Ami Kaye is the publisher at Glass Lyre Press, and editor of Pirene’s Fountain and the Aeolian Harp Series. Her poems, reviews and articles have appeared in various journals and anthologies including Naugatuck River Review, Life and Legends, Kentucky Review, Iodine Poetry Journal, Tiferet, East on Central, First Literary Review- East, Cartier Street Review, Peony Moon, and Diode Poetry Journal, among others. Ami edited and published Sunrise from Blue Thunder in response to the Japan 2011 disasters, and co-edited First Water: Best of Pirene’s Fountain. Her work was nominated for the James B. Baker award, and received an honorable mention in the 2013 Tiferet contest. She is the author of What Hands Can Hold (2010), and currently working on a benefit anthology, “Collateral Damage” to raise funds for disadvantaged children.
Interview by Michael Fischer
Pirene’s Fountain is a division of Glass Lyre Press, which publishes “poetry collections, chapbooks, select short & flash fiction, and the occasional anthology.” When did Pirene’s Fountain join Glass Lyre? How do the visions of both inform each other?
Although Pirene’s Fountain is a division of Glass Lyre Press, it was Pirene’s Fountain that came first. Pirene’s began as a small, online magazine with a handful of authors and readers. Over the years it skyrocketed to a degree we could never have imagined. Besides publishing poetry our aim was to showcase the work of some of the best contemporary writers. As each issue went online more and more people responded to the journal, and we developed a rather large following. We also publish reviews, articles, and interviews. In 2012 we took the leap into book publishing, and registered Glass Lyre Press as a limited liability company. At that time, Pirene’s became part of the press, and many authors came to Glass Lyre through their experiences and relationship with the journal.
While the visions for Glass Lyre Press and Pirene’s Fountain are similar in aesthetics and implementation, the ideology behind PF is inclusivity, and the press, by its very nature, is far more selective. We are halfway through our transition year. Next year we are switching over to a prize model which we hope will facilitate a more financially sustainable production as we do not rely on grants or donations.
The values of Pirene’s Fountain and Glass Lyre Press are in keeping with a small independent press. Both organizations publish eclectic work with emphasis on language and craft, work that is impactful, and lasting. Our focus is on high quality: the work we select, as well as our own production values and services. We have been fortunate to attract superlative work and literary talent, and our publishing team is committed to excellence from submission to release. It is our hope readers everywhere will enjoy our journal Pirene’s Fountain, and the Glass Lyre books and anthologies with the same degree of pleasure we derive from their production.
Can you talk more about your planned prize model? Will you use an outside judge? What can submitters look forward to?
Originally we had an outside judge pick a winner from all manuscripts read during open submissions but it was a challenge to keep up with production so we decided to shift to a prize model similar to that of other small presses. We have two submitting periods for Glass Lyre. The first is the Kithara Book Prize (reading January–March). The second is the Lyrebird Award (August-October). Winners receive a certificate and a $500 check (covered by the reading fees). I also reserve the option of soliciting a couple of manuscripts that interest me.
Our manuscripts are judged on a 10-point evaluation system. Manuscripts which receive 8 or more points are considered for the prize and publication. In addition to the Kithara and Lyrebird prizes, Pirene’s Fountain offers the annual “Liakoura” for the best poem.
We’ve also launched two new projects for interested submitters: “Collateral Damage,” a benefit anthology, and a new publication from Glass Lyre, the “Aeolian Harp Series,” which is an annual anthology of ten poet folios curated by the series editor and a guest editor. We are fortunate to have the editor of RHINO, Ralph Hamilton, guest edit our inaugural volume.
Interested authors can check out our various publications and their guidelines on our website: http://glasslyrepress.com/publications.html
Remember we’re on the same side; we want to publish your work.
Though Pirene’s is international in scope, it is based in Chicago. You recently attended Printers Row Lit Fest 2015. Can you discuss your experience and the journal’s relationship to Chicago?
Pirene’s was born in Chicago, and most of our production staff live in the area so we have a deep connection to this area. Chicago has a great literary legacy and a thriving poetry and cultural presence. There are an amazing number of poetry venues that make poetry accessible to the mainstream audience. There are also some wonderful independent and university presses based in Chicago. Glass Lyre Press had a booth at Printer’s Row Lit Fest 2015, and our staff, led by managing editor Steve Asmussen, connected with people from the community who were very enthusiastic about our books and the journal. It was a lively event, and Pirene’s, and our authors and projects were well represented by our staff.
We also sponsor LIVE LYRE, an annual (or biannual) reading event in which we typically invite 8-10 featured readers. This has been a successful local event and many of our new authors are interested in traveling to Chicago to attend future readings. We’ve been to the Poetry Foundation and attended readings and workshops by various poets. We have also attended events in Highland Park for East on Central, and the RHINO release parties as well as their excellent “RHINO reads” series. Recently, we attended the Poets & Writers event in Chicago, and participated in a breakout session with POETRY’S Don Share. We also had the pleasure of attending a reading for one of our local authors, Ruth Goring, who was accompanied at the mic by a guitarist. There are a wealth of poetry events around town, and when possible, our staff makes an effort to check out the local scene.
You are an experienced poet and editor. What advice would you give younger writers who are seeking out editorial gigs while hoping to maintain a consistent writing schedule?
First let me say that working as an editor is a great way for new writers to get a firsthand experience of the process! When you edit a lit mag or work with a press you learn to respect the dedication of editors who work hard to keep literature in print (for very little return). It encourages you to read work from various sources with deep attention, and informs your understanding and aesthetics. It hones your writing and editing skills, and working alongside staff is a great way to learn from experienced professionals.
In order to find a job or internship, check out a database such as the P & W online, and contact the editors of journals you admire. Ask if they need some help. There are a number of areas in which magazines can use help: submissions, promotion, social media management, reading and screenings, etc. Some organizations offer internship programs.
While you are learning a lot from an editorial position, don’t let it take over your writing life. Don’t wait for the “ideal” writing time. Carve out time to work on your personal writing, make it your sacred space and guard it fiercely. If you don’t have hour long chunks of time, try 15-30 minute periods to work on small sections or revisions. When you write consistently, even small paragraphs add up, page by page, until you have enough material to submit individual poems or stories, or put together a chap or full length book. Maintaining focus is important; that’s the only way it gets done.
You also subscribe to several literary journals. Any favorites that rarely let you down?
I‘m always reading journals, not just print issues but a slew of online magazines as well.
I greatly admire the editors of numerous journals for bringing a good deal of substantive work into print. I also find incredible gems in lit zines that do not necessarily have high profile names. My apologies to the fine editors of various zines I unintentionally leave out (I’m claiming memory loss), but what follows is just the tip of the iceberg:
American Poetry Review, Agni, Rattle, Ploughshares, Pedestal, Kentucky Review, ONE, Nimrod, American Poetry Journal, National Poetry Review, The Aurorean, Cutthroat, Poetry, Poets & Writers, Tears in the Fence, Thrush, Diode, Tiferet, San Pedro River Review, Heron Tree, RHINO, TriQuarterly, Crab Creek Review, Crab Orchard Review, Pebble Creek Review, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Valparaiso Poetry Journal, Naugatuck River Review, Wild Goose Poetry Review, the Aurorean, Slipsteam, Ceasura, Beloit Poetry Journal, Burnside Review. The Café Review, Calyx, Cimarron, Iodine, Copper Nickel, Boxcar, Blue Fifth Review. Cream City, Crazyhorse, Blue Heron Review, Tupelo Quarterly, New York Quarterly. I also really enjoyed the latest issue of First Literary Review-East.
Do you have any advice or tips for potential submitters to Pirene’s?
Be meticulous in following guidelines—each journal has their own requirements. Keep track of where you have submitted, and be considerate when withdrawing work.
Read from our archives to get a feel for what we’ve published before. If possible, order the anthology “First Water,” an excellent compilation of our favorite work from Pirene’s first five years. Our taste is wildly eclectic so you never know what might strike our fancy. We are partial to beautifully crafted language, with lyricism, depth and emotional power. Much of this is true for Glass Lyre and Aeolian Harp submissions as well.
Develop a new and mature relationship with rejection. For all its negative connotations, receiving rejections means that your work is out there, being read and considered. You are a big part of the process. Don’t give up, keep going, keep writing, reading, and keep in mind there are a number of reasons why a work is not accepted for inclusion. If possible, accept it with all the grace you can muster. We pay special attention to authors whose work we have turned down, but who really like our aesthetic and try us again anyway.
Keep submitting. Don’t get miffed or allow your pride to keep you from trying over and over again. Remember, we would have no journal content if it weren’t for your work, so take a chance and send us your work. Pirene’s will always welcome a new submission. Most of all, remember we’re on the same side; we want to publish your work. If it fits in with the issue and demands to be included, Pirene’s will publish it!
Michael Fischer’s writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Phoebe, Natural Bridge, Green Mountains Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, Wigleaf, and numerous other places. He is completing a story cycle set at a state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina. Twitter: @fischermichael0