LET THE
BUCKET DOWN: A Magazine of Boston Area Writing
ISSUE 1
2013
Editor:
Joseph Torra
Managing
Editor: Molly Torra
$15
Review by
Doug Holder
Somerville
poet and writer Joe Torra has a long history on the literary scene as a
novelist, poet, publisher, and teacher. I was glad when he told me he started a
new literary magazine: Let the Bucket
Down: A Magazine of Boston Area Writing.
There is
much to recommend in this new venture by Torra. There is an essay by Robert
Dewhurst about the birth of Measure magazine,
the brainchild of the late Boston, Black Mountain School, poet John Wieners. I
met Wieners late in his life through his late friend Jack Powers (The founder
of Stone Soup Poetry) and I knew of
his magazine. But this essay filled in the blanks about the Boston literary
scene in the 50s and 60s, and how one went about putting together a little magazine
in days before the Mimeograph Revolution.
Joe Dunn,
has a brilliant poem about Boston’s infamous Molasses Flood, with images of
Bowler hats floating on a sweet, lethal sea. Bubbles of death percolate from
the depths, topped by these drifting, Bowler tombstones.
Roland
Pease, founder of Zoland Books has a nice
piece about his seminal years as a writer and publisher. He has been part of
the Cambridge, Mass. scene since 1963, and is a rich trove of local literary
history. Also included is poetry by well-known faces such as Carol Weston, an essay
by Daniel Bouchard, poetry by Joel Sloman, photos from the Word of Mouth Poetry Series of the 80’s and 90’s, and fiction and non-fiction by many
other folks.
Poet Ruth
Lepson, who I had the pleasure to interview years ago, has a fine piece about
Robert Creeley and the jazz musician Steve Lacy. When Lacy was at the New England Conservatory
(where Lepson teaches), both he and Creeley collaborated with their music and
poetry. Lacey and Creeley both loved improvisation and the energy of irresolution
in their art.
This new
magazine is a very welcomed addition to the literary scene…highly recommended.
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