A New Reading of Rilke's "Elegies: Affirming the Unity of 'life-AND-death'" by Dr. John Mood

The Edwin Mellen Press is pleased to announce the publication of A New Reading of Rilke's "Elegies: Affirming the Unity of "life-AND-death" by Dr. John Mood. While meeting Mellen's usual high standards of a significant contribution to scholarship, this book, unlike many of Mellen's publications, is also accessible to the general reader of fine poetry in translation. Such readers will find this book both intellectually stimulating and enjoyable. Indeed, it could easily serve as an introduction to Rilke's poetry. It is the long awaited follow-up to Mood's Rilke on Love and Other Difficulties (Norton, 1975, 2004), which has been in print for 34 years now and still going strong; it is indeed the second largest selling Rilke book in the English speaking world. More details of Mood's new book are available at www.mellenpress.com.

Contributing Editor Benjamin Arnold, "Fractals of Past"

One of Perigee's founding editors, Benjamin Arnold, is about to release a book-length collection of poetry (April). The even better news? You can pre-order his chapbook, Fractal of Past, from Lerue Press right now by clicking here.

In the Company Of Angels, Reviewed by Publisher's Weekly

Contributing Perigee Editor Thomas E. Kennedy's recent novel, In The Company of Angels, (Bloomsbury, $26) has been highly reviewed by Publisher's Weekly:

It probably doesn't reflect glowingly on American expat Kennedy's native country that this watershed novel is the first to be published in the U.S. after a decade of acclaim abroad. Why it's taken so long is anyone's guess, as there's plenty to admire in the serpentine unwinding of troubled protagonists adrift in contemporary Copenhagen. First there's Bernardo "Nardo" Greene, a Chilean sifting through the torments he suffered at the hands of Pinochet's secret police with the help of his Danish therapist, Thorkild Kristensen, who acts as part-time narrator. Meanwhile, Michela Ibsen attempts to escape a history of abusive lovers, most recently, the psychopathically jealous Voss. Inquisitions into the nature of violence follow from Thorkild's private musings and from Michela's hospital-bound father, but it is in Nardo and Michela's cautious flirtation that the story's central problem—how do we exorcise patterns of abuse and arrive at what is worth loving in a world poisoned by cruelty?—is etched. Kennedy's respect for his characters and startlingly tender regard for basic humanity color what is in effect a high-concept love story resonant with, as Nardo says, "The produce... of our lives." (Mar.)

Creative Writing

Creative Writing

Some useful content from Open University's Creative Writing program (found in iTunes U).

2009 Poetry Contest Winners

Perigee is pleased to announce the winners of our most popular and competitive poetry contest to date. Our Poetry Editor, Steve Kowit, and guest judge Suzanne Lummis had a tough task indeed. This year's submissions were exceptionally strong, and deciding on three winners and three honorable mentions took a great deal of consideration.

First Place ($300): "The Seed Jar," by Corrie Williamson
Second Place ($200): "Sweet Molasses," by Ginny Lowe Conners
Third Place ($100): "Yosemite," by Peter Bolland
Honorable Mentions: "The Last Battle of the Civil War," by Peter Bolland; "Crossroads," by Cameron Keller Scott.

The winning poems and honorable mentions will be published in our upcoming, 26th issue—due out October 15th—which will include an impressive number of poems culled from general submissions, contest entries, and poets the world over. We will also be presenting poems from our guest judge Suzanne Lummis, whose insight and passion proved integral to the success of this contest.

Issue 26 Contributors

Perigee's 26th issue will be released this coming Thursday, October 15th. It will include all new fiction, non-fiction, and poetry—including the winners and honorable mentions from our 2009 Poetry Contest. Altogether we're publishing 41 phenomenal poems, short fiction from Brandon Cesmat, Walter Cummins, and Gavin Pate, an interview with Mich Cochrane, and much more.

We hope you will enjoy all that the new issue has to offer. Subscribe for free to be sure you are notified when the new issue is released.

Fiction (9)

"The Insomniac and the Singer,” by Michael Bradburn-Ruster
“Aphasia,” by Brandon Cesmat
“Dreaded,” by Walter Cummins
“Fisher of Herms,” by Rosalie Freese
“The Swap,” by Marisa Labozzetta
“At the Twin Maples,” by Tim Myers
“All the Acid in the World,” by Gavin Pate
“Tractor Twang,” by Anna Sheaffer
“Angelina and Me,” by Tatjana Soli

Non-Fiction (9)

“Jack Marshall, The Steel Veil,” Reviewed by Duff Brenna (originally in South Carolina Review)
“End of the Sixties” Excerpts from an Autobiography, by Robert Gover
“Mick Cochrane on Baseball, ‘Butterflies’ and his New Book,” by Jean Westmoore (The Buffalo News)

“America/Armenia/Angelina,” by Nancy Agabian
“Four Generations of Men,” by David W. Berner
“Old School Bush,” by T. Nicole Cirone
“No Apology for Happiness,” by Steve Davenport
“Words Under the Sky,” by Thomas E. Kennedy
“The Blood of Children,” by Allen Learst
“Therapy,” by Richard Reiss

Poetry (41)

Contest winners:
First - “The Seed Jar,” by Corrie Williamson
Second - “Sweet Molasses,” by Ginny Lowe Connors
Third - “Yosemite,” by Peter Bolland
Honorable Mention – “The Last Battle of the Civil War,” by Peter Bolland
Honorable Mention – “Crossroads,” by Cameron Keller Scott

Standard submissions:
“Fourteen,” by Deborah Harding-Allbritain
“Molluska: Gastropoda,” by Deborah Harding-Allbritain
“Lure and Tryst,” by Deborah Harding-Allbritain
“Lost Dog,” by Brandon Cesmat
“Repo,” by T. Nicole Cirone (Editor’s Choice: T. Kennedy)
“Closing Up the Bungalow,” by T. Nicole Cirone (Editor’s Choice: T. Kennedy)
“Soldier of Fortune, 1969,” by Steve Davenport (Editor’s Choice: R.A.Rycraft)
“American Girl,” by Steve Davenport (Editor’s Choice: R.A.Rycraft)
“Shape,” by Steve Davenport (Editor’s Choice: R.A.Rycraft)
“Torch Song,” by Allison Elliott
“Loosestrife,” by Kathleen M. Kelley
“What Did She Read in the Grand Canyon,” by Ken Kibler
“Summer Turning,” by Jen Kindborn
“Confessions of an Ensenada Cruise,” by Clifton King
“A Woman with a Chameleon on her Hat,” by Suzanne Lummis
“You Will Visit a Far-Away Country that has been in Your Thoughts,” by Suzanne Lummis
“Setting Out,” by Jack Marshall
“Dimming,” by Jack Marshall
“Matter,” by Carolyn Miller
“Happiness,” by Carolyn Miller
“After Swimming in the Public Pool,” by Carolyn Miller
“Orange and Gray,” by Miguel Murillo
“The Kingdom of Six A.M.,” by Michael Nieman
“Road,” by Michael Nieman
“Before and After Tampico,” by Doren Robbins
“Alone Together,” by Doren Robbins
“Reaching for a Star,” by Madeline Sharples
“Demolition,” by Madeline Sharples
“Just South of Epinal,” by Lloyd A Stoller
“What You Don’t Know,” by Bill Sullivan
“Sculpting,” by Rebecca Tolin
“The Adjective Cellar,” by Archie Wilson
“The Zen of Housework,” by Al Zolynas
“A Nightmare Concerning Priests,” by Al Zolynas

2009 Poetry Contest Winners Will be Tweeted First!

Perigee will be announcing its 2009 Poetry Contest winners on Twitter first. The winners, who are being awarded $600 in cash, will be published in Perigee's upcoming 26th issue--due out October 15.

Want to be the first to know? Or just want to follow Perigee's tweets? You can find us here on Twitter: twitter.com/perigeeart