Doug Holder Interviewed for the Boston Authors Club for Poetry Month

 

April 2023 Newsletter

Celebrating Poetry Month Meeting the Market: Interview with Doug Holder, Poet and Publisher The Poetry Bulletin: A Poet-to-Poet Resource Author/Author: Sammarco's Inferno at the Athenaeum Reading Right Now: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain Presidents Notes: Spring Reading Yesteryear: A Prized Poet Who Stayed Home

BAC'S POETRY MONTH ISSUE This poster celebrating Poetry Month 2023 was designed by Marc Brown, creator of the popular series of Arthur books.  The poster was commissioned by Scholastic as part of a new National Poetry Month initiative between Scholastic and the Academy of American Poets. The included line of text, "...we were all meant for something" is from the poem “Carrying” by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón.

This month, Meeting the Market interviews Somerville-based poet and publisher Doug Holder, founder of the Ibbetson Street Press and currently the co-president of the New England Poetry Club. Holder has been a regular literary columnist for the Somerville Times for over 20 years, and he serves as the director of the Newton Free Library Poetry Series. He teaches creative writing at Endicott College and previously taught writing at Bunker Hill Community College. His papers, and interviews are archived at the “Doug Holder Papers Collection” at the University at Buffalo, as well as at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Holder’s latest poetry collection is The Essential Doug Holder ( Big Table Books). In this interview, Doug shares his thoughts on today's poetry trends, tips for getting published, and the poetry he is currently reading. Q: How would you describe the overall level of interest in writing and publishing poetry today compared to a decade ago?   Well, I think it is greater than ever. Ten years ago, you had fewer opportunities to publish. I think with all the new online journals, the way it has become mush less cumbersome to submit (Submittable, etc...), and in general-- editors have acquired more skills to attract writers to their venues. There are much more workshops offered than ever before--- and many of them are still online because of the Pandemic. I think many people became compelled to write poetry during the Pandemic, as a way to deal with the isolation and chaos of the world. Personally, I know as co-president of the New England Poetry Club that we are attracting more members than ever, and our readings and workshops are packed. I have seen great communities that have been birthed by poetry groups—like the Pow Wow River poets, the Bagel Bards, the Jamaica Plain Poets, etc.... just to name a few. The Mass Poetry Organization has thousands of members and is continuing with their annual festival this May in Salem, MA. Q: What are the most viable paths to publication and what other opportunities are available for poets to reach readers and listeners? I would say—first get your name out there—create your own blog or website—so if people want to know more about you and your work, there will be one central place that they can go to. Join a poetry organization like Mass Poetry, and the New England Poetry Club, so you can be exposed to what's going on in the poetry world, active networks of poets, etc. Through meeting other poets you will learn about more publishing opportunities. The best book resource would be Poets Market which can be bought at many bookstores and online. Here are listed hundreds of magazines that accept poetry. The entries in the book will tell you explicitly what the magazine wants. To state it simply, if you send dog poems to a cat journal—you are out of luck! DUOTROPE is a fine online site to find new places to send your work. Q: What developments and trends do you personally find most promising and exciting?   Well--I think people have become very skillful in publicizing their books. For instance, Gloria Mindock, the founder of the Cervena Barva Press ( Somerville, MA), produces beautiful video trailers for her authors and others. The subjects that poets are writing about are more diverse than ever—so trans, LBGQ, and other folks bring their story to the stage. I have seen more and more people of color publishing and presenting much more than in the past. Q: What poetry are you reading this month?  Purgatory Road by Charles Coe, City Stories by Denise Provost, Virology by Mary Buchinger, Seldom Purely by Linda Conte ...to name just a few. There so many great poets out there whom I admire, like Wendy Drexler, Hilary Sallick, Regie Gibson, Dennis Daly, Lloyd Schwartz, Harris Gardner, Danielle Legros Georges, David Miller, Nina Alonso, Zvi Sesling, Karen Klein; far too many to mention them all—and not enough time to read!