Our Mission: To Publish Poetry
In which Darlene Young, Poetry Editor of Segullah, reveals the value of a poem about a boob job.
Most people believe that they don’t enjoy poetry. Perhaps they’ve been over-exposed to poetry that is inaccessible. Perhaps they can’t separate poetry from their high school or college experiences of being forced to write papers about poems that other people say are good. Whatever it is, there are definitely some mental blocks out there when it comes to reading poetry. (Despite the number of people who WRITE it, which is the subject of another post I hope to write soon.) I see Segullah as being in a good position to broaden its readers’ exposure to poetry and show them that it can be enjoyable.
Of course, this can’t happen if we don’t get enough quality submissions! At Segullah we are hoping that with publicity and with our poetry contest we will gradually begin receiving more and more good stuff. And as poets realize there is a place for them to publish, they will be more willing to see themselves as poets and perhaps work harder.
I can’t over-emphasize how important it is to a poet to know that there are places to publish. I myself didn’t start writing poetry as an adult until I discovered Exponent II and Irreantum as potential places to publish. So I have a definite sense of mission for Segullah, both in terms of creating an audience for poetry and providing a forum for poets.
But I have some mixed feelings when it comes to setting standards of quality for Segullah. When I was first writing poetry, I wrote some stuff that was, well, not really great. At that time, Harlow Clark was poetry editor at Irreantum and he accepted some of my (weak) stuff. He even wrote an article in Irreantum around that time called “Room to be Lousy” (which he insists wasn’t specifically about me, but hey, I’m not stupid) in which he spoke of the need for a place for growing poets to publish even when they are not very good yet. I can’t argue with him—probably if I hadn’t seen that success early on, I would have given up.
Which puts me in a difficult position as a poetry editor now. I want to foster the growth of new LDS poets. But if I publish lousy stuff, better poets, potential contributors, will read Segullah and think that it is not for them and so they won’t send me anything. I want to keep high standards so that we will receive high-quality submissions and so that the audience will learn what good poetry is. But I want to give “lousy” poets who show some potential a chance. When I don’t feel we have much really great stuff to put in an issue, how far should I lower our standards in order to fill pages and in order to give new poets a chance? Do you other editors struggle with this question?
At Segullah, when we (the poetry board) are deciding what to publish and when we have enough decent submissions that we can be picky, here are the criteria that we use: Is it a quality piece? Does it speak to a woman’s experience? Does it speak to a Mormon’s experience? Even better: does it speak to a Mormon woman’s experience? Does it address our issue’s theme? Although we hope we haven’t published any bad poetry, we sometimes publish poetry that is less technically skilled because its theme is pertinent to our mission, or because it fits the issue’s theme so well.
For example, here’s a poem of mine that Segullah published a few years ago.
Angels of Mercy
by Darlene Young
The Seventh Ward Relief Society
presidency argued long and soft
whether Janie Goodmansen deserved
to have the sisters bring her family meals.
It seems that precedent was vague–
no one was sure if “boob job” qualified
as a legitimate call for aid.
Janie herself had never asked for help–
a fault they found it harder to forgive
even than the vanity behind
the worldliness of D-cup ambition.
But in the end charity did not fail.
The sisters marched on in grim duty
each evening clutching covered casseroles
(for, after all, it wasn’t the children’s fault).
More than once, though, by some oversight
the dessert came out a little short, as if
by some consensus they all knew
that Janie’s husband, Jim, could do
without a piece of pie that night.
Obviously, this is not a very technically accomplished poem. BUT it addressed the Mormon woman’s experience and it fit the issue theme (bodies) perfectly. We’re hoping that very skillful poets will not read this poem and decide that we do not prefer to publish technically accomplished poetry—and at the same time, we are hoping that people who think they do not like poetry (or can’t understand it) will read a poem like this and think, “Hey, that said something in a new way. That’s a poem, and I enjoyed it.” Of course, we are often able to balance less-crafted poems like this one with other more-crafted poems within the same issue (but not always—we can dream, though, right?).
(And I do have to say here that I am not using terms like “crafted” and “technical skill” to mean “less accessible” and “requires a dictionary and a book of literary allusions in order to understand.” These terms are not equivalent, and the mistaken belief that they are has caused many an unfortunate situation for people who might otherwise like to read or write poetry. But that’s another topic for another post.)
How about you other editors? What is your submission pool like? Do you get enough quality submissions that you are able to pick poems that contribute to a certain flavor you wish to convey? Do you have a sense of mission? What do you hope for the future of poetry in your publication?
And what about you readers? Do you enjoy the poetry you’ve found in independent LDS pubs? What do you want to see more (or less) of?
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November 24th, 2008 at 11:06 am
that is one of my fav poems Darlene. You know, I was really impressed when Leslie recently submitted a poem (her first!) and received such excellent feedback and ideas for improvement. It made me want to write a poem.
Maybe you could have an online workshop where you say– “submit what you’ve got and we’ll turn you into a poet.”?
November 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
ooh, I love the idea of an online workshop, or better yet, a real-live workshop. I know that as a reader, I love to read poems. As a writer, they scare the heck out of me. That’s not to say that I don’t have a whole stash of (probably horrible) poetry in my secret writing files. I just don’t know how to look at them objectively and make them anything else but secret and horrible.
I think a writing workshop day– with classes on poetry, creative nonfiction, creative fiction– would be a great way to reach out to our readers and to get to know each other better too.
And the boob job poem? When I read it I knew I wanted to be part of Segullah. Seriously brilliant!
November 24th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I think educating readers and poets alike is key. As a very novice poem writer (can’t even say poet yet), I know I have a lot to learn but am not entirely sure where to go to learn it. It’s invaluable for me when I see earlier drafts of other people’s poems and the evolution they undergo, especially if the reasons for the changes are explained. I’d love to learn how to craft poems with attention to things like meter and rhythm.
And I love your poem, Darlene. The emotional complexity (with humor to boot!) captured in such few lines is truly striking.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Irreantum needs poetry, too. Really, really needs poetry. As far as quality is concerned, I have to admit that while Irreantum might accept something that needs a little tweaking or some minimal editorial guidance, I’m not interested in accepting poetry that needs a lot of work outright, simply because there’s no guarantee that the editor can get the poet to the place he or she needs to be in order to be print-worthy.
That said, though, I’m ALL FOR giving promising new poets editorial feedback and encouraging them to submit again. I would love to publish a new poet under those circumstances.
November 24th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I like the idea of a workshop day too. Maybe we could run it on the blog, and solicit staff/reader feedback. Ooh, ooh, this is good. Very good.
I feel like I want to help every poet who’s not quite there yet, because I myself am not quite there yet. I think the main differences between my poetry and another beginning/mediocre poet are 1-I have friends know what they are talking about, and who help me revise and edit, and 2-I listen to what they say and try to implement it.
Yes, there’s an element of gift to this as well. But I’m also convinced that there’s a group of wanna be poets who just need to find a good review group and have the humility to revise.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I found a big box of old RS magazine on the free table at Church this last Sunday. It felt like striking gold. What are your options for reprinting some of those poems? It seems a shame to me that they be lost forever. Anyone up for an anthology? I’ve got magazines from the late 40s through the 60s. Honestly, gold mine!
I also like the idea of a writer’s group or workshop for poets. I gotta say, though, that I lean toward the online version. I live too far away to attend (if it’s in Utah). Anyone want to drive out to Colorado? If so we could have the meeting at my house!
November 24th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I am a “new” poet, but I don’t feel like I know enough of what editors want. How much do I side with people’s editorial wants and still maintain my own voice? I guess there are lots of questions that are unanswerable…
November 25th, 2008 at 9:12 am
I feel like the country bumpkin here, but I know next to nothing about poetry. I’ve only taken a few classes on the subject, and usually feel quite at sea when I encounter it.
Fortunately, I inherited a very good poetry editor (Dixie Partridge) who keeps the Sunstone roster full of the best and brightest. The only thing I really do is find which poem fits the blank space at the end of an article.
By the way, Darlene, I really liked your poem. It’s great to see another independent Mormon magazine join the ranks of those who have printed the word “boobs” in their venerable pages. It’s a long and rich tradition to become a part of.
November 25th, 2008 at 9:18 am
hi my name is heidi crouch i love writting poetry but have not yet published any i would love to get some published please please give me some time to get them to you all i am asking is that you read it and tell me if you like it or not thanks for your time
Thank you
Heidi Crouch
November 25th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Dying Inside
In this crowded place you might think I would be happy
But even in this crowded place I still feel alone
What is it?
Who is it?
Why does it feel as if I am falling and never stopping?
Why is no one helping me?
My breath is fading
I now can’t see
It feels as if I am dying
Why I am dying?
Why aren’t you helping me?
Why can’t you save me?
It is too late.
I am no longer.
My last wish was that you would help me but you did not.
I thought you said you loved me?
I thought you really cared.
This life upon which we are given is going to fly by.
So give your heart in everything you do and to everyone who you love.
wriiten by Heidi Crouch
November 25th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Add my voice to the call for an online workshop. Being in PA there’s no chance of a Utah workshop for me. The last year I’ve been writing more and more, and a few poetry type thingies. In my school days I did not get along with poetry so I’m flat out intimidated by it. But my love of words makes me curious.
My question is- Does a workshop need to specifically focus on helping Mormon women? If I were to attend any old poetry workshop would the empathetic ear be available for such a “peculiar” sub-genre? Is there a need for outreach to Mormon women who want to be creative but, like me are scared of poetry? Is this a specific voice that needs to be heard from more often?
November 25th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Heidi, I can tell your poem comes from a place of strong emotion, which is good. What I’m seeing when I read it, though, is that you’ve got a lot of vague, abstract words, without pinning them down to specific images. You’ve got words like “alone” and “happy” and “dying” and “loved me.” You can use those in poetry, but if you don’t give us specific imagery as well, it’s hard for the reader to understand where you’re coming from.
I think a good place for you to start revising this would be to take a few of your abstract words and brainstorm concrete, specific images for them. Take “alone.” What does alone feel like, sound like, taste like, smell like, etc.? Write a few fresh, new images for each abstract word. Then go back and incorporate them into your poem.
Then take that version, and show it to someone, and incorporate those comments too. Revise and repeat. Several drafts later, you’ll have a poem that helps the reader experience all the powerful feeling that made you want to write the poem in the first place.
I teach a writing workshop for my ward’s Enrichment program, and I had the women do this exercise. It was very successful–it helped them see the difference between abstract ideas and concrete images. It’s impossible for readers to experience vague meanings until they are tied down to specifics in some way.
It’s also important to realize that the way the poem first comes out is hardly ever how it ends up. Revision, over and over, is what will turn your writing into something great.
Have fun with the revising, and keep writing!
November 25th, 2008 at 10:15 am
P.S. I would love to do a writing workshop feature on Segullah’s blog, maybe once a month or so. We will take it up with our blog editor, Maralise, and see what she thinks. But in the meantime, I can recommend the online writing workshop at Nauvoo.com, Orson Scott Card’s LDS forum. It’s all online, run by Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury, and newcomers are welcome.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Some interesting thoughts.
Emily, you’re so good at helping poets improve!
The on-line workshop might be a good thing. At AML, we used to sponsor a writer’s conference, but we’ve discontinued it for several reasons, one of which is that other organizations are having writer’s conferences here and we felt we were not offering anything that the others weren’t offering. An on-line workshop is a different thing, and is even different than what’s happening at nauvoo.com. Worth pondering.
I’m still hoping to hear from Stephen and Kristine and Benjamin about poetry in their publications.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Oh, sorry, Stephen, I missed your comment. Thanks–it seems that that poem is awfully popular. I think Mormons get an unusual thrill out getting away with saying boob.
So do you know whether you are you receiving lots of high-quality submissions? I wonder if Sunstone gets more than we do because of longevity, or whether the same poets are contributing over time, or what.
November 25th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
People that think they don’t like poetry just haven’t read the ones that relate to them. If you have a heart and soul, you like poetry.
Logan Lamech
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/LingeringPoets.html
November 26th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Actually, Darlene, Dixie is always pushing us to publish more poetry. I regretfully admit that our backlog goes back to the turn of the century. Yes, there are a few poems accepted in 2001 that haven’t made it to print yet. But I’m working on it. I try to get at least five poems in to each issue. Hopefully more.
Poetry is important. I know that. The best is as good as prayer to me.
November 29th, 2008 at 5:24 am
I like the idea of the workshop and would recommend Alsop Review’s Gazebo as a good model (www.alsopreview.com).
If you see part of your mission as educating both readers and poets as to what good poetry might be, perhaps you might consider an ongoing feature where a strong poem is published with a much earlier (and weaker) draft. Accompany this with either commentary from the poet as to why the final version is stronger, what changes were made, and why. This helps demystify the writing and revision process while simultaneously creating more interest in the individual poets (which is never a bad thing).
If your submission volume is still small and manageable, take time to offer a little constructive feedback for the poems which come close, but don’t quite succeed. When I first started Boxcar Poetry Review (www.boxcarpoetry.com), I would write a personal response for almost every rejection I sent out, taking time to point out which poem(s) were close, what I had liked about them, and where things didn’t seem to work out in the end. I hoped that doing so would help poets glimpse our journal’s vision and goals. I made a decision never to compromise on quality, regardless of who sent me work. So, despite having submissions from well-known poets, if the work wasn’t up to par, I still said no. If the work was strong, but the poet were unknown, I’d publish them. In the end, it was the work that was most important. Set a high bar and people will respect it.
Good luck with Segullah!
November 29th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Ooooh, good suggestions, Neil. I need to focus on more detailed rejections, I think.
Stephen–too bad you can’t tell Dixie to send some of the backlog over to us . . .
December 18th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
as i lie here in this bed all i want to do is get some rest but the memorise of you and me keep me awake.
the way your hand fit mine
the way your kiss lingerd on my lips
and when you held me i knew you were the one.
we spent so many days running with the wind
so many hours you held me as i cryed
but now your gone and it feels as if my heart is being ripped out of my chest every time i hear your name.
love is lost and so am i
all i wish for is one more day in your arms