Hey, y'all and welcome back for issue five. We have twelve writers represented this time around, half of whom are new to Gravity's pages.
Two things of note. First is that the "poetry establishment" seems to be catching up with the times. The latest issue of Poets and Writers magazine features an article on literary e-zines! When it came I ran inside from the mailbox, hoping against hope to see a mention of Gravity within. No such luck. (sigh) Oh well, maybe next time.
Secondly, I've been reading Octavio Paz's The Other Voice, and was struck the other night by one passage in particular. Paz is speaking of Wordsworth: The true hero of The Prelude is the poetic imagination: how it is born in a child; how it fades and is about to be lost; and how, through the contemplation of nature and human society, the mature poet brings it back to life.
And the the kicker: It is a poem animated by a double movement: the passage to maturity is also a return to childhood.
For the January issue of Gravity, I'd like to see some writing on childhood, innocence, maturity and experience. I'll intentionally leave the subject matter open-ended beyond that. Remember to send your bio along with submissions.
J.C., November 1996