Dear Poet Who Sent Us a Manuscript During Our Open-Submission Period

Not much time for blogging these past couple of weeks, what with the great American gingerbread-house- decorating-extravaganza, the numerous trips to The Seattle Center for obligatory carousel rides, and the pilgrimage to the Bellevue Goodwill (which is actually in Redmond; a bit of a trek but worth it), but we could not resist posting this poem by Marjorie Manwaring as we were just now thinking of rejection slips and how we'd like one right now, anything but this unbearable editorial silence that rolls in like a great, chilling fog each mid-December and does not lift until just after New Year's (just around the time, come to think of it, when the Great American Christmas Season Holiday Hangover begins to lift), though I did hear from The Kenyon Review last week--a kind and warm rejection email that said I almost hit the bull's eye until I sullied things up with a Tombstone Pizza (no need to shed tears for me; I've already sent it off to elsewhere). Oh, and this Un-Christmas-y greeting (see post title) from a press that will go unnamed.

Happy wassailing to all our followers and admirers (and heck, even those lukewarm); please be assured we do not ever regret you.

Rejection Letter from Gertrude Stein

Dear Poet Dear Author Dear Someone

We are pleased very pleased

To regret sir.

Regret to inform you the list for

Talents selected not you dear.

So many many and many

Many talents not you dear.

Received many fine not you.

Thank you extremely fine thank you.

Keep us I mind please keep us.

Please keep

Your submission in mind.

Entries so fine many fine

Winners selected not you.

Not you. Not quite

What we need

At this time not quite.

Keep in mind best of luck next time.

Editors wish you this guideline.

Best of selected regret.

Not chosen you were not able.

We inform our regret.

We reject your receive.

We receive we regret. Inform you we do.

We do as we do.

Today: To do: Don’t forget.

Difficult choice we regret.

Space an issue weren’t able. Limited

Space unable.

Please

Accept this issue

Our complimentary

Gift to you.

Letterpressed gift in which you

Do not appear we regret you.

We regret to reject with respect

Please accept. Do

Not not accept

This reject

If you do

If you do

With respect

With respect

We reject you.

-by Marjorie Manwaring