Poetry Tuesday: More Poetry News
I have been invited to become an editor of the Tuesday Poem blog—which is very cool. In practical terms, this means that every 30th week I will get to select the poem that appears on the Tuesday Poem blog site, plus providing commentary for the selection. (What I was going to call my “terribly important thoughts” about the poem, but I don’t like the acronym so I’m going with “very important thoughts” instead. Et voila!)
I have also just had 2 poems, Giacometti and Oral History accepted for the forthcoming issue of JAAM, which is edition 28 with the theme of Dance Dance Dance and is edited by Helen Rickerby and Clare Needham. Helen Rickerby is also an editor of the Tuesday Poem blog, as well as having her own Winged Ink site, which well repays a visit. And if checking out her poetry online, I particularly recommend Empress Elisabeth. Hmm, yes: love that poem!
(By the way, have you noticed how many Helens there are in the world of contemporary NZ poetry: Helen Heath, Helen Jacobs, Helen Lehndorf, Helen Lowe, Helen McKinley, Helen Rickerby, Helen Yong … to enumerate the few that immediately spring to mind. I have a feeling there may be more.)
Last but not least, the winner of the NZ Society of Authors Jessie Mackay Award for the Best First Book of Poetry is Selina Tusitala Marsh for Fast Talking PI (Auckland University Press.) Although disappointed that there is no shortlist for this award as there is for the National Poetry Award (are new voices so unworthy, powers that be?) I am very much looking forward to checking out Fast Talking PI.
The finalists for the New Zealand Post Poetry Award are:
Bernadette Hall for The Lustre Jug (Victoria University Press)
Michael Harlow for The Tram Conductor’s Blue Cap (Auckland University Press)
Brian Turner for Just This (Victoria University Press)
A line-up of heavyweights and—having read all three—all worthy contenders. I am going to re-read before daring to suggest a favourite … and besides, knowing 2 out of the 3 well enough to email, and one slightly better than that, would I dare, anyway? On reflection, I may just leave it to the judging panel.
(Btw—did you notice a trend in terms of the publishers?)
Go the university presses! I don’t know, I rather liked that acronym 🙂
We can always think of it that way, secretly …
You know I will be, but I promise I won’t tell 😀