Poetry Magazine April 2018 by Don Share

Poetry Magazine April 2018 Reviews

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  That Babe Ceres

  Overall I loved reading the different styles and perspectives. I plan to continue getting these monthly poetry books because i feel like my eyes have been opened a bit more to places and things i may never experience in any other way.
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  Erika Dreifus

  Engaging approach in this issue, which, as an introductory editor’s note explains, “presents work from three of many…active communities: Split This Rock, a gathering of those who work for social justice; Black Girl Magic—the name is self-explanatory, but these are poets connected to the BreakBeat poets featured in our April 2015 issue; and Snow City Arts, an organization that provides instruction…to children in hospitals. In juxtaposing work from each of these vibrant groups, we hope readers will get a sense of the vivacious energy and talent nourished wherever poets and their readers gather.” Mission accomplished. (More, please!)
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  Lexi Vranick

  I picked up this issue when it was first released and finally had the chance to sit and read it. I have to say, off the bat, I love what seeing a magazine with such a long and and storied history dedicating its pages to deserving organizations. There were a lot of really special pieces in here that offered valuable perspectives. I think there are a lot of gems in this issue, but overall I felt something of a disconnect between the three sections that made each page seem jumpy and made it difficult for me to settle into a flow or rhythm with the volume as a whole. I definitely dog-eared some pages to flip back to, but overall I felt like there could have been more cohesion.
• 
  Brian

  This is a great issue. I particularly enjoyed the Snow City pieces. I wasn’t aware of the work that they did before, and I’d love to learn more about them. I’m more familiar with the great work that the other two groups have done in the past, and know of many of those poets already. It’s a very well weighted issue tonally and stylistically.
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  Erick Mertz

  One of the better recent issues. Lots to like, especially Araceli’s Girmay’s “sister was the wolf”, Camille T. Dungy and the long work by Kazim Ali.
  
  Once again though, I’m opposed to these pages that fold out from the center spine. It’s space consuming, egregious in the most valuable poetic real estate in the world. The same feeling for pictures, which in my mind, eat up poems.
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  Joseph Dante

  More issues like this, please. Diverse, engaging, relevant. Would like to see more lesser-known poets who haven't published twenty books already and won every single award imaginable.
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  Nick Pierce

  Strongest issue I’ve read yet, three different themes and not an unmoving, thought provoking poem in the lot. Excellent.