Introduction to Issue 43

“This is the Hour of Lead -
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow -
First - Chill - then Stupor - then the letting go –“
Emily Dickinson

The time has come for Misfit Magazine to end. We had hopes of moving on under another editor but that fell through. When Jennifer and Gene came to me in 2013 and asked if I was interested in joining a, not yet named magazine, I said yes. It was decided that I would do the reading because I had the best bullshit detector, Gene would do original Art and Jennfer would do the behind-the-scenes coding of the magazine. None of us knew what the magazine would look like, how it would go, what we were doing or how long it would last. During a series of fits and starts, we arrived at a consistent, organized schedule for reading and publishing our magazine that you have seen in recent years and now it is time for a fond farewell.

As an editor I tried to approach each new submission on its own terms, without preconceived biases except for the cardinal rule: no rhyming poetry! And still people sent me rhyming poetry. I read the poems anyway. In fact, I can honestly say, I read every single poem sent to me, and responded personally to every submission.  The responses may have been pro forma but, rest assured, I typed them all individually as you can tell by my typos.  Occasionally, I messed up and left out poems and, in every case, I endeavored to put those poems in the next issue with one notable exception: Jessie Lynn to whom I can never apologize enough for leaving her terrific work out of the issue she was accepted for. 

At times the review section threatened to overwhelm me as that section grew upwards to thirty single spaced type written pages an issue the last few years. I loved reading all your books, and all these poems that were submitted to me, but I can’t do my own work, and the magazine any longer. I just turned 78 and at some point, you just know, you have to cut back. I would like to thank all my dedicated readers and writers who stuck with us over the years and sent me so much fine work and who encouraged us to continue the magazine, either personally, or by forwarding their work in the magazine to their friends.  Many of these connections will continue beyond this last issue. None of this would have been possible without you.

Special recognition must be paid to Jennifer Lagier for all her tireless work making the issues look the way they have for all these years. Without her there would have been no Misfit. And to Gene McCormick whose illustrations added touches of joy, irony and sorrow that amplified and complimented the poems. 

A moment of silence should be observed for poets who passed on after having been featured in the magazine. A partial list would include Ed Galing, Ted Jonathan, Mike Estabrook. D.E. Steward, Doug Draime, Paul Sohar, Stu Bartow, John Bennett, Make Faran. Andy Claussen, Pamela Twinning, Simon Perchik, Mike James and last, but not least, one of our biggest and earliest supporters, Joan Colby.

Our last issue features some new work by the editors. I hope you enjoy the work and as Douglas Adams said, “Thanks for all the fish.”