Introduction by Arlene Ang
To steal from Jeffrey Little’s poem, the 17th-anniversary issue of Pedestal, “when it arrives, is worldly.” The eclectic mix of 18 poets and poems we’ve selected makes me think of how the writing world has grown smaller and at the same time more extensive since 2000. It’s an honor and pleasure to work with John, Michael, and Susan again. During the editorial process, I realized that while we may agree on the quality of a piece, how a piece touches us—or doesn’t—depends on our personal experiences and interests. I like to think that we’ve put together a “worldly” selection of poems that reaches across cultural, political, and social differences and hits the reader on a gut level—which, I guess, is the magic of poetry.
—Arlene Ang
