BOA Blog

In a thoughtful and probing interview, Rachel Cole Dalamangas asks Joanna Howard, author of On the Winding Stair, a broad range of questions that cover the details of her work, her writing process, and the inspiration that fuels her wild imagination: In addition to the beauty of ruin and decadence, I can't ignore the possibility of a social commentary that particularly reminds me of Virginia Woolf's association in A Room of One's Own with poverty and nourishment to the imagination (or lack thereof).  In a world and an economy where most of us have to spend most of our time...

Wyn Cooper's Chaos is the New Calm and Keetje Kuipers' Beautiful in the Mouth were recently reviewed in the Midtown Review.  These reviews compare poetry to tweets, albeit the "much more complex, resonant, and luxuriant to the ear" version of tweets or status updates, in an attempt to encourage readers to turn to p0etry in the age of shortened attention spans. The review of Cooper's poems highlights the sonic quality of his book, which "resounds deliciously" and "lingers on the tongue."  These poems are recommended as a "fine choice to begin your foray into the pleasures of poetry" that you...

[caption id="attachment_1038" align="alignnone" width="241" caption="Barbara Jane Reyes. BOA Poet. Photo by Peter Dressel."][/caption] Commonwealth Club recently announced the finalists to their California Book Awards. Included among the finalists is Barbara Jane Reyes’s Diwata. The award goes to work of exceptional literary merit by California writers and publishers. The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, bringing together its more than 18,000 members for over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. Founded in 1903, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers,...

As the 10th annual A. Poulin, Jr. contest comes to a close, we are preparing for the next. BOA Editions is excited to announce that the judge for the 11th annual A. Poulin, Jr. contest will be Cornelius Eady! Cornelius Eady was born in Rochester, NY.  He along with Toi Derricote co-founded Cave Canem, a cultural institution whose importance can hardly be understated. Cave Canem is a non-profit organization that serves black poets of diverse backgrounds and has been an essential part of the literary landscape. Cornelius Eady is the recipient of the Prairie Schooner Strousse Award, a Lila Wallace-Reader's...

[caption id="attachment_1017" align="aligncenter" width="196" caption="This New & Poisonous Air. Stories by Adam McOmber."][/caption] A Cappella Zoo recently published one of the first reviews of BOA author Adam McOmber's new collection of short stories, This New and Poisonous Air. Among other high praise, reviewer Colin Meldrum likens McOmber's writing to Edgar Allen Poe, Angela Carter, and Phillip Pullman. Using magic realism, historical setting, and narrative, Meldrum confirms that McOmber's "realism is in the believable, familiar settings and characters; their magic is in the subtle presence of other realms, piquing an eerie sixth sense in the reader." He recommends it to lovers of...