SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
Michael Grover: The first and maybe the only thing that I look for is to be moved. I guess aside from that I look for a general respect for the craft.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
MG: Formatting. I despise prose poems. Most I can read and pick out line breaks which tells me the author was just too lazy to put them in.
SQF: Will you publish a submission an author posted on a personal blog?
MG: Yes, it's their poem. I don't own it they do. A lot of zines I think get a little ridiculous about their policies in regards to that.
SQF: Is there a particular type (or types) of poetry you’d like to receive more of?
MG: Poems that say something. Other than just reaction. They can tell a story, convey a feeling. Poems can do many things.
SQF: Who are some of your favorite poets?
MG: Amiri Baraka was a personal hero of mine. It's been about a year since his death. It was a hard time. I also love the work of Jack Spicer, da levy, Doug Draime, Phillip Levine. The list can go on forever, but I think you get the picture.
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
MG: The future of literature. We live in a society that it seems to me almost encourages ignorance. I know poetry has survived worse days and it will survive this.
Thank you, Michael. We all appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
NEXT POST: 5/15—Six Questions for Chris Lambert, Head Fiction Editor, Red Fez
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