INTRODUCTION TO ISSUES 11 & 12

We’ve been busy. This installment of Slope marks the first double issue in the journal’s nearly-two-year existence. We’re pleased to present a wide array of work that covers much territory. Though Slope has consistently featured work by Australian poets, Slope 11 & 12 represents the first "sampler" of poetry from that country, "New Voices: Recent Australian Poetry," with work by younger and emerging writers.

We’ve been real busy. Slope makes the foray into print this month with the launch of Slope Editions (www.slopeeditions.org), and is happy to announce David Lehman as judge of the first annual Slope Editions Book Prize. (See complete guidelines at the web site.)

To make way for this endeavor – as well as the innovative issues of Slope forthcoming in winter 2001 and spring 2002 – Slope will return in October. Until then, enjoy the 30-odd writers and features in Issues 11 & 12.

- Ethan Paquin, 1 July 2001


SLOPE – WHERE MOVEMENTS HAPPEN

Slope is a bi-monthly, online journal devoted to poetry being written around the world in English. We print only new, original and previously unpublished poems. Contributors hail from countries including Australia, England, Wales, Canada and the United States. We encourage new writers, while continuing to publish award-winning and established poets.

Slope occasionally features "sampler" issues. Recent examples include New Welsh Poetry (Issue 8) and Recent Croatian Poetry (Issue 10); upcoming are selections of African (Issue 13), Buddhist poetry (13), New Avant Poetry Part II (14), Recent Serbian Poetry (14) and Aboriginal Australian Poetry. Poets featured and/or forthcoming in Slope include Forrest Gander, Tomaz Salamun, Charles Bernstein, Matthew Rohrer, James Tate, Joe Wenderoth, Eleni Sikelianos, Ron Silliman, Franz Wright, Heather McHugh, Nin Andrews, Dara Wier, Eric Pankey, Ross Martin, Rebecca Wolff, Margot Schilpp, John Kinsella, Mary Jo Bang, Pam Brown, Kevin Hart, Lee Upton, Peter Minter, Brian Henry, Katy Lederer, Drew Milne, Mark Bibbins, Bob Hicok, David H.W. Grubb, Susan Schultz, Louis Armand, Christine Hume, Tessa Rumsey, Timothy Donnelly, Matthea Harvey and many others.


SLOPE EVENTS & NEWS

Slope launches book press Slope Editions as part of Slope Editions Inc. (see introduction). The press will publish 2-3 new books of innovative poetry and prose each year. Slope Editions is a non-profit, pending 501(c)(3) organization. Visit www.slopeeditions.org for details.

Slope readings are being planned in Boston (in conjunction with the print release of Both Magazine, featuring work by James Tate, Tomaz Salamun and others); Montreal, Canada (in conjunction with Nerve.com and the launch of Maisonneuve Magazine); Connecticut; and Melbourne, Australia. Check back for details.

Poets in Need Fund: It is well known that poetry is the least financially-rewarded of the arts, and that, unless they can find other sources of employment or are independently wealthy, poets live on the economic margins; should an emergency arise, they are vulnerable to its worst effects. To respond to such emergencies, the Poets in Need fund, a non-profit organization, has been established. Donations to it are tax deductible. The official statement of purpose of Poets in Need is as follows: Poets in Need is a non-profit organization providing emergency assistance to poets who have an established presence in the literary community as innovators in the field and a substantive body of published work. Assistance is given only in cases of current financial need that is in excess of and unrelated to the recipient's normal economic situation and that is the result of a recent emergency (due, for example, to fire, flood, eviction, or a medical crisis). The organization is run by a Board of six members. They are Michael Rothenberg, Leslie Scalapino, Norman Fischer, Lyn Hejinian, Suzi Winson, and Hal Bohner. The organization is currently fundraising. Checks can be made out to Poets In Need and mailed to Lyn Hejinian, Treasurer, 2639 Russell St., Berkeley, CA 94705.


WRITERS' GUIDELINES

We are not reading submissions at this time. Please check back for updated information.

All poems © 2001 the poets. The editors kindly ask that poets credit Slope should their work be re-printed elsewhere.


MASTHEAD

Editor & Founder: Ethan Paquin
Australia Editor: Michael Farrell
Canada Editor: Derek Webster
Contributing Editor: Peter Johnson
Managing Editors: Christopher Janke, Pamela Burdak
Designer: Steve Palmer, 76design