The Flea (online poetry journal)
Encyclopedia
The Flea is an online literary and art magazine (webzine or e-zine). Its content is mostly related to poetry, and includes work belonging the differing styles of formalism
and free verse
by established authors and new writers. It draws partly on the authors and resources of a number of online poetry forums, such as Eratosphere
and The Gazebo
.
, Robert Mezey
, Alison Brackenbury
, Stephen Edgar
, Maryann Corbett
, Rhina Espaillat
, M. A. Griffiths
, Rose Kelleher, Timothy Murphy
, John Whitworth
, Clive James
, Alan Gould
, Geoff Page
, Peter Wyton
and Ann Drysdale. The Flea is archived by The National Library of Australia’s Pandora Archive
, whose ‘Web sites are selected based on their cultural significance and research value in the long term’ (Pandora Archive
).
. It is named after John Donne
's poem "The Flea", and publishes contemporary verse loosely in the metaphysical poetry tradition.
New Formalism
New Formalism is a late-20th and early 21st century movement in American poetry that has promoted a return to metrical and rhymed verse.-Origins and intentions:...
and free verse
Free verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
by established authors and new writers. It draws partly on the authors and resources of a number of online poetry forums, such as Eratosphere
Eratosphere
Eratosphere is the largest online workshop for formal poetry -- it is free to join. Additionally, it caters to free verse, poetry and prose translation, fiction, art, literary criticism and critical discussions on writing. It was founded in 1999 by Alexander Pepple as a workshop complement to Able...
and The Gazebo
The Gazebo
The Gazebo is a 1959 black comedy film about a married couple who are being blackmailed. It was based on the play of the same name by Alec Coppel.Helen Rose was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.-Plot:...
.
History
The Flea was founded by Australian poet Paul Stevens in 2009 with the technical assistance of Peter Bloxsom, who also edits the online sonnet journal 14by14. It has published many notable poets from the U.K., U.S. and Australia, including Les MurrayLes Murray (poet)
Leslie Allan Murray, AO , known as Les Murray, is an Australian poet, anthologist and critic. His career spans over forty years, and he has published nearly 30 volumes of poetry, as well as two verse novels and collections of his prose writings...
, Robert Mezey
Robert Mezey
Robert Mezey is an American poet, critic and academic. He is also a noted translator, in particular from Spanish, having translated with Richard Barnes the collected poems of Borges....
, Alison Brackenbury
Alison Brackenbury
-Life:She studied at Oxford. She now lives in Gloucestershire.Her work has appeared in Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, Stand,-Works:* * * -Reviews:Singing in the Dark is Alison Brackenbury's seventh collection of poetry...
, Stephen Edgar
Stephen Edgar
Stephen Edgar is a contemporary Australian poet, editor and indexer.-Background and education:Edgar was born in Sydney in 1951 where he attended Sydney Technical High School. Between 1971 and 1974 he lived in London and worked as a library assistant in the London Borough of Lambeth...
, Maryann Corbett
Maryann Corbett
Maryann Corbett is an American poet.She grew up in northern Virginia. She graduated from the University of Minnesota, with a doctorate in English....
, Rhina Espaillat
Rhina Espaillat
Rhina Espaillat was born in the Dominican Republic in 1932 and has lived in the United States since 1939. She taught English in the New York City public schools for many years, and retired to Newburyport, Massachusetts, where for more than a decade she has led a group of New Formalist poets known...
, M. A. Griffiths
M. A. Griffiths
-Life:Margaret Ann Griffiths, who was of English and Welsh parentage, was born and raised in London and studied archaeology at Cardiff University. She lived for some time in Bracknell and later moved to Poole, where she cared for her ailing parents until their deaths in 1993.Griffiths, also known...
, Rose Kelleher, Timothy Murphy
Timothy Murphy (poet)
Timothy Murphy is an American poet, farmer, and businessman. He has published two collections of poetry that have been widely reviewed...
, John Whitworth
John Whitworth (poet)
-Life:He graduated from Merton College, Oxford.His work appears in Poetry Review, The Times Literary Supplement, London Magazine, The Spectator, Quadrant, New poetry, and The Flea.He taught a master class at University of Kent....
, Clive James
Clive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
, Alan Gould
Alan Gould
Alan Gould is a contemporary Australian novelist and poet.Born in London Alan Gould's family lived in Northern Ireland, Germany and Singapore before arriving in Australia in 1966. He completed a BA at Australian National University and a Diploma of Education at the then Canberra College of...
, Geoff Page
Geoff Page
Geoffrey Donald Page is an Australian poet, translator, teacher and jazz enthusiast.He has published over seventeen collections of poetry, as well as prose and verse novels. Poetry and jazz are his driving interests, and he has also written a biography of the jazz musician, Bernie McGann...
, Peter Wyton
Peter Wyton
Peter Wyton is a 'poet of page and performance' who has published a number of books and who has appeared on BBC Radio. He is a widely published and prize-winning poet who has appeared at venues as diverse as Cheltenham Literature Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Ledbury Poetry Festival, Oxford TV,...
and Ann Drysdale. The Flea is archived by The National Library of Australia’s Pandora Archive
Pandora Archive
PANDORA - Australia's Web Archive is the national web archive for the preservation of Australia's online publications. It was established by the National Library of Australia in 1996, and is now built in collaboration with a number of other Australian state libraries and cultural collecting...
, whose ‘Web sites are selected based on their cultural significance and research value in the long term’ (Pandora Archive
Pandora Archive
PANDORA - Australia's Web Archive is the national web archive for the preservation of Australia's online publications. It was established by the National Library of Australia in 1996, and is now built in collaboration with a number of other Australian state libraries and cultural collecting...
).
Style
The Flea’s visual style and layout reflects that of an early 17th century English broadsheetBroadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
. It is named after John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
's poem "The Flea", and publishes contemporary verse loosely in the metaphysical poetry tradition.
Blog
Information about The Flea can be found on The Flea's blog, where serious and less serious discussions of literary and other matters take place, as well as links to poetry and art-related sites of interest.External links
- The Flea website
- The Flea Blogge
- http://novemberskypoetry.blogspot.com/2009/05/review-of-flea.html Christine Klocek-Lim reviews The Flea at November Sky Poetry
- Nic Sebastian interviews Paul Stevens