A Note From The Editor

“The point is to look” reads the first line of Amy Jannotti’s “Milkjelly”—and of the first ever issue of Non.Plus Lit. An appropriate opening for an issue which features fifteen captivating poems, the line pulls the reader in and says pay attention, here we go. When starting this magazine was only a dream, my most imminent desire was to create a place where the voices of poets who write exciting, unconventional, moving poetry could be showcased. The idea of poetry as a search for the unknown came to me through one of my poetic heroes, James Tate. I wanted to honor that type of poetry; that type of poetry which is unafraid of being different, of taking risks, of risking sincerity in the most surprising of ways. Dear submitters: you did not disappoint. We received over 700 wonderful poems to sort through this submission period. While the final decision for publication was difficult, I believe the poems in this first issue are perfect for our inaugural showing. They all traverse the space of the unknown with their own unique voices, journeys.

Andy Lopez’s poems feature speakers who redefine and lament the difficulty of language in their search for meaning, with lines such as “After the flood, / or should I say feast” and “the name of every beautiful thing / evades.” Hannah Page’s speaker relays their own unsureness through a self-edit, casting doubt on their perception of their own body “Somebody had scooped out my insides like a pumpkin./ I can’t know for sure.” Arja Kumar philosophizes on Artificial Intelligence, pop culture references, and utilizes clever line breaks—“i was so small and still / am so small”—which create the feeling of real-time revelations for not just the reader, but also the speaker. I could go on, ad infinitum, but I assure you this: in each of these poems, there is a point at which I had to pause reading and just gasp.

Thank you to all those who have administratively helped bring this publication to life—to Gabriela, for her initial push and her eye for the Beautiful; to Eddie, Brittany, Marisa, and Em for reading through so many poems and giving me perspective I could not have gained alone. Thank you also to all those who contributed, submitted, and supported Non.Plus Lit through this first stage of our development. We would be nothing without you all. I have many dreams, plans, and hopes for Non.Plus. I look forward to sharing in the experience of building this platform with all of you beautiful people who are reading this note right now. “The point is to look” Amy Jannotti tells us, before a caesura reveals another word: “naked.” The point is to tune in, tune out, tune up your senses and immerse into a poetry which is unafraid to bare itself in front of the masses. Pay attention, here we go.

-Jarrett