Feedback, Anyone?

Hopefully, you have had a chance to read our latest issue, Vol. 25:3, which was shipped early January. Of course, as anxious parents, we simply love to hear how the latest creative "child" has been received! We have gotten some lovely emails, and several of you have filled out the Survey Monkey survey via our website (thanks!) But we'd love to hear from more readers.

As we begin to develop and expand our interactive abilities, we are hoping that we can begin a dialogue with our readers, and possibly facilitate a dialogue among you. Step one is to set up feedback mechanisms (such as the Survey Monkey questionaire), and of course we are reading and responding to our Facebook page. What next? What else would you like to see, either on this blog, or on the Calyx website? You can enter comments below, or email us at info(at)calyxpress(dot)org.

Sarah Lantz Memorial Poetry prize Winner Announced!

We congratulate Penelope Scambly Schott for her winning book, Crow Mercies. Penelope is the winner of our first Sarah Lantz Memorial Poetry Book Prize. There were many entries, and it was not an easy decision, but final judge Colleen McElroy selected Crow Mercies from a final group of eight books.

Because the lead time on book publication is so early, we got busy right away! Crow Mercies has an ISBN number, and we have entered the summaries and other needed info online with our distributor -- a January deadline for an October printing! As someone who is relatively new to this, it is interesting to me how long a lead time there is for many aspects of the production.

I'll be blogging along the way, as I learn more about how to produce a book of poetry!
-- Cathy

It's here!

Cathy and I stood in the empty parking lot of the storage locker facility. We were waiting for the drop-off. When the guy's truck pulled up, I knew it would be the good stuff. He unlatched the back of the truck...yeah, the good stuff.

Yes, our friend in the delivery truck was dropping off the newest issue (winter 2010 vol. 25:3) of CALYX! The cover features a lovely wrap-around black and white photograph by University of Oregon senior Andi Calliope Linden. I couldn't wait to get back to the office and take a peak at the full-color art and pages of delicious prose and poetry.

-Becky, Associate Editor and storage locker goon

Holiday Wishes from everyone at CALYX!

We hope you all have a happy season, filled with creativity and with peace!

Also, we would like to invite all the friends of CALYX to tell us what you think of our blog -- you can use the Comment function, or you can send email to info(at)calyxpress(dot)org. What would you like to see here? Are there questions about a literary press that you would like answered? Are you curious about our herstory? We'd love to hear from you.

December 5, 2009 Poetry workshops by Frances Payne Adler and Willa Schneberg, Corvallis, Oregon

The CALYX Workshops and readings on Saturday, December 5th were well attended and enjoyed by the participants. Eleven attendees for “Fire & Ink” heard Fran Adler describe several inspiring activist projects that either sprung from or resulted in poetry and image. She then challenged us to create a poem from a deep-seated concern. The shared poems ranged from hunger to abuse issues, to healthcare issues. Too quickly, the workshop itself was over, and attendees had the chance to buy Fran’s newest anthology “Fire & Ink” – it quickly sold out.

Frances Payne Adler giving "Fire & Ink" workshop

That afternoon, 13 attendees for Willa Schneberg’s “Dreaming the Poem” learned about how the unconscious can bring up images in dreams, how poets have used dream in various ways in their poetry, and how a poet can even use someone else’s dream to create an interesting poem. The attendees tried their hand at poems from selected anonymous dreams brought by Willa – the results were surprising. Several poets had the same dream, but created very different poems. Willa’s books were also available and popular with the attendees.

The evening reading showcased Willa and Fran’s poetry, in “Poems of Resistance and Resilience” – despite frigid weather, the audience proved that poetry is a draw in Corvallis. CALYX is very grateful to Willa and Fran for coming down from Portland to give these workshops and reading, and to Friends of the Corvallis Benton County Library, The Corvallis Arts Center, and the Benton County Cultural Coalition for sponsoring this event.