Charles Bernstein
The Claudius App
Jeff Nagy and Eric Linsker released today the first issue of the their web magazine, The Claudius App, coinciding with the visit of Kate Middleton to Canada and the Royal Wedding in Monaco, and the collapse of the case against DSK. Coincidence? It’s hard to say, for The Claudius App is billed as the home of a new movement, or moment, as movements are always moments writ large – Fast Poetry. When I first heard the term, I thought at last some young poets were picking up on Hannah Weiner’s iconic work The Fast: a new poetry of spiritual quest and cleansing, purging the toxic poetics that surround us in North America. (And maybe they have.) But I slowly came to what sense I still have command over: this was fast in the sense of rapid or quick, in the sense of not slow, or possibly in the sense of dissipated, unreliable, loose, without scruples; entirely unrelated to Yom Kippur and penitence.
There is a manifesto of sorts:
Not for us the beautiful souls: macramé confessionals, Etsy poetics, wet blankies and faux-Mallarmés in blindstamp whose overly bated enjambments reek of omphalic zen. . . . The point is not to articulate a school, but to articulate so quickly it registers as a slur. . . . We refuse to watch our step as we exit the moving walkway. It’s called standing on principle, try it sometime.
The “splash” page of the site – especially welcome for those not able to get to the beach this Fourth of July weekend – is an extensive compilation of the pitch lines of a wild range of lit mags. The piece is hysterical and yet, against all odds, oddly inspiring, as the irony gives way to a sense of free-floating longing. It’s a morbidly fascinating study of contemporary poetics. Here is my toqued sampling – highly condensed – of Nagy & Linkser's epic sampler:
We see literature and the arts as part of a broad, ongoing cultural conversation that every society needs to remain vibrant and alive. What we print requires concentration and takes some time to digest, but it’s worth that time and effort: writers and artists hold a mirror up to nature, mankind, the world; they courageously reflect their age, for better or worse; and their best works provoke perceptions and thoughts that help us understand and respond to our age. We use only 100% post consumer waste recycled paper and soy inks for our publications. No “light” or inspirational verse. The pieces we publish are the ones that we remember days or even weeks afterward for their compelling characters, believable voices, or sharp revelations. We enjoy magic realism. We enjoy detail and beauty. We enjoy complexity. We look for Fiction, Poetry and Creative Nonfiction that is well-crafted and lively, has an intelligent sense of form and language, assumes a degree of risk, and has consequence beyond the world of its speakers or narrators. The editors actively solicit writing that expresses the our values broadly construed: a sense of inquiry into questions of personal, social, political, spiritual, and aesthetic importance, regardless of genre. In verse we have a bias towards form, of one kind or another, but will look at whatever is submitted. We prefer to receive poems that are in some way akin to the Symbolist, Dadaist, Surrealist, Beat, spoken word, and experimental genres. We are determinedly eclectic and intend to stay that way. Read: we like oddities, off-beat, pretty ugly and the like. We have no regional, gender or cultural biases. Our biggest criterion is quality. We are looking for powerful, well-crafted pieces that throb with meaning. We accept fiction, poetry, and nonfiction that is honest and daring, and explores the relationship between dualities. Joy, pain. Boldness, vulnerability. Sacred, profane. … work inspired by the same tradition of Catholic art and literature that gave the world Dante and Dostoevsky, gothic architecture and A Good Man is Hard to Find, Michaelangelo and Middle Earth. We only publish poetry that incorporates overtly dark, dramatic, metaphysical and psychological themes and language. Please keep in mind that we may not publish even the finest poetry if it doesn’t suit the tone of the publication. We only feauture work that, in some way, and somehow, surprises. It’s a magazine where everyone has a voice, not just those well versed in literature, art history and design. It’s poetry that excites and energizes. It’s poetry that uses language that crackles and sparks. We’re looking for poetry from all points on the arc, from formal to experimental (no light verse or erotic poetry, please). It ought to go without saying that any story submitted must be your own unpublished original creation. There is no set theme for the journal; however, we strive to publish poems that fit the season in which they are published. We want to see poetry that enacts the artistic and creative purity of glass. Attachments will not be opened. What we are least likely to accept is “garden” poetry, poetry about poetry, or the often over-used wading pool of Greek and Roman mythology. We prefer work that is alive with the poet’s own experiences. The poetry we publish has that certain extra intangible about it. Read our back issues. We publish work that addresses the purpose and mystery of being, in any shape or form. We appreciate humor, if it’s got depth. We appreciate experimental work, if it’s not gimmicky. What we look for is a voice that is genuine, speaking with some degree of lucidity and intelligence about something that feels urgently felt. Please limit the number of cat poems (unless, of course, they are really, really good cat poems). We publish original-unpublished works that is centered on the Jewish experience by Jewish and non-Jewish writers alike. We love poetry and feel that it’s something everyone can enjoy. We look for poems that are accessible, that have heart, that have something to say. Poetry should make you laugh or cry; it should enlighten and entertain. Please submit work that coincides with one of these themes. The Redheaded Stepchild only accepts poems that have been rejected by other magazines. Work that inspires, excites, feeds the imagination, rich in imagery, work that is memorable. Our font is self-effacing. No Haiku! For the love of God. No Haiku! Anyone from anywhere can enter into the conversation. This is a necessary endeavor. Our purposes are to encourage and give voice to fine poets and artists; to move, delight, and humanize our readers; and to support fresh ways of writing, understanding, and using poetry. The exact definition of “new south” varies from person to person̶ if you can make a case for why you consider yourself part of the new south, then submit your work. We believe this will support and strengthen progressive thought among the public, as well as foster a community centered on compassion and justice. Each issue seeks to be tantamount to an invitation to the greatest literary house party ever. We are partial to work that is conscious of language without being self-conscious, that pulls readers in with drama and emotional risk, rather than holding them at arm’s length with gimmickry and tricks. We are people, so we publish what the people like.
As the editors say in their manifesto:
Lucky are the fast, for they will run circles around the slow dust of their inheritance.
