EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

This issue is dedicated to Beatriz Tilan Tabios (1930-2012)  who was ever-supportive of my (often fanciful and/or idealistic) ideas, thus occasionally reviewing for Galatea Resurrects.  R.I.P., Mom…

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Thanks as ever to GR's numerous, generous volunteer staff of reviewers. In addition to some wonderful feature articles, we have 68 NEW POETRY REVIEWS this issue!

Poetry has enhanced my love of lists so here are GR's latest poetry-lovin' stats!

Issue 1: 27 new reviews

Issue 2: 39 new reviews (one project was reviewed twice by different reviewers)

Issue 3: 49 new reviews (two projects were each reviewed twice)

Issue 4: 61 new reviews (one project was reviewed thrice, and three projects were each reviewed twice)

Issue 5: 56 new reviews (four projects were each reviewed twice)

Issue 6: 56 new reviews (one project was reviewed twice)

Issue 7: 51 new reviews

Issue 8: 64 new reviews (3 projects were each reviewed twice)

Issue 9: 65 new reviews

Issue 10: 68 new reviews (1 project was reviewed thrice and 1 project was reviewed twice)

Issue 11: 72 new reviews (1 project was reviewed thrice)

Issue 12: 87 new reviews (1 project was reviewed twice)

Issue 13: 55 new reviews (1 project was reviewed twice)

Issue 14: 64 new reviews (3 projects were reviewed twice)

Issue 15: 72 new reviews (1 project was reviewed thrice and 4 projects were reviewed twice)

Issue 16: 73 new reviews (2 projects were reviewed twice)

Issue 17: 108 new reviews (3 projects were reviewed twice)

Issue 18: 104 new reviews (3 projects were reviewed twice)

Issue 19: 68 new reviews (1 project was reviewed twice)

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Some Thoughts For Future Issues: While the core of Galatea Resurrects is likely to remain poetry book reviews, GR’s vision is not so much book reviews but offering new ways and opportunities to engage with poetry.  So please consider this a reminder that you need not write a book review to be published in GR.  For example, you can do a close reading of a single poem from a poetry book.  You might even discuss a poetry reading rather than a poetry publication.  Or review a visual art exhibition, videos, etc. that has some link(s) to poetry. You might even round up a pal or several pals to discuss a poem or book or other poetry project.  In this issue, we—rather, John Bloomberg-Rissman—even review a manuscript-in-progress, BAN by Bhanu Kapil, since the in-progress manuscript is publicly available (in this case, through the author’s blog).  And Tom Hibbard engages with four paintings by a poet—Guy Beining—because GR is open to "reviewing" any output in any genre by a poet.  So please feel free to think of different ways with which one might engage in poetry!

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As of Issue No. 19, we are pleased to report that GR has provided 1,201 new reviews of publications and other poetry projects and 89 reprinted reviews (to bring online reviews previously available only viz print or first published in now-defunct online sites). With this issue, we increased our coverage of poetry publishers by 23 to 460 publishers in 17 countries. This is important as I feel that much of the ground-breaking poetry work is being published by independent and/or relatively small presses who (by the nature of their work) are not always as well-known as they deserve to be. 

I continue to encourage authors/publishers to send in your projects for potential review—note that because we believe in Poetry's immortality, GR does not limit reviews to just "recent" poetry publications. And, obviously, people are following up with your submissions! Information for submissions and available review copies HERE. Future reviewers also should note that the next review submission deadline is April 12, 2013.

Of reviewed publications, the following were generated from review copies sent to GR:

Issue 1: 9 out of 27 new reviews

Issue 2: 25 out of 39 new reviews

Issue 3: 27 out of 49 new reviews

Issue 4: 41 out of 61 new reviews

Issue 5: 34 out of 56 new reviews

Issue 6: 35 out of 56 new reviews

Issue 7: 41 out of 51 new reviews

Issue 8: 35 out of 64 new reviews

Issue 9: 42 out of 65 new reviews

Issue 10: 46 out of 68 new reviews

Issue 11: 46 out of 72 new reviews

Issue 12: 35 out of 87 new reviews

Issue 13: 38 out of 55 new reviews

Issue 14: 40 out of 64 new reviews

Issue 15: 43 out of 72 new reviews

Issue 16: 49 out of 73 new reviews

Issue 17: 73 out of 108 new reviews
Issue 18: 84 out of 104 new reviews

Issue 19: 41 out of 68 new reviews

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This issue contains a special feature I’m calling “Random Diptych.”  For this section, three poet-critics accepted my invitation to review two books together, with such books chosen at random from GR’s shelves of review copies.  “Random Diptych” presents a special challenge as, in addition to reviewing the individual book, the review also must read each book in the company of the other.  Thanks to Patrick James Dunagan (who, as it turned out, wrote more than a diptych’s worth as the second publication incorporates three different poetry collections), Genevieve Kaplan and Lucy Biederman for taking on the challenge!

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As I've said before, your Editor is blind, so if there are typos/errors in the issue, just email Moi at GalateaTEN@aol.com or put in the comments sections and I will swiftly correct said mistakes (since such is allowed by Blogger).


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All of us at Galatea hope you enjoy the issue!  Happy Holidays!

With much love, poetry, vino and fur,

Eileen Tabios
St. Helena, CA
Dec. 17, 2012