Strange Places

The New Orphic Review

Posted by Daniela Elza on Apr 28 2010

Just got in the mail the Spring issue of The New Orphic Review in which I have a section of 14 pages as the Featured Poet. It consists of an essay on poetry titled: between a rock and a hard place there is still light, a poem on poetics, followed by six more poems (listening to the CBC on the way to Jasper, on the death of a person whom it is desired to honour, echoes in clay, of jewels, serving time (in the burbs, and alternate grammars).

I was pleasantly surprised to see how well laid out my poems were, and the care taken in the presentation. Thank you Ernest Hekkanen (editor-in-chief), Margrith Schraner (copy and associate editor) and Michael Connor (managing editor).

This publication is a subsidiary of New Orphic Publishers and it comes out of the beautiful town of Nelson which is in the embrace of the West Arm of Kootenay Lake.

The New Orphic Review isn’t subsidized by the Canada Council or similar government granting agencies. Nor does it receive money from academic institutions. It is totally independent. Which means they do not have to give in to government pressure, and hopefully also means they are not hit hard by the current cuts to the arts. But as any independent artistic endeavour it needs to be supported.

So if you find yourself so inclined please support them. Whether it is by subscribing, or sending them your work, or by just giving them money, which you happen to find lying around. As Barbara Streisand said in the movie Hello Dolly, money is like manure, you have to spread it around encouraging young things to grow. Or something to that effect. It has been probably 30 years since I saw that musical. There are a few good lines in it.