Contributions
- Dancing With the Dead: On Ragnarök at the Father-Daughter Dance by Todd Dillard
“Todd Dillard successfully transgresses the unspoken cultural embargo on work that grapples with life during the COVID-19 pandemic in his new chapbook, Ragnarök at the Father-Daughter Dance.”
About the Contributor
D.W. Baker is a poet, editor, and teacher from Saint Petersburg, Florida. His poetry appears in Identity Theory, ballast, and Sundog Lit, among others, and has been nominated for Best of the Net. He reads for several mastheads including Variant Lit and Libre.
Follow Info
Select Publications
- Three Poems (Ballast Issue 3.1, Winter 2025)
- Dialogue: Barbara Duffey & D.W. Baker (Interview) (Ballast Issue 3.1, Winter 2025)
- Three Poems (Magazine1 Issue 3, Winter 2025)
- “Roots aren’t a choice (but knowing them is)” (Poem) (Carmen et Error Issue 9.0)
- “S-o-l-a-r” (Poem & Interview) (Black Stone / White Stone, D.W Baker) (PDF)
Contributor Q & A
Can you tell our readers a little about your writing life?
Three parallel worlds that influence my writing a lot are my past experiences as a touring & recording bass player, my training as a reading interventionist & English teacher, and my family life as a happily married dad of two young kids.
How long have you been a writer and how did you get started?
I started writing poetry as a tween, probably, and always kept a notebook through early adulthood. I never really sent it anywhere, though, until having a kid during the year of the pandemic (among other life events that year) changed me.
Can you tell us about an accomplishment that you’re proud of and what you’re working on now?
I'm proud of my confidence in my voice. I have a poem that is adjacent to that, "Saturn's Return," accessible online at Heimat Review, that says it best. My main goal, really, is to keep my integrity by following the voice. Another goal is to see the new, mission-driven publication Libre grow and reach more people. I'm honored and privileged to be involved with that project and its focus on mental health. I dream of collecting poems into books, and am working on my manuscript editing skills to that end.
What do you look for in a book? Who are your favorite writers?
I mostly read poetry. I enjoy books that take singular risks. I would prefer something that aims high and doesn't quite make it, that fails in a way that is provocative and generative, over something that is content to manicure already known terrain to perfection. I also seek out books that relate to the themes I can't help but write about in my own work. I want to be in conversation with those writers and thinkers, because they must be in conversation with the same forces I am. Louise Glück, Elizabeth Bishop, Emily Dickinson, Kobayashi Issa, Rae Armantrout, Kim Hyesoon, and Charles Simic are among my favorites.
Contents
Book Excerpt: Further Thought by Rae Armantrout
Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for January 2025, “Further Thought” from Go Figure by Rae Armantrout, along with a few words from the poet.
Read five poems by poet A.L. Nielsen, our first biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “When We Walked”.
Chapbook Poem: The Poem as an Act of Betrayal by Benjamin S. Grossberg
Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for January 2025, “The Poem as an Act of Betrayal” from As Are Right Fit by Benjamin S. Grossberg, along with a few words from the poet.
Jan. ‘25: Year One: What worked, what didn’t, and what to expect
Editor Aiden Hunt looks back at our first year and discusses changes to Philly Poetry Chapbook Review in 2025.
Three Poems by Shelli Rottschafer
Read three poems by poet Shelli Rottschafer, our second biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “Because We Remember.”
Dancing With the Dead: On Ragnarök at the Father-Daughter Dance by Todd Dillard
“Todd Dillard successfully transgresses the unspoken cultural embargo on work that grapples with life during the COVID-19 pandemic in his new chapbook, Ragnarök at the Father-Daughter Dance.”
Read three poems by poet Wendell Hawken, our third biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “First Hurt”.
Book Excerpt: Slow Chalk by Elaine Equi
Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for February 2025, “Slow Chalk” from Out of the Blank by Elaine Equi, along with a few words from the poet.
Chapbook Poem: Caro M. by Angela Siew
Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for February 2025, “Caro M.” from Coming Home by Angela Siew, along with a few words from the poet.
Read four poems by poet Natalie Marino, our fourth biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue.
A Conversation with Kate Colby
Poet Kate Colby discusses her latest chapbook, ThingKing, her creative writing practices, and her penchant for poetry chapbooks with PCR Editor Aiden Hunt in this interview piece.
Read three poems by poet Adele Ross, our fifth biweekly poet of the Winter 2025 issue, along with a few words about the poem “Heavy Water”.
Book Excerpt: The Self-Combed Woman by Laynie Browne
Read the featured Excerpt Poem of the Month for March 2025, “The Self-Combed Woman” from Apprentice to a Breathing Hand by Laynie Browne, along with a few words from the poet.
Chapbook Poem: To Let Go by Deirdre Garr Johns
Read the featured Chapbook Poem of the Month for March 2025, “To Let Go” from Fallen Love by Deirdre Garr Johns, along with a few words from the poet.