book of poetry

Poetry Editorial Style: Bree Hoffman

book of poetry

In this semester of acting as SR’s poetry editor, I have learned three very important things about working in an editorial role. It’s okay to trust your gut, it’s okay to ask for a second opinion, and having conversations about what you do and don’t like about writing is the best way to discover your own biases around art and poetry in particular. I think it’s very important to be knowledgeable of your biases before reading pieces critically, and will help to generate the most diverse group of submissions for publication. Getting into the editing was the hardest part for me, especially at the very beginning. There are times when insecurity wants to take over and you worry you can’t tell the difference between a great poem and a simply okay poem. But that insecurity really leaves quickly once you’re actually in the thick of it, and get to rise to the occasion by showcasing some excellent submissions for our readers. That has definitely been my favorite part of the editing process, finding the ones that really stand out.

To me, poetry is an excellent window into other people, and is a great demonstration of what the humanities can be. Through poetry, we learn to demonstrate a lot of complex thoughts and feelings, and how we interpret them is indicative of our own perspectives and experiences we bring to the table. The coolest part to me, is how much variation poetry can utilize, and the fact that each poem is fully dependent on the voice of its author. I feel like poetry is one of the most intimate forms of expression, and one of the most creative and expansive outlets that humans have.

For Issue 28, I started by reading each submission and giving my instinctual vote on it, usually in the form of a Yes, No, or Maybe. I am a little more forgiving in this step of the process. Once I’ve selected my Yes’s and Maybe’s, I then re-read them more critically, analyzing the content, composition, and craft to try and narrow down the best top ten submissions for the magazine. The act of collaborating with the Poetry team on the final selections is the most exciting part of the whole semester, outside of the actual publication itself! The role of Poetry Editor has taught me so much about curating selections for readers and how to trust your own opinion in the way that your peers and readers trust you to show them great pieces of work.

Intern Updates: Brooke Stevenson

We are pleased to feature Brooke Stevenson, a Poetry Editor all the way from the very first Superstition Review issue! Having graduated from ASU with a degree in English Language/Literature and a concentration in Creative Writing, Brooke currently works as a Senior Proposal Content Specialist at Atkins, a company specialized in engineering and design. She has been at Atkins for ten years and counting, and she not only remains skilled in editing, but also in marketing communications. An amazing transition!

If you’d like to learn more about Brooke’s accomplishments, you can visit her LinkedIn page here.

SR Pod/Vod Series: Poet Chance Castro

Each Tuesday we feature audio or video of an SR Contributor reading their work. Today we’re proud to feature a podcast by Chance Castro.

Chance CastroChance Castro is an MFA Poetry student at CSU San Bernardino where he has served as poetry editor for Ghost Town Literary Magazine. He is the founding poetry editor for The Great American Literary Magazine at www.thegreatamericanlitmag.com. He is previously published or forthcoming in RHINO, Santa Clara Review, The Pacific Review, Tin Cannon, The Chaffey Review, and elsewhere.

You can listen to the podcast on our iTunes Channel.

You can read along with the work in Superstition Review.

 

Past Intern Updates: Ljubo Popovich

Ljubo PopovichLjubo Popovich, Poetry Editor from Issue 8, shares some thoughts about his time at ASU and his discovery of non-Western literature.

I always thought that my parents and elders were pulling my leg when they told me to enjoy my college years – that they are the best years of my life and so forth. When I was in college I came close to feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork, and I never got heavily into the social life of the students that lived on campus, of going to the football games or participating in clubs or fraternities. I had a few friends, but my main concern was getting out into the world, and getting through this period of uncertainty and dread of the future. Eventually, I switched my major (twice), and landed in English. Finally things were getting interesting. I could stop plodding through Architecture and Engineering and simply learn what I genuinely cared about. My appreciation for literature grew and blossomed at ASU in my last two years. I felt much more comfortable in this realm.

I spent hours in the library, wandering through the stacks, always using what I learned in my classes as a jumping off point for further exploration. This curiosity has become a central part of my life. I became interested in literature and culture outside of the United States. When I stayed in Montenegro, I had the chance to visit Italy, Greece, Germany, England, Switzerland, Serbia, and Croatia. Now I can’t wait to go back and eat the exotic food, walk on the beaches, drive through the mountains, and experience entirely different cultures. The great European and Asian writers that I discovered gave me further encouragement to see as much of the world as possible.

What the future holds is still an unknown, but I know that I found a limitless source of joy in the works of Chekhov, Goethe, and Gogol. Dostoevsky and Akutagawa, Maugham, Victor Hugo, Cervantes, Italo Svevo…wherever I turned, there was a fresh perspective. I have learned that one book is always the doorway to another, and that life makes sense when you are lost in a good book. My experience with Superstition Review gave me a taste of the publishing world, and I think that my thirst for literature will now lead me toward a career with a publishing company, or perhaps as an editor of a magazine. For the time being, I work at ASU Online, in student services. Though it gives me much needed work experience and enough of an income to plan for the future, I am always on the lookout for opportunities in the fields I am most interested in.

Although I have only been out of college for half a year, I am beginning to understand what my parents meant. My years at the university were formative and they were some of the happiest years I have had, despite the struggle and uncertainty of that period of my life. Most importantly, I met the girl to whom I am now engaged, and I received the basic tools I will use for the rest of my life: education, determination, love, patience, and intellectual curiosity.

Meet the Review Crew: Kimberley Hutchinson

Each week we will be featuring one of our many talented interns here at Superstition Review.

Kimberley Hutchinson is one of the Poetry Editors for Issue 9 of Superstition Review. Kimberley is currently a Junior at Barrett, the honors college at Arizona State University and is pursuing degrees in Creative Writing and Women/Gender Studies, as well as a minor in Anthropology. A native of Tucson, Arizona, Kimberley will likely be returning to southern Arizona after graduating in the winter of 2013.

A self-described bookworm, Kimberley has a long list of books she’d rather not have to live without, although at this time she is most interested in dystopian novels and short stories. She is particularly interested in how literature applies to the real world and why certain pieces of writing become popular or canonized. Presently, Kimberley is experimenting with the idea that fiction – especially dystopian fiction – becomes most popular when it is most relevant to the reader. That is not to say that the events portrayed in the book are true, but that the events and situations resonate with the reader because they parallel contemporary discussions and debates. As a result, Kimberley is presently enrolled in several classes which examine critical perspectives on various works of popular fiction.

This interest has been coloring her own writing. While Kimberley has previously had poetry published in Marooned, she has recently turned her attention to strengthening her short story writing abilities. Working with Superstition Review is helping Kimberley to recognize in her own work where her weaknesses lie.

If asked to pick a single book as her “favorite,” Kimberley would presently answer World War Z, although that is likely to change soon, as no title holds that position particularly long in the life of an avid reader.

Meet the Review Crew: Corinne Randall

Each week we feature one of our many talented interns here at Superstition Review.

Corinne Randall is a Poetry Editor for Superstition Review for the second time. She is a junior at Arizona State University studying Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry for her major and Communication for her minor. She is a native of Framingham, Massachusetts…an old, historical town about 20 minutes from Boston. After graduating from ASU, Corinne hopes to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing-Poetry at ASU or NYU.

Corinne has been writing for a good portion of her schooling career. It became apparent in 8th grade that she had a talent for writing poetry when she had a poem published in Celebrate! Young Poets Speak Out. Along with writing poetry, Corinne loves reading and watching movies. She has a love for the arts. If she had to read one book for the rest of her life it would be J.D. Salinger’s famous novel Catcher in the Rye. She fell in love with it when she was required to read it her sophomore year in high school, and has read it twice since.

Corinne became interested in Superstition Review while looking for internships her sophomore year in college. She had the opportunity to look at past issues of SR and decided that the wonderful works of all different kinds of art the magazine featured was something she wanted to be a part of. She believes that having to opportunity to read the poetry authors send in for submissions has enhanced her ability to write her own poetry. She has enjoyed the two semesters she has worked for the magazine and hopes to continue as an intern for the rest of her time at ASU.

CGCC Poetry Reading: Allyson Boggess, Matthew Jolly, Patricia Murphy

Join us to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Thursday, April 5, 2012
7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Library First Floor
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
2626 E. Pecos Rd., Chandler, AZ 85225-2499

 

Allyson BoggessAllyson Boggess is a graduate of the MFA program at Arizona State University, where she was a poetry editor at Hayden’s Ferry Review. She teaches poetry at CGCC and writing at ASU and the Harvard Extension School. Her work was recently published in [PANK]. She lives in Phoenix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew JollyMatthew Jolly is a member of the English faculty at GateWay Community College where he teaches classes in English composition and literature. He grew up outside Cleveland, Ohio, but now lives in Southeast Phoenix with his wife Lauren, his son Benjamin, three devious dogs, and a cat named Ebbilah. He received his MFA in poetry from Arizona State University where he was the recipient of a graduate fellowship and winner of the Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout Award in poetry. His work has appeared in Phoebe: A Journal of Literature and Art; The New Delta Review; and as part of NCTE’s online celebration of National Poetry Month. His “Elegy, Autopsy, and Archeological Excavation: An Interview with David Wojahn” (Hayden’s Ferry Review, 2003) was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

 

 

Patricia Murphy

Patricia Murphy is a Senior Lecturer at ASU where she teaches creative writing and is the founding editor of Superstition Review. In Spring 2009 she won the Provost’s Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Mentoring. Murphy earned her B.A. in English and French from Miami University and her M.F.A. in Poetry from ASU. Her poems have appeared in many literary magazines including The Massachusetts Review, Clackamas Literary Review, New Orleans Review, Seattle Review, Cimarron Review, Kalliope, Quarterly West, American Poetry Review, Green Mountains Review, Indiana Review, and The Iowa Review. Her poems have received awards from the Cream City Review, The GSU Review, Glimmer Train Press, the Ann Stanford Poetry Prize, and Gulf Coast among others. She is the recipient of an Artist’s Project Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and she has been awarded residencies at Mesa Refuge, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and Vermont Studio Center.

Intern Highlight: Ljubo Popovich

A Poetry Editor at Superstition Review, Ljubo Popovich is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. He is majoring in Literature, Film and Writing at Arizona State University. He is most interested in the publishing world and would like to someday publish handsome editions of classics of literature and poetry. Also an avid reader, amateur writer, chess player, and drummer, he tends to think that all you need in life is a good book, and good people to spend time with.

In this video, Ljubo shares some of his literary inspirations.

Meet the Interns: Jason Wright

Web Designer Jason Wright is an ASU senior majoring in Creative Writing. He is also a self-taught web developer and currently helps maintain multiple websites originating around his hometown in Phoenix, Arizona. While finding balance between intricate expression through poetry and hard-coded website and computer manipulation, he flourishes when given the opportunity to utilize both. This is his second semester as an intern with Superstition Review.

1. What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

As the Web Designer for Superstition Review, some of my responsibilities include maintaining the website, creating the basis for new issues, managing data, and editing/formatting contributions for publishing on the web.

2. Why did you decide to get involved with Superstition Review ?

I was the Poetry Editor last semester and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Web Design position seemed like a great fit for me, as well, because it gives me the opportunity to integrate my knowledge of web development with my love for literature.

3. How do you like to spend your free time?

I typically spend my free time teaching myself various computing languages, building computers/websites, gaming, or reading poetry by the fire with a glass of scotch (I’m missing the robe and cigar, I know).

4. What other position(s) for Superstition Review would you like to try out?

The Fiction or Non-Fiction Editor positions would be fun. Being able to read so many authors was a great perk of the Poetry Editor position and I feel it did great things to my experience as a poet.

5. Describe one of your favorite literary works.

Despite how long it’s taken me to get through it, Ovid’s Metamorphoses has been an enticing trip through Greek Mythology.

6. What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading a compilation of poems by E.E. Cummings.

7. Creatively, what are you currently working on?

Using Cummings’ playful relationship with syntax and punctuation as a basis for study, I’ve been working on incorporating thick punctuation as a means to articulate meaning in alternative ways within my poems.

8. What inspires you?

I’ve found that the most inspiring people in my life are those with passions so intense that they become consumed often with one singular hobby or idea.

9. What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of myself after I accomplish something I’ve invested an immense amount of time in.

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

All I hope for is that, in 10 years, I’ll be working a solid job, making decent money, and doing what I love.

Meet the Interns: Emily Beckley

Poetry Editor Emily Beckley is entering her senior year here at Arizona State pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. Upon graduating in December, she plans to utilize her degree to get herself into graduate school to study publishing. Originally from Chicago, Emily hopes to move to the northwest after graduation to follow her dream of working in the editing/publishing field and also hopes to one day publish her own poetry for the masses. This is Emily’s premier semester at Superstition Review.

1.   What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

I am a poetry editor for Superstition Review. I handle poetry submissions along with my fellow poetry editor, April Stolarz. This process involves reading submissions and giving my personal feedback in terms of quality and vision as it pertains to the finished product of the upcoming issue of Superstition Review. Outside of content editing, I participate in spreading the word about Superstition Review and increasing awareness for future writers who wish to submit.

2.   Why did you decide to get involved with Superstition Review?

I am graduating in December, and I am really trying to get myself some real world experience in the field in which I intend to seek employment. I want to work in the publishing industry; this internship will definitely give me the advantage when seeking a job. Also, I will be applying for graduate school and any internship will set me apart from other applicants.

3.   How do you like to spend your free time?

I like to spend my free time reading and writing poetry. Being a literature major, I tend to always be reading something that is assigned to me. So, I cherish the times I have to read works of my own choosing. I also love seeing shows around the valley with friends or taking day trips around the state on the weekend. I am also a thrift shopping addict, yikes!

4.   What other position(s) for Superstition Review would you like to try out?

If I were to have another position, I think being an art editor would be really exciting. I don’t have any experience with art, other than my own personal interests. But, handling submissions of people’s artwork would be really exciting and interesting.

5.   Describe one of your favorite literary works.

My favorite poet of all time would have to be Gary Snyder. All of his work speaks to me on a very personal level; the calm that ensues from reading his poetry lifts my mood instantly! “Rip Rap” is by far my favorite poem of his. I think I have learned a lot from his writing, and have carried a bit of Snyder into my own style.

6.   What are you currently reading?

Currently, I am reading Shopgirl by Steve Martin and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

7.   Creatively, what are you currently working on?

I try to fit in as much time as I can every week to allow myself to write freely. I love writing poetry; it’s a very cathartic experience for me. I keep a portfolio of my work and try to update it every month with some solid pieces that I think will be worth someone’s time in the future when I explore writing as a career.

8.   What inspires you?

I feel that every day holds moments of beauty and poetry. I challenge myself to notice these moments and treasure them. Often, I write lyric poems praising small and seemingly insignificant occurrences or objects, even images and realizations that I think will bring a smile to my face one day going back and reading my own work. I also tend to write a lot of confessional style poetry. It can feel very cleansing when experiencing struggles in life.

9.   What are you most proud of?

I am proud of my positive attitude and appreciation for life. Not everyone can say that they are truly happy, and I take pride in knowing that I have taken the right steps to be just where I want and need to be in life.

10.   Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I hope to be working in the publishing industry and have published some of my own poetry. I would love it if I had the opportunity to share my work with the public and make a career out of something I am so passionate about.