tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34526540135153087342012-05-30T16:00:11.185-04:00is an independent literary publisher based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, still often referred to as <i>the steel city</i>. <br><br> Blast furnaces were utilized for smelting and refining industrial metals, generally iron, and were widely used in the creation of steel in the Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania region during the United States' 20th century steel industry boom.Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-67456088556474384022012-05-28T07:18:00.004-04:002012-05-30T16:00:11.208-04:00

Ambition and Erosion [unrhymed sonnet]   When I was father to the man, I wished to bea fire truck. Then I put away childish thingsand wished, instead, to be fire. The fire insidethe fire, Heraclitan, ash-maker extraordinaire. The curtains still cling to smoke, a shard of logblack and furred with ash sits alone in the hearth,and I'm sure I have forgotten to close the flue,now that I'm done

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-34606596974227744542012-04-24T16:33:00.001-04:002012-04-28T09:42:31.314-04:00

Jed Tomsula loves most about photography “the idea of being able to capture a moment in time, a moment of reality.” I relish the enormous freedom of solitude that being a photographer allows me, and the accompanying creativity,” he says. “Photography enriches my life...I'm never without a camera.” Since he started taking photographs many years ago, Jed says that he has "been continually

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-22698497041115108562012-04-22T10:33:00.000-04:002012-04-26T07:23:36.693-04:00

In March, Blast Furnace published Part 1 of a two-part interview with Heather McNaugher. Following is Part 2 of the interview.  photo: Joyce Connors In your manuscript, System of Hideouts, why “First Time” as the opening poem and “Between Us” as the closing poem? Initially I put “Affirmations” first, but I think people found it hostile, because a couple of readers told me it was not the

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-18645722085860208772012-03-18T13:37:00.002-04:002012-03-18T13:37:27.874-04:00

Please note that the submission period for Blast Furnace's Winter edition, 2012, is now closed. Any poems submitted to the journal from March 16, 2012 through April 30, 2012, will not be read, and the email in which they were sent will be deleted.

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-37377037129115659922012-03-17T07:47:00.004-04:002012-04-24T12:05:54.541-04:00

Heather McNaugher teaches poetry, nonfiction, and literature at her alma mater, Chatham University, and is poetry editor of The Fourth River. McNaugher's work has appeared in 5 A.M., The Bellevue Literary Review, New Ohio Review, The Gay & Lesbian Review, Leveler, and The Cortland Review, and on the radio show, Prosody. Her chapbook, Panic & Joy, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2008.

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-72742484670377271612012-02-21T17:15:00.021-05:002012-02-22T09:47:17.182-05:00

Beginning in 2012, Blast Furnace will feature multi-genre writing in an annual special edition of the journal. For its first special edition, Blast Furnace is pleased to present fiction, nonfiction and poetry written by Words Without Walls (WWW) students. A creative collaboration between Chatham University’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing program and the city’s Allegheny County

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-91667787602518514362012-02-14T15:51:00.556-05:002012-03-16T10:19:23.144-04:00

The first collection of poetry by one poet that I purchased in my life was Pulitzer Prize-nominated Song of Napalm, by Bruce Weigl. It was 1990, I was enrolled in his 'Introduction to Poetry' class, and was the first of his students to show up at the Penn State Book Store for his book signing. Having to that point never read Bruce’s work, I don’t know what I expected. Song of Napalm was the

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-64193262659890129702012-02-09T10:54:00.068-05:002012-02-22T09:55:54.658-05:00

Back in July, 2011, Blast Furnace announced that it would begin to include a quarterly focus of artists/photographers as a result of readers' poll votes. Our first artist feature is Sheila Rodgers. Sheila Rodgers is a photographer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her photography primarily focuses on botanical subjects and location portraiture. She's been creating photographs for over four

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-37594410984519872332012-01-15T14:07:00.003-05:002012-01-15T14:20:46.719-05:00

FOR PUBLICATION CONSIDERATION IN OUR FIFTH ISSUE (Volume 2, Issue 1) SLATED FOR APRIL 2012 RELEASE: Please submit no more than three (3) of your BEST poems via SUBMISHMASH, the online submission manager, at http://blastfurnace.submishmash.com/submit, or, if you prefer to create an audio recording of yourself reciting your poetry, send ONLY ONE (1) .mp3/.wav file attachment of NOT MORE THAN 2

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-78461392480837690772012-01-15T13:59:00.003-05:002012-01-15T14:02:38.789-05:00

Blessings to you in 2012. We are so pleased with the success of our first year online, and most grateful for the support and valued input provided by our submitters and readers, as well as the willingness of our interviewed poets to entertain the barrage of questions we send their way. We are excited about the plans and surprises Blast Furnace has in store over the next twelve months, including

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-46880820651762508962011-12-31T20:51:00.324-05:002012-01-09T13:30:22.030-05:00

Let the little poem Take a scalpel to the story but let the little poem flow go back and check your duplications she sat and sobbed, or babbled danced or pranced or meditated what can be elucidated but let the little poem go— Take a scalpel to the story but let the little poem dance let it weave effects upon our hearts let it chart our weakness, spot us swinging open the page and start us

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-3822658594689491972011-11-16T10:29:00.001-05:002011-11-16T10:30:05.197-05:00

Please note that the submission period for Blast Furnace's Autumn edition is now closed. Any poems submitted to the journal from November 16, 2011 through January 1, 2012, will not be read, and the email in which they were sent will be deleted.

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-62341233973359205912011-10-27T13:25:00.002-04:002011-10-27T13:28:16.788-04:00

In consideration of poetry as an oral tradition, we've posted a poll on the left panel of our home page, as we're toying with the idea of a live reading in Pittsburgh by some of our fine submitters, and would love your feedback on such a reading. If enough interest is expressed, an event would likely occur in late 2012. Vote "Yes" or "No" by selecting the corresponding radio button of your

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-4961702382636962292011-09-11T09:38:00.014-04:002011-09-13T16:40:39.917-04:00

Warm greetings at the end of a fierce season from Blast Furnace. Volume 1, Issue 3 comes to you following what the news media has reported as the hottest Summer the United States has experienced in 75 years: and in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, in the midst of Texas Wildfires. These events are cause for somber reflection, and our hearts and thoughts are with all of those so deeply affected

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-6089720427600495872011-09-10T08:44:00.021-04:002011-09-23T07:14:45.518-04:00

Listening to Refused in a Nissan 200SXin Provo, Utah, October 1999 Behold the king in his Nissan throne.Behold! The moon deigns to reflect in my silver bodyworkabove a Betelgeuse hood ornament.My shoes, in black canvas: how uptown.Tonight, we cruise to new noise—do you hear,woeful patterers, weekend hustlers?No more grinding this same sockhop,generic sludge refusing death.I am James Brown with a

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-57839225738104525862011-07-25T14:50:00.149-04:002012-04-23T11:47:13.078-04:00

In June, Blast Furnace published Part 1 of a two-part interview with L. Lamar Wilson. Following is Part 2 of the interview. In your CV posted to UNC Chapel Hill's website, noted was the title of your MFA thesis: All American: Poems. Could you talk a bit about the context of your thesis manuscript? What determined the title of it? Have you included some poetry from that thesis in the Sacrilegion

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-77023829339938744602011-07-19T14:36:00.004-04:002011-09-13T16:26:00.968-04:00

In May, we posted a poll on the left panel of our web page where voters could indicate whether they'd like to see more offerings in Blast Furnace, as we'd received some inquiries about whether we would eventually include other features, in addition to poetry and interviews. The results are in! The four (4) choices were: short non-fiction artwork/photography literary events none of the above--

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-85192533558523514722011-06-11T03:39:00.097-04:002012-04-23T11:45:55.378-04:00

It was at the Washington, D.C. Association of Writers and Writing Programs' (AWP) 2011 conference that Blast Furnace first heard L. Lamar Wilson read his poetry. The title of the session featuring him and a handful of other talented writers: "Courting Risk: A Multicultural/Multi-Genre Reading." His CV testifies to an extensive variety of conference presentations and readings, as well as numerous

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-7803754405398646222011-05-19T18:15:00.015-04:002011-09-13T16:28:38.578-04:00

Hello to all loyal followers and first-time readers of Blast Furnace! The theme for Volume 1, Issue 2, moving out, was selected by visitors of this website via online polling. And the poets delivered. We received even more submissions for the Spring edition than the inaugural issue! Many included here are “moving out” poems; however, Blast Furnace never enforces a rule that poetry submitted for

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-28221617933006505422011-05-19T07:26:00.030-04:002011-09-13T16:31:59.395-04:00

Solstice Tonight, the moon loves itself in and out of cloud shimmers; The bundle of familiar keys heavy in your hand, Impatient, with me you drive north to find it Up into the mountains, far above timberline where air ices A whisper and suspends it like an ornament in the sky. This land may seem hard and harsh (bushy evergreens thirsting) But at this altitude one can reach the clouds. You sniff

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-68727582751644471522011-04-02T10:02:00.007-04:002011-09-13T16:35:46.006-04:00

"Like" Blast Furnace on Litlist, the online network of literary journals, book publishers, online literary journals, and writers, at http://litlist.net/blastfurnace.

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-64876694728128371142011-04-02T03:05:00.010-04:002011-09-13T16:37:06.552-04:00

In January, Blast Furnace posted a poll to garner reader feedback about the possibility of a future chapbook contest, to be sponsored by the literary journal. The question: If Blast Furnace initiated a chapbook competition with a reading fee, would you submit? The three (3) possible choices were: A - Yes B - No C - Depends on the prize Of the responses received, only 12% voted 'No,' 40% voted

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-70694072419848280122011-01-22T07:53:00.007-05:002011-01-22T08:06:02.304-05:00

I'm fond of a few literary journals that I keep around the apartment for whenever I have the inclination to pick one up and read. An Atlanta Review from 2006 begins with three pieces by writer Margaret Holley. This past summer, as we prepared my mother's house to be sold after she'd lived there for thirty years, I happened to read Holley's poem, entitled "Moving Out." Considering the

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-49689787487364892382011-01-02T09:20:00.009-05:002011-01-08T13:57:27.857-05:00

It's a thrill to begin 2011 by presenting to the world the blue collar-themed, inaugural edition of Blast Furnace! Since August, the journal received several hundred poems, including audio recordings, not only from the Pittsburgh area and other regions of Pennsylvania, but also other cities, States, and even other countries. I'm humbled to write that we also had the privilege of reviewing pieces

Misson &amp; Valueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18069605158212676245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3452654013515308734.post-19409396722027936012010-12-04T04:49:01.054-05:002011-02-10T18:13:15.332-05:00

History Is The Work Of The Dead Our lives are stolen by others and   We do not live them, Rule One, but we Are lived by thieves whose avarice Or generosity in some simplest Matter, once upon a time, wrote our Existence. We don’t own so much as A mood, a Tuesday, our face, any Part of our future. So history Obsesses Godard, who laments the Designs of memories as if they Belong to anyone,

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