Introduction to Kakalak 2009
Welcome to Kakalak 2009!
Longtime readers will recognize this year’s poetry contest winner. Heather Dearmon takes first prize in poetry for her haunting poem, “not the matter.” Also a talented photographer, Heather earned second prize in the 2008 art contest and her photo, “Grace and Forbearance” is featured on page ## of this year’s edition. Second prize in poetry goes to Kimberly Glanzman’s piece entitled “Scar” with its lyrical commentary on Charles Simic’s line “If the sky falls, they shall have clouds for supper.” Paul Fisher rounds out the top three with “The Butcher’s Dream.” Bob Hicok, an associate professor of English at Virginia Tech and one of the nation’s most well-respected contemporary poets, served as final poetry judge in this year’s contest.
Three disparate pieces take the top prizes for art this year. Another frequent Kakalak contributor, Susan Fecho, claims first prize in art for her multi-layered “Country Kitchen.” Renaissance woman (novelist, poet, and photographer) Karon Luddy’s comical “Dreaming of Leo” earns second prize in art. Patz Fowle, whose stunning “Watertrees” graced our cover last year, takes third prize with “Runs in the Family.”
Carolyn Moore, Kakalak 2008’s top poetry prize winner, presents a portfolio of new work in our special guest contributor’s section beginning on page ##. This year’s stunning cover image is courtesy of our special guest contributor in art, Kathleen Pompe. More of her photography can be seen beginning on page ##.
Each new edition has given us a chance to share the poetry and art that moved us. Each year, we are grateful to the poets and artists who entrust us with their work. The three of us greet each new stack of entries with excitement and anticipation.
Over these four years, we have learned about printing, how to organize readings, and get a business license. And, boy, have we ever learned about taxes.
Since our first editor’s meeting in summer 2005, we have worked non-stop on Kakalak, in addition to writing our own poetry, working our “real” jobs, and juggling family commitments. Much has changed in the world at large since then. Our country has undergone a seismic political and economic shift. The internet has increased its presence across a broad swath of everyday life, including poetry and art.
Many people, when looking at the changed economic landscape, decide this is a good time to retool. Time to step back and decide what matters most and how to make sure their work reflects their values. After four years of Kakalak, we’ve chosen to do the same.
It’s time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’d like to go. Kakalak would work better, we suspect, as a non-profit enterprise. This will take some legal work and grant writing. We want to take a look at how we can use the internet to the anthology’s -- and our poets’ and artists’ -- best advantage. Should we expand our website? Get a Facebook page? Publish the anthology more frequently? Organize a speakers series? Broaden our contributor base? We don’t know the answers to these questions, yet. We need to hear from our contributors and readers about what you would like to see from us in the future. To that end, there will not be a Kakalak 2010. We’re taking the year-long sabbatical to reinvent.
We thank our families for their continued support. Medals of honor go to Anne Hicks in graphic design and Scott Douglass in printing. We are grateful to Bob Hicok for his service as poetry contest judge.
Most of all, we are thankful to the readers, poets, and artists of Kakalak. Let us hear from you during our break. We’ll be back in 2011.
Lisa Zerkle, Richard Allen Taylor, Beth Cagle Burt, co-editors