Forthcoming from Concrete Meat Press: In Naked Field by Gary Cummiskey

In Naked Field, a chapbook of 20 poems by Gary Cummiskey, is due to be published by Concrete Meat Press, in Leicester, England. 

Cover collage by Bruno Sourdin.

A limited edition of 50 copies.

Dancing the stones

Out there on the spot

Kyle Allan appointed editor of New Coin

Well-known KZN poet Kyle Allan will edit the poetry journal New Coin from January 2019.

Kyle lives in Himeville in the southern Drakensberg area of Kwa-Zulu Natal. His poetry has been widely published in South African literary journals, and he is the author of two books of poems: House without walls (2016) and The space between us (2018). He performs his poems with musicians from different genres including jazz, kwaito, and maskandi. He has read and performed in most South African poetry festivals and has himself organised some local arts festivals and literary events.

About his plans for New Coin, Kyle says: “I will build on the strong work done by the two most recent editors, Gary Cummiskey and Dashen Naicker, who have published a vigorous range of poetry and have shown themselves to be unafraid of diverse and experimental work. A South African literary journal has to recognise our landscape for its pluralities.

'I want to be open to the unexpected.” Kyle also plans to build a stronger media presence for New Coin; to feature forgotten or underrated poets from the past; and to publish poetry from other South African languages in English translation.

He will look for ways to present the intersections of the written and spoken word. “I’d like to ensure that New Coin has a presence at literary festivals and at popular spoken word events. This will bring the magazine to new audiences and introduce spoken word audiences to poets they might not have come across. At the same time I want to introduce New Coin readers to some of our strong spoken word voices, most of whom are underrepresented in print publications.”

New Coin, founded in 1965, is published twice a year by the Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA) at Rhodes University.

To subscribe (R245 a year) email isea@ru.ac.za or call 046 603 8565.
To send poems to the editor: newcoin@ru.ac.za.

Forwarded as is from the ISEA

A review of Pravasan Pillay's Chatsworth, by Karabo Kgoleng

Set in the highly populated township of Chatsworth in KwaZulu-Natal, this collection of 11 short stories highlights working class life in a residential area that was allocated for South Africans of Indian descent during apartheid. The stories take place in the recent past and bring to life the nuances of life in this community, without leaning into stereotypes. The characters vary in age and ethnolinguistic background, from Tamil to Gujarat to hints of Telugu and Urdu. Read more.

My first visit to the forest

I don't understand when you talk

A song for the first girl I loved

Hittin' the road: an interview with John Dorsey by Gary Cummiskey, in The Odd Magazine

John Dorsey lived for several years in Toledo, Ohio. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including Teaching the Dead to Sing: The Outlaw's Prayer (Rose of Sharon Press, 2006), Sodomy is a City in New Jersey (American Mettle Books, 2010), Tombstone Factory (Epic Rites Press, 2013), Appalachian Frankenstein (GTK Press, 2015), Being the Fire (Tangerine Press, 2016) and Shoot the Messenger (Red Flag Press, 2017).  His most recent publication is a limited-edition chapbook titled Dying like Dogs, published by Tangerine Press The address is http://thetangerinepress.com/ He is the current Poet Laureate of Belle, MO. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He may be reached at mailto:archerevans@yahoo.com.

When did you start writing poetry? When was your first collection published?

JD: I started writing very bad poetry about 30 years ago. My first collection, which contained much of that early work, was published in 1995 by Jesse Poet Publications, and was entitled When It's Over and Other Poems. Read more.

When I last saw the silver star

If I were a bell

A song for the first girl I loved

Two poems by Gary Cummiskey published in Have your Chill

I have again had two poems published in the Australian poetry zine Have your Chill, edited by Pete Spence. As usual, when Pete sends out his contributor copies, he includes a gift collage.

Editor needed for New Coin

ew Coin

New Coin is looking for a new editor to begin work in January 2019 (first issue: June 2019).

The editor should have a good sense of the range of genres and sub-cultures in South African poetry today, and be willing to engage constructively with new writing and writers.

The main responsibilities would be:

·         selecting and compiling material for each issue

       (two issues a year – typically 50 poets submit work to each issue)

·         selecting cover art for each issue

·         identifying and selecting new books to review, and finding knowledgeable reviewers

·         corresponding with poets, notifying them of acceptances and rejections, as well as making constructive editorial suggestions

·         appointing a judge for the annual DALRO Prize

·         liaising with the designer of New Coin on production matters

·         proofreading

·         maintaining the New Coin page on Facebook

·         promotion of New Coin

·         liaison on administrative matters with the publisher – the Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA) at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.

The editor can be based anywhere in South Africa. He or she will have the support of an editorial advisory board appointed by the ISEA. A small stipend is paid for the work.

If you’re interested, please send a letter of motivation spelling out your vision for the future of the journal, together with a short CV, to isea@ru.ac.za before 31 October 2018.

As she looked down ...

Text messages | Eleven short trips to Chatsworth, by Darryl Accone

Readers of Pravasan Pillay’s Chatsworth who know the place and its people say: “That’s the way they talk” or “I recognise that”. Having read the 11 short stories in this Dye Hard Press collection, I feel tempted to claim that now I know it too. Of course, I don’t really; rather, what I do is recognise it.

But for this debut collection of short fiction to achieve that is considerable. Read more.