Interview with Richard James

Section II

On Ancient Heart and Other Matters: An Interview with Richard James van der Draaij

PLT:	For a number of years now, Richard James van der Draaij has been editing the quarterly online poetry magazine ANCIENT HEART MAGAZINE, (ISSN 1742-6049). Many new and promising poets have seen their work published in this magazine which seems to have a loyal following already. What made you decide on the name, does it have anything to do with the kind of poetry you’re seeking to publish?
Richard James:	I launched the magazine in a very modest format in 2003. At the time it was only a few web pages with a very limited number of poems. Over time, I managed to expand the magazine’s volume to what it is today. The name is just my personal feeling about the type of poetry I like, the sense of the poet being a bard. All very whimsical, really, but it does seem to express what I would like the magazine to convey. That does not mean I look for very romantic poetry or anything too gothic; it is just a sense of what I feel poetry should aim for. After all, the origins of poetry are shrouded in myth, magic and legend.
PLT:	Originally you wrote your own work in Dutch, now you seem to have gone over entirely to English. Do you intend to keep AHM solely in an English context?
Richard James:	Yes, I think so. I would be happy to publish translations of any poems originally written in a different language but I think I would want the magazine to be an English language publication. On occasion, translated poems from Latin and French have made it in but I think those will remain rare instances. I love English so much as a living and literary language that I cannot envisage allowing too much room for other languages. My Dutch poetry is something I tend to keep to myself. Call it a niche interest, if you like.
PLT:	I saw in your last quarterly edition two reviews on poets already published in the your AHM Anthology, since you seem to admire these poets, perhaps you could give our readers a flavour of their work in AHM.
Richard James:	I could mention poets like Dave Barber, Sultana Raza or Derrick Hurd. All of them have their own unique poetic voice and there is something specific in their poems that I really appreciate. With Barber I think it’s the wonderful melancholy, while Hurd is arcane and slightly hermetic. Sultana Raza’s poems are very evocative and, at times, romantic. There are a few regulars whose work I admire and whom I try to promote. I think that is what a poetry magazine should seek to do as much as possible.
PLT:	Both AHM and AHM Anthology, the latter’s review appearing in our PLT Pandora Box, are presently available POD (pay on demand) at Lulu, from your site nowadays. It’s marvellous that we can now offer online editions together with their print versions as well as anthologies of collaborators’ work. Do you think this might open up a new market and wider reading public?
Richard James:	I hope so, although I have to wait and see how things develop. It’s certainly true that Print on Demand has made it possible for minor publishers and authors to produce and sell their work in printed form. As always, a lot is down to being able to promote these efforts. It’s very easy to produce a book, it’s another thing to make the public aware of it. But I must say I love the idea of being able to offer AHM in both online and printed formats. The Ancient Heart Anthology started the ball rolling. When I found it relatively easy to produce the anthology I thought to myself why not produce a print version for each issue of the magazine itself. I find that there is still something wonderful about the printed page. I’m fully aware of the great opportunities for poets on the web but I have this suspicion that ink will always win over pixels.
PLT:	So far AHM has maintained a very specific mode of presentation, I mean you present quarterly a dozen or so poets with a similar number of poems. Is this more or less the mode you intend to pursue, if writers are interested to submit their work for the future?
Richard James:	I think so. The magazine aims to offer a forum and a platform for poets I just happen to like. I think the submitted poem itself should merit publication and I always try to present the poems separately from any secondary information about the poets, their biographical details and so on. Also, I don’t think it’s wise to publish too many individual poems at once. There is a limit to what people want to read in one go. I hope it’s quality rather than quantity but that’s up to the reader to judge.
PLT:	Thank you for talking to us, we at PLT wish AHM Bon Voyage and every literary success for the future.
Richard James:	The pleasure was all mine and thank you for inviting me.