BPJ Revisited

As you might recall, last week's post was a review of Beloit Poetry Journal--based upon a reading I did of it four years ago. Tastes change. And let's face it, I don't always do a thorough job on...well...anything, much less my homework assignments. So it's only fair that I give BPJ a second chance.

The best way to approach this magazine is with an open mind about literature. This particular publication likes their poetry on the wild side. It's more about language and poetic presence than it is about plot lines and narration. To be more clear, it's far less prosey than most other journals.

Contemporary poetry has drifted toward a sort of story-tellers approach. It makes for clear, coherent works. And I like that, but I also like the idea of a poem being created just for the sake of language. Isn't it alright to write something just for the sake of it being written?

I believe what my training has taught me is this--yes, one can write anything ABOUT anything but it should also be a priority to maintain the integrity of a poem. All writing has potential; it's the poets job to make sure his or her work has reached it's fullest.

Which leads me to conclude that next Friday (or Saturday whenever I actually get around to posting) I will not be posting a review. Since I've already discovered two journals that I'm willing to send submissions to, I will take next week to prepare to do so. I will be posting whether or not I go through with it....

Because it's scary as all hell to me and I need the help of a blogging website to talk me into it.