An Interview with Poetry Editor Whitney Rio-Ross
Every syllable, line-break (or lack thereof), and bit of white space in a poem is a decision as much as the imagery and theme are.
- Do you have any preferences in style of poetry?
I don’t. I like all kinds of poetry—free-verse, formal, experimental, narrative, lyrical, prose, erasure. And our editorial team has a wide range of taste. I mostly want the poem’s form and style to complement and enhance the content. Every syllable, line-break (or lack thereof), and bit of white space in a poem is a decision as much as the imagery and theme are.
- Are you looking for poems with religious or spiritual themes?
No, though I am glad that we can offer a competition where religious verse is taken seriously. If you look at our past winners and honorable mentions on our website, you’ll see many poems that address faith in various ways, as well as poems that are more concerned with broadly philosophical themes—beauty, heritage, truth, language, etc.
I will say that as a magazine that takes pride in our writers’ thoughtfulness, we are all drawn to poems with intellectual or emotional insight. Basically, if a poem shows great craft but no soul, it’s not for us.
Probably the most important thing to note on this topic is that I am opposed to poetry as proselytization. Poems that are simply sermons or essays with line breaks will not move me, no matter how much I might agree with the writer’s ideology.
- What can make or break a poem for you?
I’m a sucker for great endings. If a poem can stick the landing, I’m going to appreciate it more overall. Strong final lines can come in many forms—a striking image, a profound statement or question, a change in perspective that shifts how you read the poem. I think Aristotle was spot-on about the best endings being both surprising and inevitable. They make me want to read the poem again because they enhance the whole piece. The final lines don’t have to be the poem’s best lines, but they should be memorable.
- What do you think is special about the Fare Forward Poetry Competition?
I really like how many people end up being part of the judging process. While I choose the top twenty-five poems after several rounds of rereading, all the editors (whose poetic preferences can be quite varied) vote on the top fifteen finalists. And then our final judge is a former winner whose taste and work we value. I think this setup allows our winners and honorable mentions to span a range of styles, topics, and voices.
This year, I’m also thrilled that Scale House Print Shop will be making a letterpress broadside of the first-place poem. Sarah’s prints are so carefully and lovingly designed, and I hope that the letterpress can be another way to honor and share the poem.
