Small Presses - Exit 13 and Lips

Small presses and small publications are vital to the poetry ecosystem because they foster creativity, diversity, and community, enriching the literary landscape with voices and works that might otherwise go unheard. Small presses often take chances on new and emerging poets who may not yet have a substantial following or recognition. This helps bring fresh, diverse voices to the forefront.

Unlike larger publishers, which may prioritize commercial viability, small presses often focus on the artistic and literary quality of the work. This allows for more experimental, avant-garde, and niche poetry to be published.

Small presses tend to be more closely connected with local and literary communities. They often organize readings, workshops, and events that foster a sense of community among poets and readers.

Such is the case with two local poetry journals with which I have personal connections and that I would recommend poets consider for their poetry.

One is  Exit 13 Magazine, a travelogue in poetry, a reflection and a chronicle of the people and places encountered along the way. Since 1988, the emphasis has been on geography, travel, and the fertile ground of the imagination. 

The editor, Tom Plante, asks contributors to be patient as this is "a one-man operation with technical help from my wife and daughter. The magazine also accepts photos of “Exit 13” road signs which act as illustrations. There is no fee, though donations are welcome and you may subscribe at $15. Payment is one copy of the issue if a poem or photo is used. They are open to reading poems about your travels, adventures, and geographic experiences. The reading period is July through January and the annual issue comes out in late summer.  See www.facebook.com/Exit13Magazine for info

Another annual poetry magazine is Lips. Founded in 1981 by poet Laura Boss, Lips poetry journal has entered its fifth decade of publication. Laura served as its editor until her passing in April 2021. It is now financially supported by the Laura Boss Poetry Foundation. 

Lips has published narrative poems by Robert Bly, Allen Ginsberg, Ruth Stone, David Ignatow, Marge Piercy, Michael Benedikt, Nicholas Christopher, Anne Waldman, Ishmael Reed, Gregory Corso, Lyn Lifshin, Ted Berrigan, Paul Hoover, Jana Harris, Toi Derricotte, Joseph Bruchac, Alice Notley, Hal Sirowitz, Theodore Weiss, Alicia Ostriker, Maria Mazziotti Gillan, Stanley H. Barkan, Michael Weaver, Molly Peacock, and Richard Kostelanetz.

Submissions are open now through November 30. No fee.  See laurabosspoetryfoundation.org

By publishing works that may not fit mainstream trends, small presses contribute to preserving and promoting diverse cultural and literary traditions.

Editors at small presses typically have greater freedom to champion works they are passionate about, without the pressure of market demands. This can lead to a more personalized and dedicated approach to publishing poetry. 

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EXIT 13

EXIT 13 magazine is one of the many small press poetry publications that keep poetry alive across the country. It features poets of all ages, writing styles and degrees of experience, focusing on where and how we live and what’s going on around us. This "poetry of place" is about geography, travel, adventure and the fertile ground of the imagination. It’s a travelogue in poetry, a reflection of the world we see, and a chronicle of the people we meet along the way.

Tom Plante started the magazine which he named after the Elizabeth exit off the New Jersey Turnpike where Tom once lived. It is a very much a labor of love and one-man operation by Tom who has edited and published the magazine since 1988. The annual issues also feature photos of exit 13 road signs contributed by correspondents. Plante sends a copy of the magazine to each photographer whose work is published.

Tom is reading submissions now for the 2013 issue which celebrates the magazine's 25th anniversary. He will be reading until the end of February. Email submissions with the poems within the email (no attachments) or snail mail to to EXIT 13, Box 423, Fanwood NJ 07023.

Tom Plante has personally been writing poetry for over forty-five years. “Poetry is necessary,” he says. “Poems are road maps for the soul; the GPS of a higher plane."

Before he moved to the New Jersey, Plante lived in the San Francisco Bay area of California. There, he worked with a friend to produce a small poetry magazine called Berkeley Works. Plante’s work in California gave him the inspiration to start his own literary magazine on the east coast.

The journeys of all the contributors gives us poems with a geographic point of view - a supermarket at the Jersey Shore, the Philadelphia Flower Show, souvenir shopping in Gallup, the Witches Market in La Paz, and buying a final round in Belgooly, Ireland.

There will be an EXIT 13 25th Anniversary Issue reading event October 15, 2013 as part of the Carriage House Poetry Series in Fanwood, NJ.