Boxcar Poetry Review - Issue 39

We are thrilled to be back after a long unexpected hiatus in which we basically fell in darkness and silence. Our hope is that with some new staff (announcements coming soon) and some adjustments to our reading strategies, Boxcar will grow even stronger.

It's hard to believe that for the past 12 years and 39 issues, every poetry submission has been read and decided upon by a single person, me (Neil). I've also taken great pride in my commitment to read every single poem that comes in. But the truth is that adhering to this policy has also been the journal's Achilles heel -- if one person reads all poetry submissions, then should that one person become overwhelmed or unavailable, there's no fallback plan to ensure responses are sent in a timely fashion.

In this issue, there is violence and erasure, but there is also reclamation and rebuilding. Love, death, longing, and the language of forgiveness and resistance. Weary doctors, dead mice, cutlip minnows, and empty parking garages. We also feature a wonderful interview with Philip Schaefer conducted by Jory Mickelson, as well as, two reviews: Dorothy Chan's examination of Kate Angus' So Late to the party and K.R. Miller's exploration of Darwin, technology, and pop culture in Katie Willingham's Unlikely Designs.

Stay tuned — we'll back in the summer with another issue! Want to stop by, we're at Table 1136 in the AWP Bookfair this week.