Contributions
- Three Poems by Andrew Pelham-Burn
Read three poems by Andrew Pelham-Burn, our second biweekly poet of the Spring 2026 issue, along with a few words about “Conkers.”
About the Contributor
Andrew Pelham Burn recently completed an MA in Writing at The University of Galway. His poetry has been published in The Cormorant Broadsheet and The Cormorant Anthology, Scrimshaw, Ropes Literary Journal, New Irish Writing in The Irish Independent, and Stony Thursday Book. He has won the Goldsmith Festival Poetry Competition and was shortlisted for the Cúirt New Writing Prize. He lives in the West of Ireland and was a cheesemaker for over fifteen years before taking up writing full time.
Contributor Q & A
Can you tell readers a little about yourself and your life?
After spending seventeen years as an artisan cheesemaker I took a degree in Writing and Literature in 2019. This was followed by an MA in Writing from The University of Galway. My work has appeared in a number of literary publications in Ireland including: The Cormorant, Scrimshaw, Profiles, Stoney Thursday, and New Irish Writing in The Irish Independent newspaper.
I live in the West of Ireland and am married to a local girl with whom I have three wonderful children.
How long have you been a writer?
Since I was sixteen but, seriously, only since 2019 at the age of 60.
What’s an accomplishment in your writing life of which you’re proud and what do you still hope to acheive?
To date winning The Oliver Goldsmith International Poetry Prize is what I am most proud of because it was the first public acknowledgement of my work. I have the goal of publishing my first full collection in 2027.
What do you look for in a book?
I like to be transported by the writing whilst connecting to the themes. A good book, for me, is one that I want to immediately reread. This applies both to poetry and fiction. Books that have done this are Mantel Pieces by Hillary Mantel, Milkman by Anna Burns, Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky, and American Anthem by Kelly Michels.
Contents
Chapbook Poem: Slow Burn by Evan Wang
“The concept of personifying a slow burn deeply resonated with who I thought myself to be—a slow burn, love flickering around me.” Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for April 2026, “Slow Burn” by Evan Wang, along with a few words from the poet.
Book Excerpt: She wants shimmering scales by Nicole Alston Zdeb
“The nexus of the erotic, the social, and the body felt relevant to what I was experiencing at the end of the 20th Century. There are glimmers of personal lore as well…” Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for April 2026, “She wants shimmering scales” from The End of Welcome by Nicole Alston Zdeb, along with a few words from the poet.
“I wanted to explore how time was registered not only by the calendar and clock, but also in the various utilitarian tasks of my mother’s life.” Read three poems by Ron Mohring, our first biweekly poet of the Spring 2026 issue, along with a few words about “Fuse.”
Three Poems by Andrew Pelham-Burn
“Children in these circumstances are deprived of love at a formative stage and learn to immediately behave like adults without the benefit of the learning path of childhood.” Read three poems by Andrew Pelham-Burn, our second biweekly poet of the Spring 2026 issue, along with a few words about “Conkers.”
A Conversation with John deSouza
“Language is a powerful tool and can do great harm both to ourselves and to those most close to us when used cruelly or selfishly.” Poet John deSouza discusses his chapbook, This Rough Magic, his creative process, and the influence of John Ashbery in this interview with editor Danielle McMahon.
Chapbook Poem: from Stray Hunter’s Bullet by Lance Le Grys
“…what interested me was the idea of a character who didn’t do what he was capable of, not because of external circumstances, but because of either a lack of will or a seemingly perverse one.” Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for May 2026, from Stray Hunter’s Bullet by Lance Le Grys, along with a few words from the poet.
Book Excerpt: Love does not exist by Maria Giesbrecht
“This poem was inspired by a dream… I had this strange feeling when I woke up that it meant something more and started writing a poem to see if anything would reveal itself to me.” Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for May 2026, “Love does not exist” from A Little Feral by Maria Giesbrecht, along with a few words from the poet.
“After a loss in my family, I discovered one grieves for both the living who hide their pain and for the dead who sleep in silence.” Read two poems by Patricia Wallace, our third biweekly poet of the Spring 2026 issue, along with a few words about “Fox.”