I imagine being sheltered in place is one reason why nearly 300 poems have been submitted in the month of May 2020 for the 3rd and 4th quarter issues (75 and 76, resp.) I anguished over making the selections because there were many very good poems that I could not take. I want to thank you all for your submissions. In an organically emerging arc, this set of poems strike at the heart of speculative fantasy that includes mythologies, demons, zombies, witches, werewolves, mermaids, aliens, and even the pathetic fallacy of giving voice to an inanimate object like a planet. You might wonder that most of these are common tropes, but in the hands of these talented poets, there is a freshness that needs to be shared.
Beginning with this issue, two new features have been added for accepted poems:
(1) The author’s comments/backstory about the accepted poem will be included, but there is no length requirement. However, I hope you take this opportunity to mention something interesting about the poem’s evolution and/or crafting.
(2) An optional mp3 recording of the poem can now be included. Preface the reading with the poem’s title and author (and also the name of the reader if it’s someone other than yourself).
I will continue to find/create/adapt artwork for your poems and sometimes make Editor’s Comments beyond the image credit.
Please check the amended submission guidelines (forthcoming later this summer) before you submit your previously unpublished poems during the fall window in November.
Enjoy the poems, and stay safe.
Warmly,
John C. Mannone
Abyss & Apex Poetry Editor
