When I asked Robert Wynne to join me as co-editor of a new poetry anthology, his immediate response was When do we start? Only later, after months of reading submissions and organizing the publication did he ask, Why are we doing this?
Well, despite the expense and considerable time involved, it really is fun to sample the huge range of exceptional poems from so many talented writers. The sense of fulfillment when we’d finished compiling the manuscript was not unlike that of reaching the top of a small mountain. It took some effort, but the view is truly extraordinary.
One of the things that brought us together on this project is our very divergent tastes. We wanted to put together an anthology that reaches across styles and temperaments to present a true cross section of contemporary poetry. While our unique perspectives on literary style led to some civil (but considerable) differences of opinion, there was never any conflict over our essential aim: that the poetry that finally made it into Cider Press Review should be entirely without compromise.
We’d like to think we succeeded and hope you delight in the finished product as much as we enjoyed the process of bringing it to you.
Caron Andregg & Robert Wynne
