Journal of the Poetry Society of America

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Autumn 1997
Features

PSA and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: A Brief History

Editors on Poetry
On Poetry, On Their Aesthetic, On the Journal, On Submissions

What makes a poem memorable? What makes a poem forgettable?

What do you expect from a poet whose work you already know? What makes work from a new poet exciting?

Could you describe your aesthetic? Are you a writer? Do you think there is a distinctive editorial approach among editors who are also writers?

Does your aesthetic represent the journal's aesthetic? If not, how do they differ? Do you have a specific type of reader in mind when you decide what to publish? If so, could you give us his or her profile?

Name your favorite poets (deceased). What literary journals do you like, other than your own?

How many poems should a submission include? How long should a writer wait before sending another submission after being rejected?

Do you read all submissions? Could you describe the selection process that the poems you read undergo? Are cover letters crucial? Do you prefer original, creative, or factual ones? How long should they be?

Articles from the Spring 1997 Journal