Acceptance: Lily Lit Review

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VISIT LILY

Lily is a special journal in the world of poetry. For four years, it published a new issue every single month, an amazing feat of editorial prowess. Not just the quantity but also the quality of the poems, paired with evocative photography, drew attention.

As Editor Susan Culver-Graybeal says in the "About" section:

In those four years, Lily published interviews with, and work by, writers such as Pushcart Prize winner, Beth Ann Fennelly; National Book Award nominee, Alicia Ostriker; Pulitzer Prize poets, Paul Muldoon and Claudia Emerson; and former U.S. Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser. Conversely, Lily has also been the first publication credit for a number of emerging poets and writers.

After these four furious years of intense excellence, Editor Culver (not yet -Graybeal) took a well-deserved break. A few years later, she returned with the blog site, Poetry Friends, which published absolutely stunning poems one at a time, but only at a sporadic rate, averaging a handful a month.

Now Lily is back. It is very exciting. Volume 5 started up in May 2011, and has been proceeding along with a new issue every month.

Folks, I recommend this journal very highly. The combination of intense poetry and evocative photography works; in fact, it sings out in a variety of beautiful literary voices. The poetry isn't always happy. Sometimes it is dark and harsh. But it always reaches into you and grabs you by the deepest chords of your heart. You wouldn't want it any other way, and Lily dares to take you up on your challenge.

I'm intensely pleased that my poem "New Skin" will be appearing in the next issue. Susan Culver-Graybeal is one of those rare talented poets who also dedicate themselves to editing with equal passion, and the result is phenomenon of grace, insight, music and eloquence.

Thanks for reading,

Owl