Friday, October 07, 2005

Small question, big poem

I've got a question for the blogosphere out there--in case anyone is actually reading this blog... I have just completed (again) a long poem or poems in the voices of the women who were associated with Picasso. Yeah, some of you may know that I started this in 2003 or thereabouts and finished it (or got sick of it) about a year later. But I had second thoughts or a second wind or something and in the last month or so have added four poems to the series. I think it is done--minus tinkering.

The Gallerie des Femmes, as it is presently called, will go in my second book--if the first one ever gets published. But I'd like to attempt to send Gallerie itself out for publication. Does anyone know of a journal that will even look at an 18-page poem? I would be willing to publish some of these poems separately, though I'd like to give the editor a chance to choose which one(s). But I'm afraid if I send 18 pages anywhere the reflex will be to toss it into the trash.

Suggestions? Any of you ever tried to publish something really long ?

13 comments:

C. Dale said...

Yes, it is tough to place a long poem. There are mags that do them, like:

TriQuarterly
APR
Chelsea (sometimes)
Kenyon (sometimes)
Paris Review (used to but not sure now with their changes)

I am sure there are others. NER does publish them but usually only one a year, if that. Since I have already run a poem of significant length this year, I couldn't take on a long poem for probably a year or so. Hopefully others stop by, because I know there are other places that run long poems.

Unknown said...

Thanks, C. Dale, for the suggestions. I had thought of Paris Review, but I already have poems out to them. Maybe I'll give APR a shot, although I had sworn never to send to them again--the last time I submitted they lost my poems, told me to resubmit, then never got back to me.

jose said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

Hey, I may have just deleted a comment by mistake. My apologies.

jose said...

I was suggesting you try At Length, a journal that specializes in long works. Anne Winters' "An Immigrant Woman" from The Displaced of Capital originally appeared there. I was worried you'd deleted the comment because you thought "At Length" referred to something else.

Charles said...

Hey, Diane--

I posted this same question in my blog last month. I got a lot of good recommendations:

http://kinemapoetics.blogspot.com/2005/09/size-queen.html

Robert said...

A couple other possibilities: Artful Dodge says on its website, “Please send no more than 30 pages of prose or six poems, though long poems are encouraged," and Marlboro Review says it “accepts poetry, fiction, interviews, criticism, reviews, parts-of-novels, long poems, and non-fiction.”

Unknown said...

Jose, you got me. I realized you were on the level an instant after I deleted it. Sorry! The spam reaction, you know. :)

I looked at At Length, and it seems a good possibility, although I confess to be more inclined to send to print journals.

Charles, I just looked at the responses you got to this question. Cool.

Thanks, all. I'm going to make a little list.

Robert said...

I submitted to At Length earlier this year and got a reply in August that they were going on an "indefinite hiatus" and might or might not ever publish again.

Robert said...

Speak of the devil! Artful Dodge just accepted a 300-line poem of mine that I thought no magazine would ever take.

C. Dale said...

Congrats, Robert!

Simmons B. Buntin said...

We haven't had too many long poems submitted, but if you don't mind an online forum, Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments (www.terrain.org) will consider long poems. We've published a few by folks like Robert Lietz (see http://www.terrain.org/poetry/11/lietz.htm, for example). It should, at least peripherally, apply to the issue's theme. Upcoming themes are Garden Gate, The Music of It All, and Community Sustained.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Simmons, but these poems--all in the voices of the women who populated Picasso's life and art--don't seem to fit your themes. But thanks anyway for the suggestion.