Iron Horse Literary Review: Alive and Kicking
IthacaLit: Alive and Kicking
The Lyric (F & C): Alive and Kicking
Light (MF): Alive and Kicking
Lavender Review: Alive and Kicking, but for LGBT only
Margaret Reid Prize (C): alive and kicking, but a competition
Mezzo Cammi (F): Alive and Kicking, women only
The National Poetry Review: Alive and Kicking
New Verse News: Alive and Kicking, left wing poetry
Off the Coast: Alive and Kicking
The Orchards Poetry Journal (F): Alive and Kicking
Oxford Poetry: Alive and Kicking
Peacock Journal: Alive and Kicking
PNR Review: Alive and Kicking
The Poetry Porch (MF): Alive and Kicking
Poetry: Alive and Kicking
River Styx: Alive and Kicking
Poem Tree (F): I can't find this journal
Rattle: Alive and Kicking
The Raintown Review (F): Alive and Kicking
RHINO Poetry: Alive and Kicking
The Rondeau Roundup (C): Alive, but only competitions
The Road Not Taken: the journal of formal poetry (F): Alive and Kicking
Rat’s Ass Review: Alive and Kicking
[i]Richard Wilbur Award (C): Alive and Kicking, but a competition
The Rotary Dial: Defunct, so saith this thread
Star*Line: Alive and Kicking, but scifi
Strong Verse: Alive and Kicking...founded by Orson Scott Card
Society of Classical Poets Journal (F): Alive and Kicking...right-wing to Trumpist lean at times
Shenandoah: Alive and Kicking
Snakeskin (MF): Alive and Kicking
32 Poems: Alive and Kicking
Think Journal: Alive and Kicking
Thrush: Alive and Kicking
Umbrella: Defunct
Unsplendid (MF): Alive(?)...haven't published in a while
Valparaiso Poetry Review: Alive and Kicking
WestWard Quarterly (MF): Alive and Kicking

The Yale Review, The Dark Horse, Literary Imagination, American Literary Review and Crab Orchard Review can also be added to the formal-friendly list.

Nausheen

The Poem Tree: An Anthology of Metered Poetry seems to be a one-stop repository of superlative formal poetry. If possible to still get into this archive, I should think it a real accomplishment.

With J.D. McClatchy gone, it is doubtful that the Yale Review will remain formal-friendly.

Thank you all for this thread. I essentially never submit to journals, in part because I have no idea which are any good, or which might take what. We have a small library and one somewhat limited B & N downtown. But I may now start submitting.

Cheers,
John

AAQ has closed.

Andrew,
I think you're mistaken about Alabama Literary Review. I've just had three poems (two of which are formal, one free) published in its current issue.
Cathy

I'm glad I'm wrong about it. Duotrope doesn't list it anymore and the website doesn't have anything since 2016. Hiatus, or just letting the website fall behind?

Andrew, I recently discovered that Innisfree Poetry Journal is formal friendly. Hailey Leithauser is one of the editors there.

Susan

If people would like to make more confidential comments about various venues, there's a "Pub" forum specifically for that purpose, in the password-protected Eratosphericals zone.


The editor, William Thompson, made post #16 in this very thread yesterday. Perhaps he'll weigh in again.

"Lavender Review: Alive and Kicking, but for LGBT only"

Actually, Lavender Review is intended to appeal to a lesbian audience and to promote lesbians' art and poetry, but it's far more open to submissions by non-LGBT people (and on non-LGBT-specific topics) than that might imply. The editor is our Mary Meriam.

"Mezzo Cammi (F): Alive and Kicking, women only"

You need an "n" at the end of "Cammin." Yes, it accepts submissions only from women, which is why I'm personally not comfortable being published there. (Not that I feel morally superior to those who do--it's just not for me. I appreciate the need for safe spaces, but I don't like exclusivity. Lavender Review's more open approach is better, I think.)

Julie,

Thanks for the clarifications! Also, didn't know Mary ran Lavender Review. Good to know.

Well, that jaunt into the "Pub" Eratospherical just took me down a strange thread, though one that did touch on the reason I asked about Blue Unicorn. Odd.