Word For/ Word “with an astute awareness of the materials, rhythms, trajectories and emerging forms of the contemporary”

Cover Art, Word For/Word Volume 19

Five poems from a sequence called “The Little Words,” manipulated erasures of some George Oppen poems, are up at Word For/Word‘s volume 19. George Oppen (1908-1984), the objectivist poet, expressed often his fondness forall the ‘little words,’ and that ‘All along I’ve had a sense that the structure of a sentence closes off the little words. That’s where the mysteries are, in the little words. ‘The’ and ‘and’ are the greatest mysteries of all.’ These poems are, I hope, both homage and new life.

While there are many incredible works in this issue, I want to personally recommend poems poems by Derek Henderson, Brad Vogler, and Emileigh Barnes. See also the stunning looking Crystal Gibbins visual poems and her poetic comic/collaboration with Joshua Ware (a Phoebe contributor).

Thanks to Jonathan Minton for giving these poems such a good home, and such great company.