May 16th forum announcement

Dear Poetry Fans,

Poetry & Poets in Rags

It was just yesterday, that the news came out on Stanley Kunitz's death, and already, some very fine articles from some very fine newspapers are online for us to read. We headline with the LA Times's story, and you'll find the link to one of The Washington Post's in Poetic Obituaries.

From there, we travel all over the globe this week. I'll leave all the rest of the articles to your discovery--some real fine poems, and some real fine poets.

Poetry Trivia Question: Until the year 2002, what was the longest-running poetry-only journal in the country, with a circulation of 1,000.

Answer shortly.

I have an important pre-announcement for the IBPCommunity. We are thrilled to welcome David Biespiel as IBPC judge. He will, very shortly, be doing a three-month term for us. The precise months are not set as far as I know, but I think his stint begins either for April's poems, or May's. Stay tuned.

David has been a "Great Regular" ever since Poetry & Poets in Rags has had them--before which each of his monthly poetry columns from the Oregonian made our list of links. In fact, his column has headlined in the past, and so has a column about him.

He is Director, and Writer in Residence at The Attic Writers' Workshop.

Here is a link to his line-up of 14 books: The Attic Bookshelf at Powells.com.

He is Instructor of English at Oregon State University

He also hails from the American Northwest, where so much of our poetry heritage has come from.

And now to answer the trivia question, which many IBPCers already knew: Poetry Northwest, the journal David Biespiel is now the Editor of.

How cool is he? Now how cool are we? Sharpen your pencils, and make all atonement with your muse. David is rocking the house!

(Psssst . . . We have more great news developing.)

Yours,

Rus

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