Men, you snooze, you lose: the all-ladies win goes to Jean, Imani and Sandra. If you haven’t me your address, please do so in the very near future. Congrats to all.
Here’s something I have to admit about the new incarnation of VQR: there were at least two issues that wound up unread for several months because I was like, ugh, another literary magazine with bad essays from people I knew in college. I was confusing it with some literary magazine with bad essays from people I knew in college. VQR is wondrous–journalism the New Yorker used to publish; poetry the Paris Review used to publish; upstart-y like Alaska Quarterly; currently running neck and neck with Granta, my all-time favorite. It’s the new Granta, if you will, although I love the current Granta as well, which confuses things.
Some of the things I have enjoyed there mightily lately: Alan Shapiro’s “Poet“; John McNally’s “I See Johnny“, and really, the website itself, which has a great blog and also crucial access to everything published so you can send it to people and tell them to subscribe.
The folks over there have been kind and generous enough to offer a copy of their just-released South America issue, which also lives entirely online, to three readers. First ones to enter in the comments below or email me at theoldhag AT theoldhag DOT com win. VQR, if you get tote bags and T-shirts, Granta–home of the magical Gazza Agonistes and Unbelievable issues–will officially be the old you.
