AMERARCANA: A Bird & Beckett Review is an occasional publication of poetry, creative & critical prose, other words and works of art edited by Nicholas James Whittington and published under the auspices of the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization housed at Bird & Beckett Books and Records in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood. Under the Bird & Beckett imprint the editor also publishes the occasional small book. At present no unsolicited manuscripts are being accepted for the magazine or book series, but queries and comments are always welcome: amerarcana[at]gmail[dot]com.
The first six issues were edited by Nicholas James Whittington and published from 2010 through 2015. The seventh, a “Shuffle Boil” special issue, co-edited by that magazine’s erstwhile editors Steve Dickison and David Meltzer, appeared shortly before the latter’s death at the tail end of 2016. The eight issue, published in 2019, was co-edited with Eric Sneathen. A ninth issue is in the works as of Spring 2021. Copies of all back issues are currently still available. Details below.
Number 8
WORDS: Steve Abbott, Andrea Abi-Karam, Bahaar Ahsan, 최 Lindsay, Angel Dominguez, Robert Glück, Evan Kennedy, Kevin Killian, Lauren Levin, Trisha Low, Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta, Camille Roy, Jocelyn Saidenberg, Aaron Shurin, Eric Sneathen, Syd Staiti, Kirstin Wagner; ARTWORK: Dean Smith
Number 7
WORDS: Oliver Lake, Nathaniel Mackey, Hafez Modirzadeh, David Boyce, Howard Eiland, Garrett Caples, David Meltzer, Brandon Brown, Ted Joans, Ornette Coleman (interviewed by Zan Stewart & Howard Shore), Bill Berkson, Jake Marmer, Julien Poirier, Joseph Noble, Linda Norton, Owen Hill, Marina Lazzara, Ava Koohbor, Patrick James Dunagan, Gerald Bryant, Justin Desmangles, Chris Stroffalino, Rod Roland, Jason Morris, Brian Lucas, Alastair Johnston, Francois Luong, Andrew Joron, Marchall R. Trammell, Maryam Ivette Parhizkar, Steve Dickison, Steven Emerson; ARTWORK: Alex Cruse, George Herms, Julie Ezelle Patton, Steve Dickison
Number 6
WORDS: Garrett Caples, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Derek Fenner, Jackqueline Frost, Evan Kennedy, Frank Lima, Jason Morris, Rod Roland, Aaron Shurin, Cedar Sigo, Syd Staiti, Richard Tagett, Tara Thomas, Nicholas James Whittington, and versions of Hafez by Patrick James Dunagan and Ava Koohbor; ARTWORK: Will Yackulic
Number 5
WORDS: Will Alexander, Micah Ballard, Clark Coolidge, Diane di Prima, Justin Desmangles, Steve Dickison, Sarah Heady, Marina Lazzara, Duncan McNaughton, Jackson Meazle’s translations of Gottfried Benn & Elsa Lasker-Schuler, Richard O. Moore, John Sakkis, Sunnylyn Thibodeaux, Nicholas James Whittington; ARTWORK: Ed Loftus
2013
WORDS: Patrick James Dunagan, Christina Fisher, Barry Gifford, Jack Hirschman, Carrie Hunter, Ava Khoobor, Nathaniel Mackey, Jesse Morse, Stephen Ratcliffe, William Rockwell, Rod Roland, Mary Austin Speaker, Elizabeth Witte, Maurice Woods; ARTWORK: Jason Grabowski, Basil King
2012
WORDS: Bill Berkson, Justin Desmangles, Joanne Kyger, Rodrigo Lira (translated by Rodrigo Olavarría & Thomas Rothe), Duncan McNaughton, Jackson Meazle, David Meltzer, Sarah Menefee, Jason Morris, Jeffrey Joe Nelson, Erik Noonan, Cedar Sigo, Will Skinker, Tisa Walden, Nicholas James Whittington; ARTWORK: Colter Jacobsen
2011
WORDS: Art Beck, Neeli Cherkovski, Clark Coolidge, Diane di Prima, Patrick James Dunagan, Naomi Goldner, QR Hand, Ayo Khensu-Ra, David Meltzer, Fred Moten, Erik Noonan, Craig Santos Perez, William Rockwell, Blake Rogers, Waly Salomao (translated by Maryam Monalisa Gharavi), Sunnylyn Thibodeaux, Nicholas James Whittington, Maurice Woods; ARTWORK: Rebecca Ahrens
2010
WORDS: Ammiel Alcalay, Carla Badillo Coronado (translated by Jack Hirshman), Micah Ballard, Walker Brents III, Neeli Cherkovski, Maggie Cleveland, Diane di Prima, Maryam Monalisa Gharavi, Barry Gifford, Jack Hirschman, Joj Kastra/Georges Castera (translated by Baodiba), John Landry, Marina Lazzara, Nathaniel Mackey, Michael McClure, Benjamin Morris, Barbara Jane Reyes; ARTWORK: Michael James Armstrong
Impart Ink 