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Of Mayes’s poem Nikky Finney writes, “This incredible poem sees into its focal moment with the greatest of clarity, attention to detail, and astonishing matrilineal love. The architect of these words is rich in their understanding of the precious moment they have dipped the reader into. Their deep desire to build a worthy and creative vessel for our travel is levitational. A Golden Glosa takes us there. The memory of the beautician-mother teaching the poet-daughter is the engine, Tretheway’s epigraph is the oil running through the metal/mettle of memory, but the poet composes the journey with an incredible veracity of memorable verbs and a keen understanding of the power of an opening line that whispers all the way through and ultimately suspends us in the air, most especially just before they hurl us into the magnolia “Blue Magic” aroma of this simile:

She taught me the art of/ the silk press, the stiletto nail, to blow on wig glue, /
like my mouth was trying to drive/ the buffalo from the great plains.

It is a woman’s poem, a daughter’s poem, a poem of seeking and permission that I believe Adrienne Rich would hold in her glorious poetic hands and wave in the air while continuing to insist that all is not lost between us."

We’re grateful to the Adrienne Rich Literary Trust and to all who submitted poems for this year’s contest.

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Our new double issue has arrived featuring work by .Chisaraokwu., Vasiliki Albedo, Rowyda Amin, A. Anupama, Summer Awad, Ìfẹ́olúwa Àyàndélé, Colin Bailes, Michael Bazzett, Olivia Braley, Ian Cappelli, Michael Chang, Yongyu Chen, Stephanie Choi, Gen Del Raye, Fay Dillof, Tatiana Dolgushina, Rebecca Ellis, Angelica Esquivel, Noah Falck, Kim Garcia, Rasaq Malik Gbolahan, Nica Giromini, Marea Gordett, Benjamin Gucciardi, Patricia Guzman, Jessica Hammack, Shelby Handler, Aiden Heung, Ben Hyland, Elaine Johanson, Crystal Condakes Karlberg, Laetitia Keok, Vandana Khanna, Becca Klaver, Zach Linge, Sandy Longhorn, Jennifer Martelli, Brandi Nicole Martin, Olga Maslova, Sarah Matsui, Sydney Mayes, Alexandra McIntosh, Carling McManus, Amy Miller, Ruby Hansen Murray, Bridget O’Bernstein, Rosanna Young Oh, Zuleyha Ozturk, No‘u Revilla, Max Seifert, Alafia Nicole Sessions, Sahara Sidi, Dorsía Smith Silva, Jaxson Spencer, Jordan St. Hill, Ellie Stimpson, Kate Stoltzfus, Tramaine Suubi, Kate Sweeney, Avia Tadmor, Dujie Tahat, Raisa Tolchinsky, Meg Walsh, Isabelle Ylo and Mychael Zulauf.

Cover art by Suzanne Kiggins.

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We're excited to welcome Pamela Alexander to our feature, BPJ Poets In Conversation. She spoke with us about Left, Winner of the 2024 Chad Walsh Chapbook Series.

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Pamela Alexander's chapbook, "Left," is now available! Visit our shop today to get your hands on a copy of this winner of the 2024 Chad Walsh Chapbook Prize. Kevin Prufer writes of this collection, “In terse lyric poetry, Alexander creates characters that seem alive in their contradictions. Like a memoir distilled into poetry, this book is alive, frightening, and humane, suggesting, always, how little we might know of each other’s inner lives. This is one of the best poetry collections I have read in years.” We know you'll love this fierce elegy. Order a copy today.

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We're excited to welcome TC Tolbert to our feature, BPJ Poets In Conversation. S/he spoke with us about "The Quiet Practices", Winner of the 2023 Chad Walsh Chapbook Series.