Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Dear Tim,

     Thanks for the latest issue. Just to let you know how refreshing the reviews continue to be – honesty and good sense prevail. While there’s always a danger of appearing deliberately critical and negative, the points made by Paul Groves in his review of Kate Clanchy and by John Redmond in his review of the New Blood anthology are valid. The author’s introductions in the Bloodaxe anthology seem part of the still prevalent attempt to package poetry – look at this picture of the poet, learn about his/her hobbies and theories about poetry. After all that, the last thing you want to do is read the bloody poems!

     The constant hype of certain poets and the insistence on packaging and image only serves to alienate and disgruntle poetry’s committed readership which, from my experience, is a fairly independent-minded one that doesn’t want to have advice on what to read rammed down its throat. Meanwhile, the pursuit of a larger readership through hype and packaging is futile – they don’t want to know.

     Finally, it is ironic to read in the same issue that the British Council and Society of Authors funded Kate Clanchy’s flight over Samarkand and yet the London Arts Board could not maintain its funding of one of our most vital poetry presses, Slow Dancer. Admittedly, the organisations involved are separate, but it does not inspire much faith in those who dish out the arts dosh.

Best Wishes,
Steven Blyth