[Ned Balbo]

Given how long it takes poems to make into print or cyberspace, "new" is a relative term, but most of these are new-ish. The exceptions are those at Tower Journal: the oldest was begun in 1987, the next oldest in '91 & the rest are from '95-'96. Thanks to editor Mary Ann Sullivan, those orphans found a home.

I'm happy to share space with many fine poets at the links below--some (like String Poet, Tower Journal, VPR) occupied by an impressive share of Eratosphere regulars.

Baltimore Review:
http://baltimorereview.org/index.php...utor/ned-balbo

String Poet:
http://www.stringpoet.com/2012/05/3-ned-balbo/

The Tower Journal:
http://www.towerjournal.com/fall_2011/index.html

Valparaiso Poetry Review:
http://www.valpo.edu/vpr/v13n1/v13n1...balbothree.php

Y.A.R.N. National Poetry Month Project:
http://yareview.net/2012/03/national...-month-begins/

[RCL]

Ned, Enjoyed your poems and the essay on Dana in the current Italian Americana !

Cheers,
Ralph

[Ned Balbo]

Thanks, Ralph! I'm glad you saw the essay, too. Did you run across it at Dana's Facebook page?

[RCL]

Ned,

I saw it in my contributor's copy (La Rosa).

Ralph

[Ned Balbo]

Ralph, that's a lovely poem about your daughter! (Forgive me if I confuse author and speaker...). It's great when actual people step forward from the words on the page (or screen), as often happens here. Reading your contributor's note, I see I have to take a look at back issues of Raintown Review, too.

For anyone joining: Ralph's poem is "Double Take," in the Summer 2012 Italian Americana--not fully on-line, unfortunately, but well worth the print subscription.

http://www.italianamericana.com/2012/Subscribe.html

[Jean L. Kreiling]

Ned--

Congratulations, and thanks for this news. Your reading in Newburyport makes me eager to see more of your work.

Best,
Jean

[Rick Mullin]

Thanks for the notice, Ned. I look forward to reading these after my "travel day."

RM

[Ned Balbo]

Steve Harris at Avatar Review has very kindly published a group of ekphrastic poems based on the paintings of Nora Sturges. (Images appear side by side.)

Here's the contents page link--you'll see a section near the top of the second column--and you can also click on other contributors to check out the range of excellent work in this issue.

http://www.avatarreview.net/AV14/contents

I'm a big fan of Bryan Dietrich whose recent haiku sequence, Prime Directive, about Star Trek fandom, family history, and the fragility of memory, is one of my favorite recent collections. You'll find his interview and a review of his newest book in the issue, too.