Acceptance: Portland Review

This is a GREAT moment for me. Portland Review has been around since 1956 and has a world class reputation. It is a fantastic journal. I know this firsthand because I have five issues of PR that I keep nearby and have read over and over. There’s a story behind this.

Many years ago, when I first submitted to PR, I apologized in my cover for being too poor to buy a copy. A few weeks later, without explanation, five back issues of PR showed up in my mailbox. I never learned who was responsible, but my gratitude was great and remains so to this day. I vowed to study those issues and send my best poems to PR once a year.

Because of some anonymous person’s kindness, I formed an attachment to this journal, and I am as pleased as I ever get from any acceptance. This is one of those rare wonderful moments that arrives every three years or so.

But I’m working on narrowing that interval!

Below is the email version of the acceptance letter. They also send a hard copy and contract after initial verification. Notice that they are facing ugly budget problems. Please consider subscribing to this legendary journal. You won't be sorry.

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Dear [Owl Who Laughs],

We enjoyed and would like to include your pieces "Patterns in Rotting Wood," "Breakdown at Insurance Firm," and "Sunset Behind Coal Plant" in the upcoming issue of Portland Review. If it still available, please send an electronic copy in response to this email, along with a very short (100-word max) bio. We apologize for the excruciating wait. We've been in the weeds all year, fighting budget cuts and every other thing.

--
yrs,

Chris Cottrell
Editor, Portland Review
portlandreview.org
theportlandreview.blogspot.com
theportlandreview@gmail.com

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