Although I had been writing poetry for years, I never considered that anyone would want to publish it. Meeting other poets on-line through Sonnet Central changed all that. In autumn 2002, egged-on by M. A. Griffiths particularly, when the University of Texas' ezine invited submissions I took the leap. They accepted five poems, astonishingly they are still sitting there.
Mike Burch's poetry site is distinctly idiosyncratic. Where else might you find the poetry of e.e. cummings, Ronald Reagan and Leonard Nimoy rubbing shoulders. Despite such eccentricities a fair number of well known contemporary poets - mainly formalists - are represented here. I was pleased to be included as 'Spotlight Poet' in May 2010. I have not made it into the 'featured poets' list on the home page, but then neither has Mike Alexander or A. M. Juster, and they're both considerably more accomplished writers than me. So, the 'indexed but not featured' list is illustrious company enough.
Click on the link above and you will soon realiise that the Raintown Review differs from the other journals featured here. It's a subscription page - the Raintown is a proper magazine that drops through the letter box twice a year with a satisfactory thud. Ezines are great, and they have made high quality poetry more accessible and democratised its publication. All the same, its not quite the same as seeing your words printed on paper. Since Anna Evans and Quincy Lehr took over the editorial reins in 2009 the journal has become more edgy. To quote from its website, "The Raintown Review is kind of a badass. Edgy verse and strong opinion—fierce, even—reign supreme in this publication." I am always delighted to get poems accepted in magasines, but the two times I have made it into the Raintown I felt, not pride, but a sense of validation, of being understood somehow. If poetry is your passion, it is worthwhile subscribing to The Raintown Review; its content will surprise, entertain, challenge and occasionally annoy, which surely is what we want from a poetry magasine.
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