INTRODUCTION

by Mira Rosenthal

In his essay in this issue, Stephen Dunn writes about returning to a poem he had written years ago and finding in it a “buried subject,” a subject at the heart of the poem that he had been unaware of when he first composed it. Whether out of unconsciousness or inattention, all successful poems have this buried subject behind them that gives them a radiance beyond the author’s intention. Dunn’s idea reminds me of Mary Kinzie’s words to future writers in her book A Poet’s Guide to Poetry. Kinzie urges the young writer to think of a poem not simply as a personal expression but rather as a record of thinking. It is a process that leads the author to discover something about her subject she didn’t know when she first sat down to write. And like any process, the connecting thread from thought to thought or image to image can be fully seen only from a distance.

This issue of Lyric marks my last as Editor. As I look back on the progression of the journal, I find myself, like Dunn does in discovering the buried subject of his poem from the vantage point of time, both excited and apprehensive, like the blueprints have suddenly changed in the midst of building. I can recall what I was thinking when I started Lyric and City Lights published the first issue. At the time, I would have said that we were establishing a literary journal focused exclusively on poetry to promote creative exchange outside of university circles. Many suggested that we also include fiction, but we declined, preferring instead to open a space for exploring the lineage and definition of lyric poetry. We were guided by the question, what has true singing power in poetry? Then there was the fact that Czeslaw Milosz faxed in two new poems, in Robert Hass’s translations, for the inaugural issue. The initial inclusion of translations led us to think that there was more openness to significant literary talent from other countries than what was currently represented by corporate publishing in the U.S., which in turn fueled our dedication to including translation of contemporary poetry from other languages.

That Lyric has managed to survive as an independent literary journal unaffiliated with any university or larger publishing enterprise is truly amazing to me. It has given us freedom to follow our editorial vision and the continuity necessary to develop that vision, unlike many journals whose editorial stewardship passes from one group of graduate students to the next in M.F.A. programs. I thank all those who have supported us along the way, as well as other editors who have affirmed our belief in the merit of what we publish in Lyric. Lyn Hejinian’s selection of several poems from Lyric for inclusion in the Best American Poetry series and the times that poems in this journal have won Pushcart Prizes were some of the most exciting moments for me as Editor. These poems found a lasting place in a greater circle of other readers, in the heart of the poetry center of our time and place. And I’m confident that other poems from the journal are carried on in circles we don’t even know about. This thread of influence is the buried subject of our editorial endeavor. I have no doubt that Nathaniel Perry, who is taking over as Editor, will continue the vision of Lyric and extend it in new as yet unknown ways.