Charles Jensen | Writer

I want to take a moment to look on the bright side.

The bright side is where I spend most of my time. Although I can be a bit of a complainer and I do feel obligated to shed light on inequality, I think it’s now as important as ever to remind myself and others that there is a bright side, and it’s a good one.

We’ve blogged a lot about the problems in the poetry world, particularly in terms of publishing and the ethics involved. It’s true that these discussions are important and necessary to have, yes. I’m not negating anything that has been already explored or expressed in these posts, but I want to remember that there are people out there doing amazing work and helping other artists get their work into the world.

And ultimately, shouldn’t this be our goal? To create and support as many new and emerging voices as we possibly can? Aren’t our lives made richer by the diversity of expression in American poetry rather than the limitations of its reach? Yes. We should constantly decry the inappropriate, the unjust, and the unworthy, but there is equal responsibility for us to celebrate th innovative, the outreaching, and the up-and-coming.

So leave a comment and tell me about a fantatic book you’ve read by a new author, or a great journal you think is lifting off and making a difference, or a press pursuing new work of value—whatever that means—and look on the bright side with me.