I'm happy to post the new edition of Conte Online: the Journal of Narrative Writing, which includes my poem Snip, written about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 101 years ago. 146 people died--mostly immigrant girls--when their factory caught fire. The door was bolted so no one could steal merchandise. A series of horrific and inexcusable errors followed as the girls clamored to escape: the fire escape collapse. The fire fighters arrived with ladders that were too short and a trampoline that, shall we say, cushioned no one's fall. Fire safety standards were revised because of this, but in my poem, I imagine myself into that overworked room, just before the spark. The conditions under which those immigrants work still exist today. Read the poem here.
I have tremendous respect for the editors of this journal. They actually had some editorial comments on my poem, and we had a bit of a back-and-forth that I found very enjoyable. It was the most thoughtful critique I've received on my poetry since grad school. Here's to you, gentlemen.
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