My Interview with John Glenday in Anon
August 9, 2010
Van Winkle Meets Glenday
Anon is a poetry magazine which fits in your back pocket and is a perfect poetic treat. I was fortunate enough to be asked to interview one of my favourite poets for the latest issue — John Glenday. Glenday’s most recent book, Grain, garnered a ton wagon-load of much deserved praise including a nomination for the prestigious Griffin Prize. Grain was released a shocking 14 years after Glenday’s last collection — the magnificent Undark. Thanks a million to John for, comparatively, conjuring this interview up at the speed of light. In my opinion, Glenday’s work is the real deal — these poems reminds us why we continue to read and write poetry. His collection is an elegant argument for the importance and beauty of this medium. He wouldn’t say this, of course, but in the interview he does say many other interesting things like:
“Mint choc chip. It’s flavourful, a delightful melange of colours and textures and affordably alliterative.”
Buy Anon — £6.50 for one issue or £11 for a one-year subscription. It is a super high quality magazine that not only features my interview with The Good Glenday but also new poems and essays. Look!
Prose: An essay on poetry and film by filmmaker Alastair Cook; an interview with Scottish poetry star John Glenday; what it’s like to be a poetry apprentice with Chloe Morrish; blind faith and anonymity with Claire Askew; and a personal take on the New York poetry scene through the eyes of Alice White.
Poetry: Excellent contemporary poetry from a wide variety of poets including Matt Merritt, Caroline Crew, Juliet Wilson, Adam Strickson, Rob A. Mackenzie, Ken Champion, Dave Coates, Jayne Fenton Keane, Richard Moorhead, Emily Van Duyne and Scott Edward Anderson and many others.
What is Anon?
“This is nothing short of fabulous. Our celebrity culture is in such desperate need of an enema. We’re completely clogged up with ego and projects like this have become essential in every way.” Mario Petrucci
Like it says on the tin — Anon is a magazine that only takes anonymous submission. This democratizes the editorial process ensuring that Big Names with Bad Poems don’t get in the magazine just because their name might sell some copies. It also means the editors, Colin Fraser & Peggy Hughes, can not favour their friends. Truly, it is anonymous — if you are interested you can easily submit online.
