Hummingbird issue XXX #2 - 30th Anniversary

Hummingbird: Magazine of the Short Poem celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. It was founded in a very different era -- when poetry magazines were all printed on paper, when every set of submission guidelines mentioned a SASE, when the internet was more idea than reality. Hummingbird held its own against time and technology, and it's still going strong as a print journal today.

Editor CX Dillhunt was kind enough to send me a copy of the current issue, XXX #2. It's the second of two 2020 anniversary issues, and the inside cover is stamped with a commemorative "30th Anniversary" design.

In terms of appearances, Hummingbird is exceptionally well-produced. Cardstock cover, high-quality paper, and (perhaps best of all) plenty of white space around each poem.

This issue contains many good poems, spread over 46 pages. The poems vary widely in form and style -- a series of vertical poems by John Burgess, a pantry inventory turned poem, a morbid couplet by Dion Kempthorne, and several haiku scattered throughout.

Phil Travis' "floating the deschutes" stands out as the best poem of the issue -- a light one-liner that fills the page, both in form and impact.

I highly recommend this issue to any fan of short poetry, haiku, or just good poetry in general. A single issue of Hummingbird can be purchased for $5, or subscribe for a year (2 issues) for $10.

An Interesting Contest

Here's a new take on a contest (at least, new to me). Professional novelist Charles Gramlich is sponsoring a web-based "pay it forward" contest regarding your favorite title for a story or poem. Read all the contest details here. It closes on April 6th and it's free to enter, so get thinking.

Another looming contest is sponsored by the Southern Illinois Writers Guild. There are three categories -- fiction, nonfiction, and poetry -- and prizes of $100, $50, and $25 in each category. Entries must be mailed, along with a $5 entry fee (per entry) by May 1st.

In case you haven't checked out the new horror mag The Ashen Eye yet, now's a good time to do so. The editors are in the process of compiling their first issue, and for some reason they chose to include one of my poems. (In spite of that, it looks to be a good first issue.) You can read another of my poems, "Bats," on their website, along with poems and excerpts from the other contributors, including Alexis Child and David Byron.

I'm also proud to report I've got a few more acceptances recently, including Modern Haiku, Hummingbird, and New York Quarterly (who even gave me my own web page).

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to try to remember my favorite story or poem title.