By Claudia Grinnell

WHO:

Editor-in-chief:  Dancing Bear

Managing Editor:  C. J. Sage

Editor:  D. E. Shephard

Web Design:  C. J. Sage

WHAT:

As of today – June 2001-- ten issues of poetry, art, and the occasional review so far (Feb/May/Aug/Nov 99; Feb/May/Aug/Nov 2000; Feb/May 2001/) after the resurrection of the magazine in February 1999.  Interested folk can read about this in Dancing Bear’s Letter from the Editor (http://www.disquietingmuses.com/Feb99/editorletter.html). 

Poets featured range from Dorianne Laux, Michaela A. Gabriel, Wendy Videlock Adrienne Lee, James Lineberger,  Pooja Mittal, Janet I. Buck, Lyn Lifshin to C.E. Chaffin, Julie Damerell, Joy Harjo, John Carle, and Robert Sward.  The latest issue, May 2001, features poems by Robley Wilson, Jane Hirshfield, Len Anderson, Glenda Cooper, Tom Fugalli, Ellery Akers, Idra Novey, and Garth Greenwell.

When asked what distinguishes Disquieting Muses from other zines, Dancing Bear had this to say: "Well, I could say we appreciate a good lyric, but so do other zines. I could say we appreciate imagery, but so do other zines. I could say we like a little surrealism, ellipticism, classicism, et cetera, but so do other zines. If pressed we might say that one of the qualities we're proud of is scope; we publish a wide range of styles and topics. If it's good, interesting writing, if it's good poetry, if it's good to all of our editors, it's in. I don't think we can quite be categorized; maybe that implies a certain editorial open-mindedness?

According to its Submissions and Award Guideline pages, Disquieting Muses cautions writers “not [to] interpret our name to imply a preference for anything other than the highest quality writing possible. Our only preference is for work that is well-written and interesting to read. We consider all reasonable topics and styles. That said, however, we'd like to especially encourage submissions that are lyrical, imagistic, or slightly surreal."

Trying to sound out a possible editorial bias, I asked Dancing Bear about an “all star” poets’ lineup.   His response:

While this list comes nowhere near ALL the stars, the editors put their heads together and came up with this short list of admirable poets from the past:

Robert Frost

James Wright

Rainer Marie Rilke

Randall Jarrell

Gertrude Stein

Wallace Stevens

Mina Loy

Pablo Neruda

E. E. Cummings

Anna Akhmatova

Garcia Lorca

Robinson Jeffers

Georg Trakl

Rabindrinath Tagore

Rumi

Kabir

WHY:

“Two of DM's prime goals remain thus: to help elevate appreciation for the work of our contributors, and to serve our readers by offering, without charge, a magazine filled with the most interesting poetry available to us” (Dancing Bear).

HOW:

Read the latest submission guidelines and specific policies and procedures here:

A sample rejection letter might read like this:

Thank you very much for your interest in Disquieting Muses.  We have

read your submission carefully; unfortunately, the work you sent isn't

quite what we're seeking.  We do appreciate your effort and we hope you

won't take our declination as a comment on your talent or ability.   

Sincerely, 

The Editors 

Regarding response time, Dancing Bear had this to say:

Knowing firsthand how long and difficult the process of submission can be, we try to respond to our submissions quickly. There have been many times when we've responded to a submission the same day it was received; sometimes we're able to respond within a week. We try not to let anything sit longer than three weeks.

THE GOOD/THE BAD/THE UGLY:

+++  A $100 prize which will be given annually for the best poem to first appear in Disquieting Muses. There is no entry fee. There is no special entry process. The editors will select a winner from all previously/simultaneously unpublished poems that appear in Disquieting Muses in a given year. The award will be announced with the release of the November issue.   The nominations for 2000 can be found here:  http://www.disquietingmuses.com/nov00/pushcarts.html

+++  Disquieting Muses also nominates poems to the Pushcart Prize (typo alert: The Puschart Prize? -- http://www.disquietingmuses.com/feb01/letter.html --) and is on the lookout for similar opportunities. Readers are asked to nominate contributors if said readers know of an award in which participation is possible.

++ / -  The photographs/art selections are visually stunning.  One would perhaps hope that they did not accompany poems and rather stand on their own.  At least this reviewer felt that the pairing of art and poetry led to a kind of forced “meaning-making” – a strong photo such as this one (http://www.disquietingmuses.com/Feb00/grocer.html) is paired with a poem that matches its content but in no way its power.

++ / -  The quality of poems varies greatly.  Of course, opinions regarding literary merit are just that—opinions—but this reviewer that some of the published poem had more literary merit than others.

-  I found the overall design a bit static and “square.”

-  Some of the navigation links at the bottom of archived issues are broken.