Welcome, readers, to the tenth-year issue of Town Creek Poetry. 

I first began to think about an online journal in the fall of 2006, the first year of my doctoral studies.
Then one morning in the spring of 2007, sitting on the floor of my friend James Howell's bedroom—his family's home then in South Carolina—I returned to the thoughts of beginning my own electronic journal dedicated to poetry. I vacillated: part of me wished for the resources to print a regularly released traditional journal, and the other—perhaps more practical (as I had no money!)—part of me began (slowly) to understand the advantages of the immediacy that websites offer: If we've published a poem there, we can share it with folks immediately or they can encounter and experience it without waiting for the mail to deliver their copies. I knew, though, that there were unnumbered journals of the same species, but James and I envisioned an online journal that simulated a tangible journal as closely as possible. We wanted the interface minimal, unobtrusive, and easy to navigate. To help writers who would consider Town Creek Poetry, we decided to state our biases immediately, as all editors have them, and we endeavored to be as transparent as possible. Beyond that, we did not know exactly what to do or how to initiate the process of constructing the journal.

Luckily, Jake Adam York, that great poet taken far too soon from us, volunteered to be our first featured poet. We decided to let our featured writers determine the content of their features. Some prefer to write a statement about their poetics or contemporary poetry culture (a fine example being Jack Butler's lengthy, elucidating, and controversial essay about "po-biz"); or if they wish, to include a series of photos that help illumine the world around which their poetry orbits, as in Daniel Corrie's excellent feature. We always include an interview with our featured poets, and that makes this 10th anniversary issue unique: Because we have three featured poets this time, we decided to the let the featured poets' work speak for itself. In this issue, you'll find poems by Rose McLarney, Destiny O. Birdsong, and Robert Lee Kendrick, whose distinct textures create a euphonious interplay. As well, we've used this occasion to publish the most poets in one issue thus far, and we're proud of the quality of each of these poems and the kindness and flexibility of the poets with whom we've worked.

In sum, Dan Morris, James Clinton Howell, and I are happy to celebrate our 10th year of Town Creek Poetry with such an august crew of poets. We thank you, our readers, for exploring the contents our modest journal, for often sending kind remarks, and for helping Town Creek Poetry to keep flowing. 

In Gratitude, 

William Wright, Founding Editor
Daniel Morris, Senior Editor
James Clinton Howell, Editor and Graphic Designer