Letter From the Editor

Dear Reader,

Across our first ten issues, we've published at least one hundred twenty contributors, including novelists, short story writers, essayists, poets, and book reviewers, and of course many writers who are combinations of the above roles. Every one of these writers is someone I find innovative or experimental or impressively unconventional in some way, and I'm proud to think that we've given homes to so many progressive writers, both emerging and already established. That's a fine thing by itself, and we're lucky to have such great submitters and contributors making it possible.

I'm very happy with what we've done so far, but I'm always aware that it's not good enough, that while what we're doing is important it's only the beginning. What I want next is to begin to build a community around the magazine, to try to keep the hundred-plus contributors we already have in some sort conversation with each other. I want to keep adding more writers, month after month, so that being a Collagist contributor is more than just a single moment in time, but rather something larger that goes forward from that moment, that builds upon itself. And I want you, the readers, to be involved in whatever I can scheme up.

I'm not sure yet what this means, or what all I want to try to do. Part of the reason we do interviews and podcasts with our contributors is to widen the means of accessing their work and increase the number of chances to do so, but that's just the beginning. I also want to be sure we continue to support our contributors past this one publication, and that means we'll be expanding our blogging with more news of their other accomplishments and publications very soon. In addition, I'm working on putting together a web event for the coming months, which is something we'll be doing more of going forward as well, so that we can take advantage of the unique qualities of being a web magazine as opposed to a physical one.

This is also where you come in: How would you like to engage with The Collagist? What features or functions would be likely to participate in that we aren't providing? Is there something you want from a literary magazine like ours that we could provide, month after month? If so, feel free to email me at editor@thecollagist.com. I'm always happy to talk to readers, submitters, and contributors, and I look forward to seeing what we can do together to grow the readership and community that surrounds the innovative and experimental end of literature. There's no doubt in my mind that as we continue to work together, we'll not only improve the quality of our arts but also increase the number of people interested and engaged in consuming them. Thanks for being a part of it by being a reader, and thanks for doing everything you surely already do to spread the word.

In our May 2010 issue, you'll find new fiction by Kevin Kaiser, Jennifer Pieroni, Andrew Richmond, and Matthew Roberson, as well as novel excerpts from Aaron Michael Morales' Drowning Tucson(Graywolf Press) and Zoe Zolbrod's Currency (OV Books). This month's poetry comes from Carroll Beauvais, Saeed Jones, Michael Lauchlan, and Sandy Langhorn, and our non-fiction is provided by Emily Kiernan and Heather Momyer. Our Classic Reprint series also returns with Steve Stern's "Moishe the Just," introduced by Corey Mesler's essay "On Steve Stern and Faith."

In book reviews, we've got coverage of I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson, Nox by Anne Carson, Art Without Compromise* by Wendy Richmond, Light Boxes by Shane Jones, and Where I Stay by Andrew Zornoza, plus Anna Clark's video review of Alina Bronksy's Broken Glass Park.

I'd also like to welcome new Collagist intern Tyler Gobble to our staff. Among other things, Tyler will be conducting many of the poetry interviews for our blog for this issue and others in the future. I've really enjoyed his initial interviews, which will be appearing in the new week or so, and I look forward to watching his talents and contributions grow.

As always, thanks to all of our contributors for letting us publish their fine work. Thanks also to everyone who reads the magazine, everyone who sends us submissions, and of course everyone who takes the time to post about the issue to their blogs, Facebook, or anywhere else. We really appreciate your time and talents, and can't thank you enough for sharing them with us.

Sincerely,

Matt Bell
Editor
The Collagist