Guidelines, Available Review Copies, Contact Info

Gently Read Literature is an internet journal that hopes to be useful by creating a forum for criticism and analysis of contemporary literature, specifically contemporary poetry and literary fiction. GRL believes there are too few outlets that take the time to scrutinize literature, to explain how and why we value poetry and fictive prose the way we do. Readers and Writers alike need to know the reasons why there are good angels and bad angels. At Gently Read Literature, we will explain ourselves fully, we will own our judgments, and we will always strive to help make the world more literate. With so much these days based on the idiot premise of opinion, GRL strives to present arguments not just feelings. An opinion is worthless because everyone has one, to think that your opinion matters is to insist that the sun shines on just you and not on all. It is time for a congress of critique, so that we can begin to wipe away the inept, the superfluous, and the deficient. This all may sound pretentious, but within the vast glut that is American literature, too much is published that is poorly written or simply needless. It is time we separated the wheat from the chaff.

GRL will publish monthly new, in-depth reviews of contemporary poetry and literary fiction as well as the occasional original essay pertaining to aesthetics, writing, or culture. If you would like to have your email address added to our monthly new issue notification list, simply send a message to gentlyreadlit@ymail.com with the word “subscribe” in the subject line or in the body of the message.

Gently Read Literature is always looking for reviews, criticism, and essays on contemporary poetry and literary fiction. Although we are open to examining all styles of poetry and fiction (and, therefore, all poets and novelists) we prefer those authors/presses that do not typically get the attention they deserve.

Our guidelines are simple: 500 words minimum with no maximum, with as much direct textual analysis as possible. Contributions should be emailed to Daniel Casey, editor, (gentlyreadlit@ymail.com). “GRL submission” should be in the title of email, and must be in the body of the email or attached as a MS Word document. All contributions should be plainly formatted—12 point font, Times New Roman or the equivalent, MLA style guidelines. GRL publishes monthly, submissions received after the 1st of each month will be considered for the next issue.

GRL would love to feature essays on aesthetics or extended essays focused on the aesthetics of individual authors. Although we leave open to the critic what work s/he would like to analyze here are some titles that we currently have available or would like to have featured–

1

POETRY

Wild Flight, Christine Rhein, Texas Tech University Press

Little Venus, Carla Drysdale, Tightrope Books

Petals of Zero, Andrew Zawacki, Talisman House

The Intricated Soul: New & Selected Poems, Sherod Santos, WW Norton

Bear Country, Dana Sonnenschein, NFSPS Press

Five Kingdoms, Kelle Groom, Anhinga Press

Ground Forces, Paul Allen, Salmon Poetry

Your Heart and How It Works, JoAnn Balingit, Spire Press (chpbk)

Dialect of a Skirt, Erica Miriam Fabri, Hanging Loose Press

Inside Bone There’s Always Marrow, Rachel Mallino, Maverick Duck Press

Save the Last Dance, Gerald Stern, WW Norton

Stars of the Night Communte, Ana Bozicevic, Tarpaulin Sky Press

Blessings and Curses, Anne Whitehouse, Poetic Matrix Press

Hunger All Inside (chpbk), Marie Gauthier, Finishing Line Press

I’ll Tell What I Saw, Dante, trans. Robert Pinsky, Images by Michael Mazur, Sarabande Books

In the Architecture of Bone, Alan Semerdjian, Genpop Books

An Algebra, Don Bogan, University of Chicago Press

The Phoenix Gone, The Terrace Empty, Marilyn Chin, Milkweed Editions

The Raindrop’s Gospel: The Trials of St. Jerome and St. Paula, A Novel in Verse, Maurya Simon, Elixir PRess

Demon Love, Liz Rosenberg, Mammoth Books

Cool Auditor, Ray Gonzalez, BOA Editions

Talking Diamonds, Linda Nemec Foster, New Issues Press

Days Like This Are Necessary: New & Selected Poems, Walter Bargen, BkMk Press

Van Gogh in Poems, Carol Dine, The Bitter Oleander Press

Cadenzas by Needle Light, Paul b. Roth, Cypress Books

Infinite Beginnings, Lucyna Prostko, Bright Hill Press

Horsegod: Collected Poems, Robert Bagg, iUniverse

Skunk Night Sonnets, Daniel Waters, Bright Hill Press (chpbk)

The Lily Poems, Liz Rosenberg, Bright Hill Press (chpbk)

The Wooden Bowl, Sharon Ruetenik, Bright Hill Press (chpbk)e

Haywire, Rachel Contreni Flynn, Bright Hill Press (chpbk)

Supposing, For Instance, Here in the Space-Time Continuum, John Pursley III, Apprentice House (chpbk)

My Father’s Speech, Katherine Cottle, Apprentice House (chpbk)

Epiphany School, Chris Green, Mayapple Press

The Last 4 Things, Kate Greenstreet, Ahsahta Press

Song of a Living Room, Brigitte Byrd, Ahsahta Press

Unmentionables, Beth Ann Fennelly, WW Norton

Woman Reading to the Sea, Lisa Williams, WW Norton

Disappears in the Rain, Matthew Thorburn, Parlor City Press (chapbook)

Dead End Road, Richard Wink, BeWrite Books (PDF copy)

Seasons of Lotus, Season of Bone, Matthew Shenoda, BOA Editions

Waste, Thierry Brunet, BlazeVOX Books

The Odds of Being, Daneen Wardrop, Silverfish Review Press

Hush Sessions, Kristi Maxwell, Saturnalia Books

Tsim Tsum, Sabrina Orah Mark, Saturnalia Books

Possessing Yourself, Tim Kahl, Cutom Words

Names, Marilyn Hacker, WW Norton

Lucifer at the Starlite, Kim Addonizio, WW Norton

Triangles of Light, James Hoggard, Wings Press

Their Backs to the Sea, Margaret Randall, Wings Press

At the Threshold of Alchemy, John Amen, Presa Press

Platos de Sal, Matthew Hittinger, Seven Kitchens Press

Fort Red Border, Kiki Petrosino, Sarabande Books

Psyche’s Weathers, Cynthia Atkins, Custom Words

Demosthenes’ Legacy, Jonathan Monroe, ahadada books

Nota Bene Eiswein, Eileen Tabios, ahadada books

Oulipoems 2, Philip Terry, ahadada books

Prisoner of the Swifts, Judith Skillman, ahadada books

Poor Manners (chpbk), Adam Halbur, ahadada books

When Performers Swim, the Dice are Case (chpbk), Judy Katz-Levine, ahadada books

Long Corridor (chp bk), Lisa Sewell, Seven Kitchens Press

The Kilroy Sonata, Louis Phillips, World Audience Publishers

Find Out What Everybody Will Have and Don’t Forge the Boys in the Back Room (chp bk), Louis Phillips

Winter Tenor, Kevin Goodan, Alice James Books

Right Brain’s Bloomin’ Again, Al Beck, Bookdogger Press

Carpe Needs a New Diem, Al Beck, Bookdogger Press

Beloved on the Earth, eds. Jim Perlman; Deborah Cooper; Mara Hart; Pamela Mittlefehldt, Holy Cow! Press

Heart’s Migration, Linda Rodriguez, Tia Chucha Press

Torched Verse Ends, Steven D. Schroeder, BlazeVox Books

Drinks at the Stand-Up Tragedy Club, Jim Crenner, Hobart and William Smith Colleges Press

Steerage, Bert Stern, Ibbetson Street Press

Quaternity, Scott Glassman & Sheila E. Murphy, Otoliths

Days of Destruction: Selected Poems, Gary Beck, Skive Magazine Press (pdf copy)

Demographics, Bob Heman, Quale Press (pdf copy)

Horse Dance Underwater, Helena Mesa, Cleveland State University Poetry Center

Jambandbootleg, Paul Siegell, A-Head Publishing

The Man With His Back to the Room, Roger Aplon, Barracuda Press

Landscape with Silos, Deborah Bogen, Texas Review Press

Sincerest Flatteries, Kurt Brown, Tupelo Press

Magdalene & the Mermaids, Elizabeth Kate Switaj, Paper Kite Press

The Curvature of Blue, Lucille Lang Day, Cervena Barva Press

A Million in Prizes, Justin Marks, New Issues

The Tangled Line, Tod Marshall, Canarium Books

Carta Marina, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Wings Press

Scape, Joshua Harmon, Black Ocean

Stroke, Sidney Wade, Persea Books

The Spoils, Ted Mathys, Coffee House Press

Bathe in it or sleep, Kim Triedman, Main Street Rag (chpbk)

Lip, Kathy Fagan, Eastern Washington University Press

The Heat of What Comes, Joel Peckham, Pecan Grove Press

Green Rain, May Orovan, Poets Wear Prada (Chpbook)

Heavenly Bodies, Richard Marx Weinraub, Poets Wear Prada (Chpbook)

Phased, George Held, Poets Wear Prada (Chpbook)

Grandpa’s Wine, Gil Fagiani, Poets Wear Prada (Chpbook)

Swatches, Erik La Prade, Poets Wear Prada (Chpbook)

How to Make a Mummy, Mike Smith, WordTech Communication

New & Selected Poems: 1975-2005, Robert Ronnow, The Barnwood Press

As the World Burns, Ken Waldman, Ridgeway Press

Conditions & Cures, Ken Waldman, Steel Toe Books

And Shadow Remained, Ken Waldman, Pavement Saw Press

The Secret Visitor’s Guide, Ken Waldman, Wings Press

2

FICTION

Toad’s Museum of Freaks and Wonders, Goldie Goldbloom, New Issues

The Failure Six, Shane Jones, Fugue State Press

Cairo Swan Song, Mekkawi Said, trans. Adam Talib, American University in Cairo Press

A Dog with No Tail, Hamdi Abu Golayyel, trans. Robin Moger, American University in Cairo Press

Ablutions, Patrick DeWitt, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

We Are All Zimbabweans Now, James Kilgore, Umuzi

Papa Sartre, Ali Bader, trans. Aida Bamia, American University in Cairo Press

Before the Throne, Naguib Mahfouz, trans. Raymond Stock, American University in Cairo Press

The Wind Thief, Martha Engber, Alondra Press

In an Uncharted Country: Stories, Clifford Garstang, Press 53

Other Resort Cities: Stories, Tod Goldberg, OV Books

Hanah’s Paradise, Ligia Rave, New Door Books

Strays and Other Stories, Shawn Rohrbach, Sabellapress (PDF copy)

The Rage of Achilles, Terence Hawkins, Casperian Books

The Man Who Loved Rilke, Eric Torgersen, March Street Press

American Soma, Savannah Schroll Guz, So New Publishing

Mastering the Dream, Kelly Lydick, Second Story Books

Emily Green & Me, Kathryn White, Umuzi

Algeria’s Way, Alex Smith, Umuzi

Maryam’s Maze, Mansoura Ez Eldin, trans. Paul Stakey, American University in Cairo Press

The Theocrat, Bensalem Himmich, trans. Roger Allen, American University in Cairo Press

The Heron, Ibrahim Aslan, trans, Elliott Colla, American University in Cairo Press

Reconsidering Happiness, Sherrie Flick, Bison Books

Fences, Ben Brooks, Fugue State Press

John the Revelator, Peter Murphy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

…and Beefheart Saved Craig, Jefferson Hansen, BlazeVox Books

The Creepy Girl & Other Stories, Janet Mitchell, Starcherone Books

The Street of Night, Lucia Guerra, trans. Richard Cunningham & Lucia Guerra, Garnet

The Fall of the Black-Eyed Night, Sean Badal, Umuzi

A Change of Tongue, Antjie Krog, Random House

The Incredible Double, Owen Hill, PM Press

Tender Graces, Kathryn Magendie, Bell Bridge Books

Dirty Little Angels, Chris Tusa, University of West Alabama (pdf copy)

Nine Ten Again: Stories, Phil Condon, Elixir Press

Finale, Paul A. Toth,  Raw Dog Screaming Press

Intimacies, Roger Aplon, Barracuda Press

Barcelona Diary, Roger Aplon/Victor Batalle, Barracuda Press

North Arrow, Dennis Barone, Quale Press

Milagro Lane, Jay Brandon, Wings Press

The Witching Voice, Arnold Johnston, Wings Press

Listen: Twenty-Nine Short Conversations, Corey Mesler, Brown Paper Publishing

Listen…Volume 1: Death, Sir Pierre

A Survey of My Failures This Far, Gabriel Chad Boyer, Mutab

Meat Eaters & Plant Eaters, Jessica Treat, BOA Editions

Questionstruck, William Walsh, Keyhole Press

Wife Shopping, Steven Wingate, Mariner Books

Artificial Rats and Electric Cats, Robert Masterson, Camber Press

The Crane, Halim Barakat, trans. Bassam Frangieh & Roger Allen, American University in Cairo Press

3

NON-FICTION

Life is More Beautiful than Paradise: A Jihadist’s Own Story, Khaled al-Berry, trans. Humphrey Davies, American University in Cairo Press

Delirious Milton, Gordon Teskey, Harvard University Press

Are You Famous?, Ken Waldman, Catalyst Book Press

Strange Terrain: A Poetry Handbook for the Reluctant Reader, Alice B. Fogel, Hobblebush

Nasty, Brutish, & Long, Ira Rosofsky, Avery

Harbingers of Books to Come, Dave Oliphant, Wings Press

Afterimages: A Family Memoir, Carol Ascher, Holmes & Meier

Under the Dome: Walks with Paul Celan, Jean Daive, trans. Rosmarie Waldrop, Burning Deck

Books & Rough Business, Tullio Pironti, trans. John Domini, Red Hen Press

In the House of Silence: Autobiographical Essays by Arab Women Writers, ed. Fadia Faqir, Garnet

Review Copies can be sent to this address:

Gently Read Literature

c/o Daniel Casey

129 York St., 7G

New Haven, CT 06511