wicked alice| fall 2011

wicked alice is 10 this year, and despite some design faux pas back in the early days and a tendency to be upstaged by her younger, higher maintenance sister, dancing girl press, I think she’s aged very well. I started the publication all the way back in 2001 because I was excited about online possibilities for poetry, particularly for women’s poetry (which as the Vida count proves, still occasionally gets the shaft).

Someone mentioned recently that alice is actually rather mature in her years for an online journal since many of her contemporaries back in the early 2000’s have since went dark. It doesn’t seem all that long, but I have definitely seen the online community shift and grow. When we started, there was a certain distrust of online media and publication. Barely any print publications took electronic submissions, let alone had web content (if they had a website at all). Ten years later, the internet is no longer the red headed stepchild of the poetry community, but in many ways just as integral, and some would say MORE integral, than print media. From listservs to blogs to facebook,, the web has become the chief medium for disseminating work, building an audience, and forming writing communities. It’s been an exciting time to be coming of age in a time where so much is constantly changing and evolving.

On a final note, some thank yous: To our poets for gracing our pages, many and most of whom have and continue to do amazing things in their work and careers. Also to Erin Elizabeth Smith and Sundress Publications for giving us a home and support network. And finally to our readers. We hope you enjoy this issue and many more.

Cheers,

Kristy Bowen

Editor