Koss Works

Writing | Poetry | Art

Publications

Asemic Writing, Erasure Poetry | Up the Staircase Quarterly

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Grateful to be in Up the Staircase Quarterly #57. This issue is full of great poetry and art. Poetry by these people included:

  • Quinn Forlini | “Attenuation”
  • Sanvitti Sahdev | “I fill up”
  • Fiona Lu | “hunting”
  • Oluwafisayo Akinfolami | “Semantics”
  • Satya Dash | 2 poems: “Elasticity” and “Two Deaths”
  • Jill Khoury | “Subjective Units of Distress Scale 1-10”
  • Ran Zhao | “floodpath”
  • Olivia J. Kiers | “Shower: Arc de Triomphe”
  • Anaïs Deal-Márquez | “Gringa.”
  • Jace Raymond Smellie | “for my grandma doris almost four years after”
  • Chase Dimock | “Contaminants”
  • Kolbe Riney | 2 poems: “sexy villain” and “voyager”

and artwork by:

  • Sara Louise Wilson | Haunt Me + more
  • Elizabeth Wing | Blüd Rites
  • jw summerisle | Strangers
  • Shelbey Leco | Blue.
  • Koss | Wuthering Heights 1, Magpie +more
  • Tomislav Silipetar | WHAT IS LEFT

Emanuela Iorga is the issue illustrator with multiple bullet-riddled images in a starkly graphic (not literal) style.

Also, reviews by:

  • Tyler Friend | Him or Her or Whatever
  • Jasmine Elizabeth Smith | South Flight
  • ​L.E. Bowman | What I Learned from the Trees

I have four pieces from a magpie/hare series slated for my book, plus one visual poem that utilizes text from a poem, “Shoulder Story,” originally published in Rogue Agent. The other pieces reference or erase passages of Wuthering Heights. Find my page here, and read the whole issue here.

I’ve been taking a break from writing poetry and doing visual word art, including asemic writing/recycling from journals, crossword poems, and uncategorizable stuff, but I have lots of work coming out in the next few months, including some difficult abuse writing and some more visual poetry in Diode. It feels good to get back to painting and drawing.

Magpie asemic art piece with writing and Wuthering Heights erasure poetry text in and surrounding black magpie.
Up the Staircase Visual Poetry, Asemic Writing, and Erasure Poetry by Koss

Punk – A Kissing Dynamite Anthology

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Thrilled to be included in this Punk poetry anthology from Kissing Dynamite, a poetry journal (edited by Christine Taylor). There are lots of great writers in here including Michael Chan. Kissing Dynamite is one of my favorite, inclusive online journals. They publish poetry and art once a month and only consider one poem at a time (once per month). I’ve been fortunate to have been published twice in the journal (was a featured poet) and was nominated for Best of the Net for my queer Taco Bell poem. Read more about my other Kissing Dynamite publication, “Ensnared/Discarded,” in my blog. Purchase the anthology on their website and be sure to check out their brand new issue.

Update: I have removed the above links because Kissing Dynamite disappeared from the web last year with no explanation, and no indication of how to purchase existing books. It was a blow to the lit community who entrusted their work (and unpublished manuscripts) to them. Sad.

Kissing Dynamite’s Punk, an Anthology of Poetry with poem by Koss, “Fucked Up History”

San Pedro River Review | Poetry Publication

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So fortunate to be in another issue of San Pedro River Review. This issue has a theme of Place. Jeff and Tobi, the editors, are kind and efficient. They have two brief submission windows each year, then superfast notices for submitters. Generally, a month or so after an acceptance, the issue is out. I wish all journals were this professional. Here is a bad photo of the poem, which I’ll update at a later date. This has been a busy publication year, and I’m having trouble keeping up. This poem is one of many about grief (for my grandmother) and mortality. Buy the whole issue on Amazon. See my other San Pedro River Review publication, “Opt-Out Mother,” here.

poem text from Repository, a grief poem by Koss in San Pedro River Review
“Repository,” a poem by Koss in San Pedro River Review

Boats Against the Current – Poetry – Koss

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Boats Against the Current is a wonderfully designed, promising new journal founded by McKenna Themm, a poet and managing editor of the LA Review. Boats Against the Current Magazine is an online journal dedicated to poetry.

My poem explores grief as told through the lifespan and habits of crickets. Read it here, and if you’re a poet, send them some work. I was pleased as a neurotic type to get a very fast response from them and they’re lovely and professional to work with.

graphic with quote from poem, "The Sounds of the Night, Instead," for Boats Against the Current Magazine
Boats Against the Current promotional graphic for Koss poem
Green swampy abstract image with quote from Koss poem published in Boats Against the Current Journal
“The Sounds of the NIght Instead,” a poem by Koss in Boats Against the Current

Alien Buddha – Publication

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I’m very behind in blog posts but was happy to have three poems published in Alien Buddha at the end of January 2022. These are pieces from my manuscript, One for Sorrow, and address domestic violence, one, queers and the church–a tough sell for the lit world–so very grateful for the publication. Alien Buddha publishes a large format journal and books on a regular basis. Find this issue of Alien Buddha on Amazon. I will likely add the poems (or parts of them) at a later date.

Alien Buddha Zine #35 cover with names of contributors
Alien Buddha Zine #35

Moist Poetry Journal | Poem by Koss

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This is nearly a month late, but I’ve been struggling with a photo I bought of Harold’s hearse (from the movie Harold and Maude) and finally finished it today. Was pleased to get accepted into Moist Poetry Journal, a queerish journal and feminist space started by Han Vanderhart. This particular sequence of poems was guest edited by Jennifer Funk. Check out my poem or ALL of the wonderful poems on the Moist Poetry site. Moist Poetry publishes a single (or sometimes double) poem three times a week.

Holy Jesus-Free Bingo Hall, a poem by Koss in Moist Poetry Journal

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