In the 1980s, a group of critics and poets who came to be known as “New Formalists” began denouncing freeverse poetry, and demanding a return to the old forms. They were denounced as “yuppie poets,” for embracing types of poetry seen as elitist. But while they may not have gotten what they wanted, they did leave their mark: today, writing in form is no longer seen as “elitist,” and it is not unusual to see ghazals, sestinas, villanelles, etc. alongside freeverse in the top literary magazines.

But I have to wonder if we might be missing the point of form. Sure, it’s good to write in challenging forms that are tried and tested, but did no one have to invent those forms at some point? If “top literary magazines” truly want to engage form again, should they not be publishing forms that are new and exciting, in addition to, if not instead of, the older forms?

When I decided to devote an issue to form, I wanted to make sure I had a good mix of the old and the new: Fibs and hay(na)ku alongside cinquains and senryu. What I got surpassed my expectation, as I received many submissions in forms invented by the poet.

Ultimately, two of these invented forms truly interested me: the Koanpoem and the Cleveland Senryu. These two new forms introduce the issue, which is the debut for both in a literary journal.

I wanted a real sense of freshness in this issue, to make form seem less intimidating and “stuffy”–so a few of the poets in this issue are young in their publication careers. One poet, J. Alfred Costanza, makes his debut here. I worked with a lot of these poets closely on getting their poems just right.

I think you’ll find this issue, despite its black-and-white, antique aesthetic, is among our freshest to date.

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