The American Poetry Review, Jan/Feb 2008, Vol. 37/No. 1

The editors of this periodical are grateful for the opportunity to consider unsolicited manuscripts. Please include SASE.

There's a lot of advertising in this journal. I don't know whether that is typical, but as I thumbed through it, I shopped MFA programs and considered various contest opportunities. I imagined winning first place in every contest and using that to fund grad. school. I didn't do the math; I don't know if it works out.
The journal included poems from all sorts of people. Among the first to appear in the issue are those of Ales Debeljak, a Slovenian poet, cultural critic, and translator. The title of the journal seems a misnomer, but it is funded in part by grants received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and the Dietrich Foundation.
The journal also included commentaries and reviews. The final article by Michael Ryan discusses a poem in Claire Nouvian's "superb new book" The Deep. The journal opens with Peter Balakian's essay on Survival in Auschwitz. Both offer rich insight into the text's they discuss.
In an interview with Robert Kelly, a poet and professor at Bard College, Clayton Eshleman discusses excerpts of Kelly's work with him directly. Kelly is able to explain some of his choices in his works and some of his thoughts on the poetry world and language in general.
As I read this journal, I felt from time to time that I was a casual observer to a culture I didn't fully understand. I think I was probably right.

Support the Troops by Terrance Hayes

I'm sorry I will not be able to support any soldiers
at this time. I have a family and a house with slanting floors.

There is a merciless dampness in the basement,
a broken toilet, and several of the windows are painted shut.

I do not pretend my dread is anything like the dread
of men at war. Had I smaller feet, I would have gladly enlisted

myself. In fact, I come from a long line of military men.
My grandfather died heroically in 1965, though his medals have been

lost. I try to serve my country by killings houseflies. I am gully
aware of their usefulness, especially in matters of decay.
Napoleon's surgeon general, Baron Dominique Larrey,

reported during France's 1829 campaign
in Syria that certain species of fly only consumed

what was already dead and had a generally positive effect on wounds.
When my grandfather was found,

his corpse shimmered in maggots free of disease. As you can
tell, I know a little something about civilization.

I realize that when you said "Freedom," you were talking
about the meat we kill for, the head of the enemy leaking

in the bushes, how all of it makes peace possible.
Without firearms I know most violence would be impractical.

And thank you for enclosing photos and biographical information
of soldiers who might suit my household. I am sure any one

of them would be an excellent guardian of my family.
I admit I have no capacity for refiles or gadgetry.
I cannot use rulers accurately.

I have not been able to drive off the flies. I can see
that they all have teeth that are the very masticates of democracy

and I thank you for noting the one with a talent
for making the eagle tattooed across his back rear its talons.
I realize my support comes with a year long subscription

to the gentleman's magazine of my choice.
I realize were it not for the sacrifices of these young boys,

America would no longer have its source
of power. I have given considerable thought to your
offer, but at this time, I simply am unable to offer my support.


The opinions of this poem do not represent the opinions of the author of this blog entry.
I chose this poem because of its playfulness. Although a disdainful polemic against American imperialism, its vitriole is thoughtful at times (My grandfather died heroically in 1965, though his medals have been/lost...) His ability to discuss these matters and pull in his broken toilet, slanting floors, and killing of houseflies, all the while misinterpreting "Support the troops" were memorable at their finest moments and at least laughable at their worst. In spite of the obvious Best of Craigslist rant tone of this poem, he successfully uses its structure to highlight idea, contrasting them against others. (lost. I try to serve my country by killing houseflies. I am fully/aware of their usefulness, espeically in matters of decay./Napoleon's surgeon general, Baron Dominque Larrey) (his corpse shimmered in maggots free of disease. As you can/tell, I know a little something about civilization.)