I friggan (heart) the Southern Review!
They’re just awesome, and I heart them. Just wanted to say that. They keep in touch with you throughout the whole process of publishing your work, they offer helpful editorial suggestions, but work with you on them. They understand when you can’t get back to them right away, and they just have a great eye for writing. Well, I exclude my own writing from that, of course, because I don’t want to sound cocky, I mean all the poetry they choose is excellent, and all of the poems give you more than one rewarding reading.
Bret Lott has sadly left TSR to return to teaching, but that should be nice for him. Also, he has a son named Zeb, so he’s automatically cool. But the whole TSR staff are wonderful, and I would highly recommend sending them your very best work. But the new editor is also a very capable writer: Jeanne Leiby (you may have read her award winning collection Downriver, released just last November).
OK, I’ll stop gushing now. But, be sure to check out the Spring 2008 issue which will include my poem “When someone suggested mushrooms on the pizza” and tell me how cool I am, or how much I suck. I’m open to varying opinions.