September 2020
EDITOR'S NOTE
Dear Villagers,
When I became part of the Verse-Virtual community in 2015, I was, to be brutally honest, quite full of myself, even though I was sure there were some "good" poets in the group. At the same time, I really wanted to belong and participate, so when various members asked for book reviews, I happily volunteered. Joan Colby was one of the first to ask, and I reviewed two of her books—"Pro Forma" and "Wingback Chair". In reading her poetry, I realized quickly that I was out of my league in this wonderful village, and yet no one invited me to leave. So I stayed. Firestone encouraged me and included me, without making a big deal of it. Eventually, he asked me to be a contributing editor, an invitation that still puzzles me, but how was I going to say no to him?
Five years later, Firestone is gone. Joan is gone, as are other notables. But Verse-Virtual is still here. And in a quirk of fate that I could not have foreseen, I am not only still here, but I have the privilege of editing the journal that comes from this community. In the middle of a pandemic, political chaos, and natural disasters, we are not just enduring, we are thriving. We are writing. We are sharing our fears, our triumphs, and our sorrows. The V-V Readings have grown from a shaky start to a solid event in just 3 months. New members are joining the group because YOU are inviting them to come and see what community means in action, not just in word.
At long last, the ability to search the web site is fully functional, making it easier to find poems by author or title. I would recommend using the search to find and read all of Joan Colby's poems. It will be time well spent.
Alan Walowitz graciously accepted to be the guest editor for this issue. Reading, making notes, considering what should and maybe should not be included, all take time and effort, and Alan was a pleasure to work with as we made final decisions for publication. Thank you, Alan.
Submissions for the October 2020 issue are open from September 1 to September 10, no sooner and no later. Whether you are new, or a long time member of the group, PLEASE review the submission guidelines before you send anything. It could make the difference between having your work accepted and wondering "why didn't I ever hear back?" The guidelines can be found HERE.
With my best regards to you all,
Jim
When I became part of the Verse-Virtual community in 2015, I was, to be brutally honest, quite full of myself, even though I was sure there were some "good" poets in the group. At the same time, I really wanted to belong and participate, so when various members asked for book reviews, I happily volunteered. Joan Colby was one of the first to ask, and I reviewed two of her books—"Pro Forma" and "Wingback Chair". In reading her poetry, I realized quickly that I was out of my league in this wonderful village, and yet no one invited me to leave. So I stayed. Firestone encouraged me and included me, without making a big deal of it. Eventually, he asked me to be a contributing editor, an invitation that still puzzles me, but how was I going to say no to him?
Five years later, Firestone is gone. Joan is gone, as are other notables. But Verse-Virtual is still here. And in a quirk of fate that I could not have foreseen, I am not only still here, but I have the privilege of editing the journal that comes from this community. In the middle of a pandemic, political chaos, and natural disasters, we are not just enduring, we are thriving. We are writing. We are sharing our fears, our triumphs, and our sorrows. The V-V Readings have grown from a shaky start to a solid event in just 3 months. New members are joining the group because YOU are inviting them to come and see what community means in action, not just in word.
At long last, the ability to search the web site is fully functional, making it easier to find poems by author or title. I would recommend using the search to find and read all of Joan Colby's poems. It will be time well spent.
Alan Walowitz graciously accepted to be the guest editor for this issue. Reading, making notes, considering what should and maybe should not be included, all take time and effort, and Alan was a pleasure to work with as we made final decisions for publication. Thank you, Alan.
Submissions for the October 2020 issue are open from September 1 to September 10, no sooner and no later. Whether you are new, or a long time member of the group, PLEASE review the submission guidelines before you send anything. It could make the difference between having your work accepted and wondering "why didn't I ever hear back?" The guidelines can be found HERE.
With my best regards to you all,
Jim