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Anyone interested in the range of contemporary poetry in New Mexico should stop by the website of the online publication the Santa Fe Poetry Broadside (www.rt66.com/~sfpoetry/broadside.html). The site offers access to all the issues published since the first, in June of 1998; the current issue (November, 1999) is the twelfth, and it features poems by the Broadside's co-editor, Miriam Sagan-the other co-editor is also a Miriam, Miriam Bobkoff- and paintings by Robin Houshmand. The thirteenth issue, scheduled for December, 1999, will focus on "Left Art Noir," and the fourteenth, due to appear in February, 1999, will feature "In the Taverna Ononas" by Albuquerque poet and teacher Tony Mares. Some of the poets who have published in the Broadside are well-known (Miriam Sagan, Joan Logghe, and Arthur Sze come to mind, to mention only three), while others are waiting to be discovered. All together, forty-three poets have had their work in the Broadside, and four visual artists. (Two versatile contributors, John Brandi and Lorraine Schechter, are represented in both fields.) A brief biographical sketch is provided for each contributor. The Broadside is published six times a year, almost always with twelve poems in each issue; sometimes all the poems are by one poet, sometimes by more than one, and, in one case, by twelve. There are links for ordering the poets' books from Amazon.com; and no less important, there are numerous links to related websites involving Broadside poets, poetry in New Mexico, online magazines devoted to poetry, audio poetry online, poetic activity of various kinds, and more, much more. The links are a valuable resource for the enjoyment and study of poetry. Almost all the poets represented in the Broadside live in New Mexico; the exceptions are few. The poems, however, are not necessarily about New Mexico, although of course some are deeply rooted in place. The range is wide, from the humorous, yet probing, narratives and dialogues of Leo Romero, to the taut and wondering meditations of Rebecca Seiferle, to the sensuous longings of Carol Moldaw, to the provocative realism of Jay Udall's "The Tilelayer," a miraculous poem in the tradition of William Carlos Williams' "Fine Work with Pitch and Copper" and so on. The Broadside is not captive to a particular style or theme; the gathering is eclectic. Impeccably edited, presented with impressive clarity and broad appeal, the Broadside brings together ancient art and modern technology in a manner that enhances both. It is a publication that commands respect and deserves attention. R.W. French
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