The Bitter Oleander :: NewPages Guide to Literary Magazines

The Bitter Oleander

A Magazine of Contemporary International Poetry & Short Fiction

About The Bitter Oleander: The Bitter Oleander endeavors to publish imaginative poetry, short fiction, interviews, essays & translations of living poets from every corner of the world.

Publisher’s Description: The Bitter Oleander is a biannually published journal of contemporary poetry and short fiction. Although it publishes mostly domestic poetry, its primary focus continues to be on poetry in translation with a particular concentration on the imaginative creation of language from a very individualized perception. It has had work represented in the Best American Poetry (1999) and recognized as Best Literary Journal (2005) through Public Radio’s "Excellence in Print" award 

SPECIALTY: Each issue contains a featured poet which includes a large selection of his or her poetry as well as an in-depth interview with editor Paul B. Roth. Since a great deal of emphasis is on contemporary poetry written outside the U.S., TBO has interviewed such poets as Marjorie Agosín (Chile), Ruxandra Cesereanu (Romania), Alberto Blanco (Mexico), Nicomedes Suaréz-Araúz (Bolivia), Ye Chun (Chinese), Aase Berg (Swedish), Martín Camps (Mexico). It has also published the work of such award winning American poets as W.S. Merwin, Robert Bly, Charles Wright, Duane Locke, Colette Inez, Alan Britt, Silvia Scheibli, Ray Gonzalez, Christine Boyka Kluge, and Anthony Seidman.

“The Bitter Oleander is the epitome representation, and the vividly idealized lodestone of the heights a periodical can achieve within the alternative small press. The thought clarity is brilliant... excellence is the noticeable reoccurring rhythm woven throughout the tapestry of this work.” — Joyce Metzger (Small Press Review)

Recent issues:

This issue (19.1) features the multi-talented Faroese poet and artist Tóroddur Poulsen translated by Randi Ward. Accompanied by a bilingual selection of his current poems, are reflections and the impact of Faroese society on his work. Complimenting this feature are translations from the poetry of Karl Krolow (Germany), Lorenzo Calogero (Italy), Ernst Halter (Switzerland), Eugenia Toledo (Chile), Sara Uribe (Mexico), Carmen Váscones (Ecuador) and Yang Chian (China). Original poetry by Alan Britt, Rob Cook, Sean Thomas Dougherty, Rich Ives, Shannon Salter, Anthony Seidman, Duane Locke, and new short fiction by Nicole Bell, John Robinson, Brandi Wells and the Mexican writer Donají Olmedo.

This issue (18.1, Spring 2012) continues its travel around the planet featuring an interview with the Estonian poet Kristiina Ehin plus many of her poems and pieces of short fiction all impeccably translated by Ilmar Lehtpere. Her tone of mysterious calm is so unpretentious, so absorbing, that it engages the reader without confusion, distortion or questioning. The rest of this Spring issue includes poems by Salgado Maranhão (Brazil), Tóruddor Poulsen (Faroes Islands), Maya Sarishvili (Republic of Georgia), José-Flore Tappy (Switzerland), Omer Tarin (Pakistan), Eugenia Toledo (Chile), and Yi Lu (China). Also included is new short fiction by Jesse Anderson, Ron Darian, Adele Scheele along with new poetry by John Bradley, Alan Britt, Leonard Cirino, Rob Cook, Lara Gularte, Ray Keifetz, Patrick Lawler, Dzvinia Orlowsky, Shannon Salter, Anthony Seidman, Fiona Sze-Lorrain, Randi Ward and Minakshi Watts, and Ye Chun.

Our Autumn issue features the Swiss Francophone poet José-Flore Tappy with a selection of her work and an interview with her translator, John Taylor. This issue also includes short fiction pieces by John Abbott, Nilanjan Bhowmick, Chase Derringer and Kenny Gordon. More contemporary international poetry by Dina Bellrham (Ecuador), Alberto Blanco (Mexico), Erika Burkhart (Switzerland), Martín Camps (Mexico), Anne Perrier (Switzerland), Tórrodur Poulsen (Faroese), Silvia Baron Supervielle (France), Sara Uribe (Mexico), Yang Jian (China) & Yang Zi (China). Among other poets in this issue are Alan Britt, Lara Gularte, Rich Ives, Duane Locke, Elizabeth McLagan, Lisa D. Schmidt and Randi Ward.

last updated 4/15/13