Mark Terrill, an American poet living in Germany, has published a new chapbook of prose poems as part of Poetry Salzburg Review’s new chapbook series. Terrill is one of the most exciting American poets now living in Europe and the publication of this chapbook, entitled Laughing Butcher Berlin Blues, is a welcome edition to the literary landscape.

Full Metal Poem, the most interesting and well-executed English language literary journal to emerge in Europe in recent memory, saw its first issue released earlier this year. The journal is something of a combined, satellite effort, involving poet Cralan Kelder, based in Amsterdam, and poet Mark Terrill, based outside of Hamburg.

Catherine Hales seems calmly aware of what is at stake in great poetry. Hazard or Fall is a book of poems which risk failure to explore the limits of language and its ability to describe and capture perceptions. The best poems in the book are all the more successful for what they risk, and finally achieve: fresh language which expresses the chaos of life in the 21st century, but does not sacrifice human warmth and the sure intelligence of tradition.

Prague is a great city, and the poetry now being written here – perhaps it is more accurate to say the poetry the city is now allowing – is befittingly supra-cultural, written in both Czech and English, and intended for a multi-cultural audience.

It is refreshing to read the latest issue of Poetry Salzburg Review – the 17th! – published in Spring 2010. Not only does the issue pay homage to the continued dedication of its editors, but the quality of the writing contained therein – including 2010 Pulitzer Award and Book Critics Circle Award winner Rae Armantrout – is high enough to rival any American poetry journal.