Reuben Jackson Makes Banshee Press’ 2020 Best Short Readings List
Jackson's poetry cycle, "Kelly's Love for Waltzes" (published by Boston Review) is chosen by Jaydn Dewald for the year-end list.
THIS YEAR, the Irish publisher, Banshee Press, asked its editors and contributors to pick "their favourite shorter reads of the year." Poet, Jaydn Dewald, whose work has appeared in Banshee and numerous other journals, chose Reuben Jackson's poetry cycle "Kelly's Love for Waltzes" for the list. The cycle was originally published by Boston Review and includes poems that utilize a waltz-like form, each line containing three words.
In "Kelly's Love for Waltzes" Reuben, who achieved considerable recognition for his narrative-driven poetry about lovers Khadijah and Amir, showcases a new voice, that of Kelly, loud and frustrated over racial inequality. Reuben's most recent collection Scattered Clouds features a plethora of his narrative and character-based poetry, and includes of all of his Khadijah and Amir poems. You can pick that up from ASP here.
Scattered Clouds is a volume of lyrical, emotionally forthright meditations on love, loss, and longing. The volume contains the complete text of the author’s award-winning first collection, fingering the keys; his nationally lauded poem, “For Trayvon Martin”; and his suite of ruminations on a long-time and deeply missed friend, the late barbershop owner Amir Yasin, and his widow Khadijah Rollins. These poems, exploring Amir’s late-life romance with Kadijah, became a national internet sensation.
An introduction by poet Abdul Ali places Jackson in his rightful context as a Black American poetry elder, who has influenced generations of younger poets with his musical wisdom as well as his poetry. Ali is a Cave Canem alum and the author of the poetry collection, Trouble Sleeping.
Reflections on my First AWP; or, Sleepless in SeaTac
ASP Intern and Washington College Senior Eylie Sasajima on Her First AWP Conference
An interview with the late, great Linda Pastan
Along the indifferent corridors / of space, angels could be hiding,” Linda Pastan wrote in her poem “Muse.” ASP honors the legacy of Linda Pastan (1932–2023), a former Poet Laureate of Maryland, who passed away last week. Pastan was the author of the 2018 poetry book A Dog Runs Through It, which won the Towson University Literary Award.
Here’s to 2022! And Here’s a Sale…
2022 was a big year for ASP and our writers. In March, we had a booth at the annual AWP Conference, and our offsite reading, featuring authors Saida Agostini, Dave Housley, Elizabeth Hazen, and Richard Peabody, along with special guests Teri Ellen Cross Davis and Leslie Pietrzyk, had a standing-room-only audience packed with literary stars.