Dove Song: Heavenly Mother in Mormon Poetry
Dove Song is an anthology of poetry and art centered on the Mormon concept of Heavenly Mother. It includes 138 poems from 80 poets and artists from the early church, to the late 20th century, to today.
“Dove Song is unique in the canon of Mormon literature. And uniquely important. Not only is it a work of fine art, a carefully arranged series of poems that the poets have used their finest skill and training to create, but it is a work of history, a work of inspiration, and a sacred record of many individuals’ spiritual quest for additional revealed knowledge about Mother in Heaven.” —Susan Elizabeth Howe
“She used to be a rumor. She used to be the one not to be named. We listened so hard at the edges of the conversation to hear anything—any detail, any dropped syllable. But thanks to the work of the visionary writers and editors who crafted Dove Song the Mormon concept of a Heavenly Mother now has so much presence! So many words! May we never lose her again.” —Joanna Brooks
The monotheists of the Old Testament used the psaltery to accompany religious verses and psalms. The pagans of ancient Greece played the lyre while singing passionate love lyrics, such as Sapphic odes. In Psaltery & Lyre, the sacred and profane share a bed.
Psaltery & Lyre began in June 2012 as the poetry wing of Doves & Serpents. At the end of 2016, Psaltery & Lyre launched an independent site, psalteryandlyre.org. The archive can still be accessed on the Doves & Serpents site here.
In the words of Canadian poet Anne Simpson, “Poetry dares us to locate the white heat in ourselves, but that isn’t enough: it dares us to translate that searing heat into language that can burn the page.”
At Psaltery & Lyre, we want poetry that burns, that effectively translates the white heat of ourselves into the communion of language. We want essays, stories, and hybrid works that push the borders of belief and doubt, sacred and secular. Above all, we seek excellence.
If you are interested in submitting to Psaltery & Lyre, please see our Submission Guidelines.
Bellingham Review Issue 74
The Bellingham Review‘s fourth issue under the editorship of S. Paola Antonetta, Issue 74, includes a special section of new writing from Canadian women titled “Place and Space in Canada,” the winners of BR‘s annual literary contests, as well as a remarkable collection of stories, poems, and essays from US and international writers. The issue features the painting “The Coming Storm” from Susan Bennerstrom.
Bellingham Review Issue 73
Fall has arrived with its reds and rains. Shorter days and December weather lumber our way. What better time to hibernate with an invigorating read?
In Bellingham Review’s issue 73, our sixth annual online issue, you’ll encounter the carefully crafted work of 20 different artists, including poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and hybrid pieces.
In addition to hybrid work, you’ll find a special symposium on “The Kinetic Page,” in which a variety of artists explore and expand the boundaries of the page. Technology and literary arts marry to produce a stunning array of creative projects from artists Deborah Poe, Ander Monson, Amaranth Borsuk, and Eric LeMay. A little bit of magic happens as these artists engage with different mediums, from marginalia to handsewn poems to film texts. Prepare to be delighted, provoked, challenged, intrigued.
Psaltery & Lyre, Vol. 1 (Doves & Serpents Press, 2013)
In these pages, many poets tackle sticky issues related to religion, often with a Mormon flavor. Doves & Serpents was created to be a forum for open-minded people of all faiths (or none). Psaltery & Lyre provides space for poets to wrestle with words on the page, mimicking the process of wrestling with theological issues. This eclectic collection features a variety of religious and non-religious themes, from cross-dressing Jesus to cleaning the keyboard. You’ll find poetry by Mormons and Post-Mormons, atheists and agnostics, Buddhists, Baptists, and more.
Dayna Patterson 