Charles Jensen | Writer

It’s my favorite time of the year!

My new issue of Bloom landed in my mailbox earlier this week. Oh, so delicious—first and foremost, Bloom is notable for its diverse and high-quality selection of art in each issue. This issue, their third, is no exception—readers are confronted by an oil panting (called “Small Fight”) of two men locked in an over-the-back wrestling grip. Tense, sexual, and vibrant: the red background is absorbed into the issue’s cover, giving the whole issue a rich, seductive hue.

And I haven’t even talked about its insides yet!

Among the precious flowers in this issue are three of my own favorite blossoms: the tender Emily Lloyd, the hearty Lee Ann Roripaugh, and the showy C. Dale Young. All three contributed beautiful pieces to the issue.

Another thing I love about Bloom is that the selection of work always reflects a diverse aesthetic. These poems don’t seem repetitive in tone, subject, form, theme, etc., and thereby they support the greater mission to showcase the diversity of writing at play in the queer and trans communities.

Although I haven’t been able to fully explore the new issue, I know I’ll spend the next few weeks tracking down the writers whose work appears there—reading their books, learning about their work, and expanding my own queer horizons…