Now in its fifth decade of publication, Blue Unicorn appears in October and April. The magazine is now 60 pages, narrow digest-sized, finely printed, perfect-bound, with some art. Features 50-75 poems in each issue, all styles, with the focus on craftsmanship. Receives about 1500 submissions a year, publishes up to 150.
The main contact route is by e-mail, to staff at blueunicorn dot org. “Snail mail” works also, to 13 Jefferson Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94903.
THE LATEST ISSUE
April 2020 has reached subscribers and contributors in 33 states and five countries. Mirrors are a theme this time, with the famous tapestry unicorn regarding itself on the cover and Parmigianino’s “Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror” confronting Craig Kurtz’s split-personality poem “Dueling Myself.” Editor John Hart adds some remarks on the difference between hearing poetry read aloud and absorbing it from the page, as we all are doing more of these days.
SUBSCRIBING TO BLUE UNICORN
Annual subscription rate is $20.00, single copies $10.00, back issues through volume 41 $8.00. For subscriptions outside the USA please add $15.00 mailing costs, or $5.00 for single copies. Foreign subscribers are requested to make payment via PayPal.
We are grateful to the many subscribers who support the magazine by adding contributions―tax deductible, of course―to the basic subscription price.
SUBMITTING TO BLUE UNICORN
Blue Unicorn wants well-crafted poetry of all kinds, in form or free verse, as well as translations. We shun the trite or inane, the soft-centered, the lazy poem. We are known to like pieces other mags reject (and vice versa). Shorter pieces have a slight edge with us because of layout considerations. Contributors have included James Applewhite, Ivan Argüelles, Dan Campion, Kim Cushman, Patrick Worth Gray, Joan LaBombard, Susan McLean, Patricia Nelson, Phillip Parisi, Simon Perchik, James Schevill, Gail White, and Leo Yankevich.
Submission may be by e-mail or post. If the former, please attach a single Word file. If the latter, don’t forget the self-addressed, stamped envelope, and please put name and contact information on every page. While a cover letter will not affect our selection, providing a brief bio may save time later. To make the submitter’s life a little easier, we now do look at simultaneous submissions and previously published work; please let us know the status, though, and don’t overdo. Expect response within three months, sometimes with brief personal comment. Time between acceptance and publication may be up to twelve months. Contributors receive two copies.
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT BLUE UNICORN
I hope you carry on publishing what I consider one of the best damned literary journals in the nation.
—Joseph Salemi, poet and translator, City University of New York
I know of no finer vehicle for modern poetry.
—Vince Clemente, poet and translator, SUNY
Blue Unicorn is certainly one of the steadiest and most tasteful poetry magazines published in this country in the last 50 years.
— Charles Guenther, poet and translator
BU is the best thing since Poetry and Harriet Monroe.
— Robert Greenwood, editor, Talisman
BU reflects, nurtures, and sustains a love of poetry, an excellence in the literary arts, and a joy in the creative imagination.
— Darlene Matthis-Eddy, University of Notre Dame
Published by Blue Unicorn, Inc. Printed by FastPrint, Oakland, California. Indexed in Humanities International Complete by EBSCO Publishing, Inc.