Editor’s note—
The number of self-published periodicals that begin with best intentions yet never make it to a second edition could fill an ocean… or perhaps a large lake. Following the debut-issue elation, we experienced the inertia and faced the realisation that we had to do it all again. We learned much from last time, have hopefully grown as editors, and believe that we are now able to offer an even more comprehensive issue.
There have been changes. While previously we solicited work from familiar poets, this time around we opened the doors to submissions. We received brilliant pieces that we would not have otherwise come across, broadening our reach to various areas of New Zealand. These pieces come from diverse sources, including creative writing schools such as the International Institute of Modern Letters at the Victoria University of Wellington; artists active in other mediums, including music and film; and poets working outside traditional institutions.
Spring, 2012 is a mixture of these exciting discoveries along with pieces from several poets who were invited to share their wonderful words. There are some names returning from the previous issue, and we are proud to once again showcase two international writers whose work would otherwise be unlikely to reach our shores. Wary of catering only to young ‘twenty-something’ upstarts, we are also very pleased to feature some more established, ‘mature’ poets. Naturally, these developments have seen the publication grow in physical size.
We hope readers will share our enthusiasm for this collection.
Since the release of the Winter, 2012 issue at the beginning of August, Minarets has enjoyed a number of successes, including Auckland Zinefest, and a launch event at Snake Pit Gallery in Auckland. Contributors attending gave striking readings, while the work of those overseas or in other parts of the country was displayed in large-scale print on the gallery walls. Our first issue continues to retail online at Amazon.com, and in paper at Time Out Bookstore in Auckland. We will also be on the road next month for Wellington Zinefest.
So far we’ve made good on our quarterly promise. Wish us continued luck.
Chris Holdaway
Lauren Strain
October 2012
Chris Holdaway is a poet & editor from Auckland, New Zealand. He is the author of HIGH-TENSION/FASHION (Greying Ghost, 2017), & directs Compound Press. He received his MFA in poetry from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
