Phil Taggart on “Living Askew”

Kudos to Phil Taggart for a rare feature in Ventura Life magazine detailing his extensive support of the Ventura-area poetry scene. The article also includes a striking combination of Phil’s poems overlaid against photos of his schizophrenic brother, Rick. A digital version of the entire magazine is available here. The “Living Askew” article begins on page 36. (Type 36 into the page display at the bottom, hit enter, and then double-click on the article to zoom in to a legible magnification.)

The current issue of Ventura Life also contains a complete reprint of Askew Issue 3, which Phil co-publishes, including one of my poems (page 126, at the bottom). It is rare for tireless supporters like Phil to receive recognition from mainstream press, and rare for new independent poetry publications (Askew being a broadsheet, no less) to get syndicated by more conventional channels–to have both happen at once is auspicious indeed.