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Tuesday, September 20, 2022

When Poems Get Legs

 

Getting a single poem published in a literary magazine whether in print or online usually requires effort, time, and lots of patience. Recently I was published in licketedy split time, putting in minimal effort.

 

How did this happen?

 

A friend with many connections, working informally on behalf of a magazine editor, sent out an invitation to send poems within 10 days on the theme of teeth. This editor—Taku Chikepe—is a man  from Zimbabwe who is currently a divinity student at Duke University as well as the founding publisher of The Sailors Review. Apparently, some people’s endorsement is enough to merit publication.

 


I sent my poems on September 1 and by September 18, “Kabuki Dragons” (see page 29) was in beautiful page layout presto change-o. And there were others I knew published there such as Anne Harding Woodworth and Diane Wilbon Parks. That we were published came as a surprise, a pleasant surprise.