The Café Review seeks reviews, which, like any good poem, begin in mid-stride and draw the reader, briefly, into the mind and sound and heart of a poet’s new work. The purpose of the reviews we print is to eloquently inform our readers of what’s new in poetry within the last year, not to provide a forum for a reviewer to show of his vast intellect or her ability to shred a poet’s work using the latest literary criticism. Of course, we do appreciate reviews that give the reader a sense of both the strengths and weaknesses of a book of poems.
Usually, TCR prints several short reviews of poetry from the last year published by quality small presses in each of its quarterly issues. If you seek a model for your review submission, read the samples provided on this website and the ” Books in Brief” section of the New York Times Book Review or one of the other publications (e.g. APR, Rain Taxi) that frequently print short reviews of poetry. On occasion, we print reviews longer than 600 words, but they have to be exceptional.
Reviewers are paid with two copies of TCR for their work. That is all our budget allows at this point in time. We have provided an independent voice for poetry, reviews, interviews, and art to a small audience throughout the world and in pockets across the country for nearly fifteen years and will continue to do so for a long time into the future, if not forever.
Send your review submissions to:
Reviews Editor,
The Café Review,
c/o Yes Books,
589 Congress St.,
Portland, ME 04101.
Unlike poetry submissions, we DO accept reviews via e-mail at: mgrumbling@thecafereview.com
Please include:
– the name of both the poet and book title
– price of the book
– the year of publication (no more than a year old)
– number of pages
– ISBN
Example:
– The River Sound
– W.S. Merwin
– $23.00 Alfred K. Knopf
– 1999
– Pg. 134
– 03487432188
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