About Light Quarterly

 [For submitting work, see submission guidelines

Light Quarterly—soon to be revived online under the name Light—was produced by The Foundation for Light Verse, Inc. as an expression of its mission to promote and promulgate light verse. More information about The Foundation for Light Verse is available at http://www.foundationforlightverse.org/

Beginning in 1992, Light Quarterly was the only magazine available in this country devoted exclusively to humorous verse. Its contributors have included both well-known poets and exciting new talent.

Light Quarterly’s founding editor, John Mella sought to restore humor, clarity, and pleasure to the reading of poems. He aimed to resurrect the literary milieu (if not the time) of Ogden Nash, Dorothy Parker, Phyllis McGinley and Richard Armour, while fostering the next wave of comic poets. Among those to appear in its pages: Richard Wilbur, John Updike, X.J. Kennedy, Wendy Cope, William Stafford, Donald Hall, Tom Disch, W. D. Snodgrass, William Jay Smith, Gail White, John Whitworth, R.S. Gwynn, Norman Ball, Charles Ghigna, Mae Scanlan, John Whitworth, Joyce LaMers, Pat D’Amico, Bob McKenty, Edmund Conti, and J. Patrick Lewis.

John Mella’s successor, Melissa Balmain, aims to build on that tradition, while guiding the magazine’s transition to an online format. She looks forward to featuring many of Light’s long-time poets and introducing readers to new ones. Light remains the one U.S. magazine specializing in funny poetry.

Light Quarterly was shepherded by a talented staff including designer and operations manager Thomas Gorman, managing editor Lisa Markwart, and office manager Margarita Walters. The new, all-volunteer staff of Light thanks them for their generous help during the magazine’s move online.

Submissions guidelines for the new Light will be posted on this website in March or April ’13. (Please check the “Submit” tab.) If you have questions not answered there, feel free to contact the editors at lightpoetrymagazine@gmail.com