Painted Bride Quarterly
Encyclopedia
Painted Bride Quarterly ("PBQ") is a Philadelphia-based literary magazine
.
Established in 1973 by Louise Simons and R. Daniel Evans, the magazine is based in Drexel University
in Philadelphia, PA. It is staffed by a mix of volunteer editors and changing student staff. The magazine is published quarterly online and yearly in print.
Louis McKee
is a former editor.
, where we strive to enrich both communities with different writer outreach programs and events. A literary forum for poetry, fiction, prose, essays, interviews and photography, PBQ has featured works by such poets as Charles Bukowski
, Etheridge Knight
, Sonia Sanchez
, Amiri Beraka, Simon Perchik
, Yusef Komunyakaa
, Gregory Pardlo
, and Major Jackson
, among others.
in the form of an old bridal shop. The cooperative gallery began a cultural revolution in the area. Soon, dozens of art galleries blossomed, but none as provocative, daring or enduring as theirs.
The group of artists staked their claim on their patch of street with a window display. Among the remains of the bridal shop was a mannequin, made up for some hellish ‘60s wedding she would never attend. The artists took her straight to the storefront to cause a scene, but not in a typical virginal, white wedding gown. Soon, the “Painted Bride” became a South Street
attraction. People would stop by just to see what provocative outfit or lewd position she’d be in that day. She was the icon and namesake of the art center that, in 1973, gave birth to Painted Bride Quarterly.
PBQ is the only magazine of its longevity to have a complete archive of its history available online.
called “Slam, Bam, Thank You, Ma’am.”. Monthly poetry readings are held in both Philadelphia and New York, featuring local poets and musicians.
On May 13, 2009, PBQ held its first annual Bookfair for Literacy, raising funds for Philadelphia Reads and donating remaining books to Books Through Bars
. More than twenty regional presses and literary magazines attended and sold their wares at below costs. For a few months prior to the event, books were donated by members of the Drexel community, and then sold with all proceeds going to Philadelphia Reads. The Second Annual Bookfair for Literacy was held on Friday, May 21, 2010.
and Heather McGowan
, as well as the Wingdale Community singers at the World Café
.
On May 11, 2006 Drexel sponsored their first annual fundraising event: A dinner for PBQ and a lecture/performance by singer/songwriter/author Rosanne Cash
and music critic/author Anthony DeCurtis
.
This event was a tremendous success, selling out a three-hundred seat venue, raising funds for PBQ, garnering press and grafting a number of very important worlds, PBQ’s own audience, Drexel’s literati and luminaries, Cash and DeCurtis’s fan base, and the Philadelphia public.
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
.
Established in 1973 by Louise Simons and R. Daniel Evans, the magazine is based in Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
in Philadelphia, PA. It is staffed by a mix of volunteer editors and changing student staff. The magazine is published quarterly online and yearly in print.
Staff
- Editors: Kathleen Volk Miller and Marion Wrenn
- Senior Editors: Bryan Dickey, Shafer Hall, Andrew Keller, Matt Longabucco, Jason Schneiderman
- Founding Editors: Louise Simons, R. Daniel Evans
- Editorial Staff: Dan Driscoll, Paul Siegell, Rachel Wenrick
- Layout Editor: William Rees
- Web Design: Gene Phan
- Graphic Design: Mark Petrovich, Jacob Brophy
- Legal Counsel: Robert Louis, Chad Rutkowski
Louis McKee
Louis McKee
Louis McKee has been a fixture of the Philadelphia poetry scene since the early 70s. He is the author of Schuylkill County , The True Speed of Things , and fourteen other collections...
is a former editor.
Mission Statement
What sets us apart from the rest of the literary magazines is this: We combine the know-how of the senior editors with the fresh perspective of interns and make certain that no one opinion is superior to the rest. It also doesn't hurt that PBQ operates with a dual city editorial staff in both Philadelphia and New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where we strive to enrich both communities with different writer outreach programs and events. A literary forum for poetry, fiction, prose, essays, interviews and photography, PBQ has featured works by such poets as Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
, Etheridge Knight
Etheridge Knight
Etheridge Knight was an African-American poet who became a notable poet in 1968 with his debut volume, Poems from Prison. The book recalls in verse his eight-year-long sentence after Etheridge was arrested for robbery in 1960...
, Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez is an African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement. She has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books...
, Amiri Beraka, Simon Perchik
Simon Perchik
Simon Perchik is an American poet with published work dating from the 1960s. Perchik worked as an attorney before his retirement in 1980. Educated at New York University, Perchik now resides in East Hampton, New York. Library Journal has referred to Perchik as "the most widely published unknown...
, Yusef Komunyakaa
Yusef Komunyakaa
Yusef Komunyakaa is an American poet who currently teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for Neon Vernacular and the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He also received the Ruth Lilly...
, Gregory Pardlo
Gregory Pardlo
Gregory Pardlo is an American poet, writer, and professor. His poems, reviews, and translations have appeared in The American Poetry Review, Callaloo, Poet Lore, Harvard Review, Ploughshares, and on National Public Radio...
, and Major Jackson
Major Jackson
Major Jackson is an American poet and professor. He is the author of three collections of poetry: Holding Company and Hoops Major Jackson (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American poet and professor. He is the author of three collections of poetry: Holding Company (W.W. Norton, 2010)...
, among others.
History
The year 1971, is often referred to as the capstone year of the “hippie” age, art, theatre, political movements and rock & roll. It was also the summer of love in the City of Brotherly Love, and Gerry Givnish and a group of his artist friends found a gallery space on Philly’s infamous South StreetSouth Street (Philadelphia)
South Street is an east-west street forming the southern border of the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the northern border for the neighborhoods of South Philadelphia. The stretch of South Street between Front Street and Seventh Street is known for its "bohemian"...
in the form of an old bridal shop. The cooperative gallery began a cultural revolution in the area. Soon, dozens of art galleries blossomed, but none as provocative, daring or enduring as theirs.
The group of artists staked their claim on their patch of street with a window display. Among the remains of the bridal shop was a mannequin, made up for some hellish ‘60s wedding she would never attend. The artists took her straight to the storefront to cause a scene, but not in a typical virginal, white wedding gown. Soon, the “Painted Bride” became a South Street
South Street
South Street may refer to one of the following:*South Street Seaport, a shopping complex overlooking the East River in Manhattan Island.*South Street , United States of America*South Street , United States of America...
attraction. People would stop by just to see what provocative outfit or lewd position she’d be in that day. She was the icon and namesake of the art center that, in 1973, gave birth to Painted Bride Quarterly.
PBQ is the only magazine of its longevity to have a complete archive of its history available online.
Events
PBQ holds interactive prose and poetry events to make its presence known in the Philadelphia area. On the last Thursday of the month, PBQ hosts a poetry slam at the Pen & Pencil ClubPen & Pencil Club
The Pen & Pencil Club is a private social club and association of journalists in Philadelphia. It is the oldest continuously operating press club in America, and the second oldest in the world....
called “Slam, Bam, Thank You, Ma’am.”. Monthly poetry readings are held in both Philadelphia and New York, featuring local poets and musicians.
On May 13, 2009, PBQ held its first annual Bookfair for Literacy, raising funds for Philadelphia Reads and donating remaining books to Books Through Bars
Books Through Bars
Books Through Bars is an American organization which works to provide quality reading material to prisoners. It was founded in 1989 by New Society Publishers of Philadelphia...
. More than twenty regional presses and literary magazines attended and sold their wares at below costs. For a few months prior to the event, books were donated by members of the Drexel community, and then sold with all proceeds going to Philadelphia Reads. The Second Annual Bookfair for Literacy was held on Friday, May 21, 2010.
Awards
PBQ has had many of its first-published poems chosen for Pushcart Prizes, on Poetry Daily, and other accolades, such as inclusion in Online Writing: The Best of the First Ten Years.Novelists Hosted
On May 17, 2007, PBQ hosted novelists Rick MoodyRick Moody
Rick Moody is an American novelist and short story writer best known for the 1994 novel The Ice Storm, a chronicle of the dissolution of two suburban Connecticut families over Thanksgiving weekend in 1973, which brought widespread acclaim, became a bestseller, and was made into a feature film of...
and Heather McGowan
Heather McGowan
Heather McGowan is an American writer. She is the author of the novels Schooling and The Duchess of Nothing. According to her publisher Bloomsbury USA, Schooling was named Best Book of the Year by Newsweek, the Detroit Free Press, and the Hartford Courant. She also co-wrote the screenplay for...
, as well as the Wingdale Community singers at the World Café
World Cafe
World Cafe is a two-hour long, nationally syndicated music radio program that originates from WXPN, a non-commercial station licensed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The program began in 1991 and was originally distributed by Public Radio...
.
On May 11, 2006 Drexel sponsored their first annual fundraising event: A dinner for PBQ and a lecture/performance by singer/songwriter/author Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
and music critic/author Anthony DeCurtis
Anthony DeCurtis
Anthony DeCurtis is an American author and music critic, who has written for Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Relix and other publications.-Career:...
.
This event was a tremendous success, selling out a three-hundred seat venue, raising funds for PBQ, garnering press and grafting a number of very important worlds, PBQ’s own audience, Drexel’s literati and luminaries, Cash and DeCurtis’s fan base, and the Philadelphia public.