EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

This Issue No. 8 rounds out the first two years of Galatea Resurrects (GR). Woot! And I am delighted to share that GR has presented 405 new reviews of various poetry projects. GR's reviews cover works put out by 207 publishers, in addition to the producers of one blog, one poetry CD, four poetry videos and a performance troupe. We've also introduced online 48 reviews previously only available in print journals (some of which are no longer in existence). The reviewed publishers certainly reflect the internet's reach, as publishers' headquarters reside in the United States, England, Ireland, Canada, Switzerland, Colombia, Mexico, Philippines, Australia, Wales, South Africa, Germany, Japan, France, and, of course, the internet. You can see these statistics fleshed out in the new LIST OF PUBLISHERS COVERED BY GR.

This issue also inaugurates a new GR feature: THE CRITIC WRITES POEMS, inaugurated by Patrick James Dunagan with two poems (the first of which synchronistically is a poem sequence inspired by his reading Elaine Equi's Ripple Effect: New and Selected Poems that he reviews in this issue). I thought this feature might be interesting in showing the poetic talent of those reviewing others' poetries/poems.

Since this is the last issue for 2007, we can also announce the recipient of the 2007 CALENDAR AWARD given by members of the secret organization, Oenophiles For Poetry (OFP). Basically, the OFP membership read all of the reviews/engagements published in 2007 and chose their favorite read. Note that I say "favorite read" versus "best review" -- after all, the judges were in their goblets when they made their choice, and even when they're totally sober their judgements are not necessarily reliable. Anyhoot, the recipient turned out to be[insert drumroll punctuated with clinking glasses]:

Guillermo Parra for his review in GR Issue No. 5 of Micah Ballard’s poems in 6x6 #5; BETTINA COFFIN; ABSINTHIAN JOURNAL; SCENES FROM THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT; UNFORESEEN; DEATH RACE V.S.O.P.; EVANGELINE DOWNS; and NEGATIVE CAPABILITY IN THE VERSE OF JOHN WIENERS.

Congratulations, Guillermo! Your Award comes with a cash prize as munificent as what I was able to scrounge from the pocket pants and purses of the OFP membership while they met to determine the award recipient (actually, they met to drink through my wine cellar but....). Sadly, I must bemoan the state of a credit card-dependent society. I was only able, this year, to scrounge up $10.25. Doesn't anyone walk around with cash anymore?!!! Anyway -- Guillermo, Congratulations but don't quit your day job.

To other matters beyond low finance, I continue to be amazed that GR has lasted this long and with such copious quantity of reviews/engagements. Here are more numbers:

Issue 1: 27 new reviews
Issue 2: 39 new reviews (one project was reviewed twice by different reviewers)
Issue 3: 49 new reviews (two projects were each reviewed twice)
Issue 4: 61 new reviews (one project was reviewed thrice, and three projects were each reviewed twice)
Issue 5: 56 new reviews (four projects were each reviewed twice)
Issue 6: 56 new reviews (one project was reviewed twice)
Issue 7: 51 new reviews
Issue 8: 64 new reviews (3 projects were each reviewed twice)

Of such, the following were generated from review copies sent to GR:

Issue 1: 9 out of 27 new reviews
Issue 2: 25 out of 39 new reviews
Issue 3: 27 out of 49 new reviews
Issue 4: 41 out of 61 new reviews
Issue 5: 34 out of 56 new reviews
Issue 6: 35 out of 56 new reviews
Issue 7: 41 out of 51 new reviews
Issue 8: 35 out of 64 new reviews

Thus, I continue to encourage authors/publishers to send in your projects for potential review. Any project as long as its author is a poet is eligible. For example, this issue inaugurates the first review of a book of art criticism by a poet: Barry Schwabsky reviews Gloire des formes précédé de Le double corps des images by Jean Fremon. Information for submissions and available review copies HERE.

As I've said before, your Editor is blind, so if there are typos/errors in the issue, just email Moi or put in comment and I will swiftly correct said mistakes (since such is allowed by Blogger).

Due to the various hijinks at Galatea, my beloved puppies Achilles and Gabriela hired a lawyer. I had told them that no one will sue me for printing negative reviews of poetry books but, given their genes, they wished to protect me just in case. So, for their latest entry into the Dogs' E-Photo Album Masquerading as a Poetry Review Journal, here they are with their brand spankin' new lawyer (and grumpy OFP member) pausing to relish a November stroll through the vineyards:



With much Love, Fur and Poetry,

Eileen Tabios
St. Helena, CA
November 30, 2007