Popshot - Poetry for the People

Poetry has been dragged by its tweedy lapels into the 21st century, in no small part by Popshot magazine, a charming, accessible and, moreover, beautiful magazine of original poems brought to life by compelling illustration. We spoke to its young founder, Jacob Denno.

What inspired you to begin Popshot?
The looming gap between poetry and modern civilization as well as the general perception that poetry is an artform of the past. I wanted to try and create a place where the poetry of today and tomorrow could flourish rather than languish.
 
How do you get poets to contribute?
We do a call for submissions a few months before every issue whereby anyone and everyone can contribute. I love the idea that established poets have an equal chance of getting in as some kid who wrote a beautiful poem and thought they would send it in.
 
Is there a trend to the type of person who contributes to Popshot?
Alot of people in the education sector seem to be the biggest contributors. We get quite a few submissions from people studying for Creative Writing MA's and creatively frustrated teachers.

How many poems do you receive for consideration for each issue?
For the current issue ( the theme is Us and Them ) I think we had about 300 - 400 poems that we sifted through. Hopefully we'll have a lot more for Issue 3.
 
How do you decide which ones to publish?
The ones that strike a chord and that you can relate to. A lot of poets get to a point where they start writing about Greek mythology and science which makes it so hard to identify with. The best poetry is the poetry that is applicable. You read it and you can understand it and relate to it on a personal level. This issue one of the poems was about digging a tunnel under your desk and running away from the office. I think most people would understand that feeling.

Why do you think that poetry has a stuffy image?
I think a massive amount of it is to do with design. A lot of poets have no interest in layout or aesthetics so it showcases the work in a pretty dry manner. Also, there's an enormous amount of praise that circulates for poets from days gone by. People usually cite Keats and Auden and Frost as inspiration rather than the poets of today so to someone from the outside, poetry is still pretty much stuck in the 1940's.
 
Is the poetry scene changing? How?
I certainly think it is. It feels like since the increased publicity that poetry received a few months ago thanks to Carol Ann Duffy and the BBC Poetry Season, it's a little more on the radar. There's loads of poetry nights on across London every week and more and more blogs and small publications seem to be cropping up.
 
Who would you like to see as the next Poet Laureate?
Murray Lachlan Young. He has the ability to loosen the bladder.
 
What do you think makes a good poem?
An original, relatable idea articulated with beautiful language and laced together with a strong sense of rhythm and meter.
 
Do you write poetry yourself?
Yes, but I'm not half as good as the people who make it into the magazine.
 
How do you fund Popshot?
At the moment, off the back of the day job but hopefully one day soon it'll be Popshot that funds Popshot.
 
What next for the magazine?
For now I just want to raise the print run every issue and get the magazine to as many people as possible and for them to appreciate it. Also keep raising the standard of both poetry and illustration. Hopefully one day when people think of poetry, they'll think of Popshot, not of old men that smell of electric heaters and write poems about their sexual desires. Also, it would be amazing to start doing events at some point.
 
What are your three poetry recommendations?
A poetry night called Bang Said the Gun which is definitely the best poetry night I've ever been to. I never knew poetry nights could make my stomach hurt. It's wonderful.
An online poetry magazine called Pomegranate which publishes work from young poets.
Penned in the Margins who publish books, put on nights and so on.

For more information on Popshot Magazine visit www.popshotpopshot.com