Ploughshares Spring 2003 Guest-Edited by Carl Phillips

The Spring 2003 issue of Ploughshares, guest-edited by Carl Phillips. Ploughshares, a journal of new writing, is guest-edited serially by prominent writers who explore different personal visions, aesthetics, and literary circles.Edited by award-winning poet Carl Phillips (Silverchest, Double Shadow, In the Blood), this issue features new works from Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Charles Wright (Black Zodiac, The Other Side of the River) and Dean Young (Elegy on Toy Piano), along with acclaimed authors Carol Muske-Dukes (Sparrow), Bei Ling (The Deceived), David St. John (The A Novella In Verse), and Robert Pinsky (The Life of David).In his introduction, Phillips recounts an interview where the interviewer describes a deer in Phillips' poem as "an occurrence," and Phillips then relates his reaction to this turn of phrase to his attitude towards editing the issue, aiming to curate works that produce "surprise at the level of language," and which explore "being a sensual and vulnerable and emotional creature in a world that finally does not require us." He wants "nothing gutless, and nothing without its ability to surprise."INTRODUCTIONCarl PhillipsFICTION"The Garden Game," by Ann Beattie"The Last Heat of Summer," by Percival Everett"Birds of Paradise," by Peter Gordon"A Glue-Related Problem," by Lisa Haines"Elephant Feelings," by John Haskell"Companion Animal," by Hester Kaplan"The Garden," by Devika MehraPOETRYDavid BakerMary Jo BangEdward Bartók-BarrataErin BelieuBrian BlanchfieldJody BolzJoel BrouwerCyrus CassellsMichael CollierMartha CollinsRita DoveAngie EstesKathy FaganMiranda FieldCaroline FinkelsteinCarol FrostChristine GarrenLinda GreggLyn HejinianClaire HeroRick HillesRichard HowardJoy KatzJennifer KronovetLaurie LamonBei LingLisa LubaschJames MagorianKathryn MarisGail MazurJane MeadAnder MonsonCarol Muske-DukesJeff OaksJoe OsterhausRobert PinskyJohn PochPaisley RekdalLloyd SchwartzCharlie SmithDavid St. JohnSamn StockwellMeredith StrickerZona TetiAnn TownsendReetika VaziraniRosanna WarrenKerri WebsterMarlys WestScott WithiamCharles WrightC. Dale YoungDean YoungEDITOR PROFILEChristopher Hennessy