Ibbetson Street 30

Poetry by Jennifer Barber, Michael Casey, Gary Metras, Jim Kelly and more..... Well, it is time for yet another Ibbetson Street. We are celebrating our 20th anniversary. That's a long time in the small press world. On the front and back covers of this issue, you can view the evocative paintings of Bridget Seley-Galway-a longtime contributor to Ibbetson Street. It has been an active few months for Ibbetson Street. Since we last talked, we published a new collection edited by Lee Varon and Marc Goldfinger, Spare Change News Poems: An Anthology by Homeless People and those Touched by Homelessness. And the Ibbetson Street Press YoungPoet Series (directed by Emily Pineau) has released a new collection of poetry by a talented undergraduate, Daniel Calnan, entitled To Move a Piano.

Poetry from Jennifer Barber, Ted Kooser, Kathleen Spivack, X.J. Kennedy, Danielle Legros Georges, Mary Buchinger Bodwell and more... Interview with novelist Paul Harding.

Ed Galing Tribute Issue. Poetry from Ted Kooser, Michael Collier, Marge Piercy and others ....

Poetry by Pui Ying Wong, Joyce Peseroff, Ted Kooser, Brendan Galvin and more...

In this issue we are thrilled to have the work of such noted poets as: Martha Collins, John Skoyles, Jennifer Barber, Daniel Bosch, Dan Tobin, Andrea Cohen, Marge Piercy, Alfred Nicol, Fred Marchant, Kathleen Spivack, and many others. This is the first issue edited by our new managing editor Rene Schwiesow. We are sure you will be pleased with the issue she puts together. Schwiesow and Lawrence Kessenich work on alternate issues and we are lucky to have these skilled folks on Ibbetson Street. Also - in Ibbetson Street 34, we have the artwork of Bridget Galway that adorns the front and back covers. Bridget's artwork and poetry have appeared in a number of issues and we are glad she continues to contribute her fine work to our magazine.

The Bagel Bards (or Bagels with the Bards) (are) a group of poets varied in age, race, gender meet, share poems, discuss poetry, drink lots of coffee, chew a bagel if so desired, sometimes sell their books. The atmosphere is generous and open to all, and you don't have to be a poet to attend. What I find most exciting about the Bards, people here are not conscious of reputation and achievement, but love the poem and good friendly unpretentious talk. That doesn't mean that pretensions don't exist if that's what you desire, but the coffee is strong, the people sincere and are publishers of small press magazines, pamphlets and books. If you want to be in an atmosphere that is intelligent without self-involved, convoluted literary talk of people who need to prove themselves and announce themselves as artists, here is a place to and the pleasure that good literary company may offer. - Sam Cornish