Trevor Reeves has published the, Southern Ocean Review , an international literary magazine based in New Zealand since 1996. Issue #50 of the SOR to be released this January will be the final issue of SOR. Reeves has published poets and writers, emerging and established from all over the globe. He was gracious enough to agree to this interview for the Mad Poets Blog.
About Trevor Reeves
Born 1940, Dunedin, New Zealand. Middle of three sons. Married 1967 and had a family of four (2 girls, twin boys). Remarried 1984, Judith Wolfe, artist. Began writing 1964 and branched into book publishing, 1971. Published many titles; poetry, short fiction, a novel, then general books on subjects such as history, architecture, health, education, politics, and humour. After a spell, continued with Square One Press, local histories, weather, crime, politics, etc, plus some more fiction/poetry etc. Publications include 4 books of poetry, 3 of non-fiction and 1 of short fiction. Started Cave magazine 1971, finished 1972, then Southern Ocean Review in October 1996. Has seven grandchildren.
The Interview
Q. You have published the Southern Ocean Review four times a year since October of 1996. Please share with us what inspired you to publish SOR back in 1996 and why in January of 2009 will you publish the last edition?
A. I was a member of the literary list, Café Blue, and bravely announced that I was going to start an on-line literary magazine. I gave up Café Blue later, but carried on with the magazine; adding a print version which I produce at home, to it. At the second issue, Judith added her drawings to the contributions and it has been that way ever since. I started up an index later and have kept that going, too. I had to master online production but haven’t changed the format since starting. My background in general book publishing (Caveman Press and Square One Press) helped me tackle the new technology as it developed. Getting to issue number 50 was a thing that I thought would never happen (I started a magazine in 1971, called ‘Cave’ which went to only four issues) but we decided to cease because of age (67) and wanting to try something else for a change.
Q. SOR is based in New Zealand but is an international literary publication. Do you know how many readers SOR on line and the print edition has reached?
A. We did have a counter on the magazine page until it disappeared some 3 years ago, and it had got to nearly 120,000 hits. Judging by the contributions the impact of the magazine must be pretty wide, which is pleasing. Some of the more prestigious writers in New Zealand haven’t bothered to contribute but plenty of really good writers from overseas have. A problem has been that we are unable to pay writers and we are probably not eligible to receive grants to assist here, because of the overseas content.
Q. What has been your greatest satisfaction during your tenure publishing SOR?
A. Its consistency, through thick and thin, has been the most pleasing aspect. Also, the satisfaction of seeing so many good writers in print and talking to them about that. Developing friendships has always been important to me. Writing relationships based on mutual respect are very important to me.
Q. Your partner at SOR Judith Wolfe has produced some beautiful art work to accompany each story and poem in SOR. How did this develop?
A. We married in 1985. Judith is a well known artist here and has had many exhibitions of her work. The illustrations of written work in Southern Ocean Review have helped her drawing technique greatly and she has really enjoyed being part of this scene, especially with her editorial input.
Q. As a pioneer in the production of a web based magazine what changes have you witnessed over the last twelve years on the impact of the internet on the literary community?
A. Things have become immensely more complicated on the one hand, but on the other hand, people have developed awesome new skills to handle it all. The volume of work and people interested in writing has increased markedly but on the other hand the number of people who don’t write but read the work of others has probably decreased. This is a new age of specialisations. There are lots of net magazines now with more and more people jostling to get on them. It is so easy and cheap to start up a magazine site now and just about everybody is doing it. That’s good, in my book, as anything that shows an increased enthusiasm for writing must be encouraged. The number of print publications sold in bookshops has decreased markedly, however. The impact of a free internet has exacerbated this trend. Bulk publishing is harder now, because of stock and interest charges. People want their satisfaction instantly now and won’t bother with spending a lazy afternoon with a good book.
Q. You have published hundreds of poets/writers over the years, do you have a favorite?
A. With Caveman Press (1971-1982) I must have published over 100 books of mainly creative writing (there was no internet then) using primitive techniques such as letterpress printing (on a 1914 Golding Platen, disc inker) then on to offset using electronic phototypesetting. Other books were general books; non-fiction titles which did reasonably well in sales. My favourite poets in those days were the late Hone Tuwhare (famed Maori poet) and Peter Olds (still writing), and Barry Southam. A profound influence was Graham Billing (now deceased). I also published overseas writers including Charles Bukowski and William Wantling. I had acquired my own gear over a period and returned to smaller books recently (runs of 50 copies or less) and I will probably continue with this. Sometimes, when technology changes you have to find new ways of doing the same thing.
Q. I reviewed the contributors to the SOR over the last twelve years. What was it like to work with these talented writers and poets?
A. Lovely to work with these people; all ages, types, etc. The reviews I did of books submitted are mainly short; trying mostly to be enthusiastic. I am surprised and delighted with the scope and variety of writers. I was also stimulated to experiment with my own writing; sort of ‘rubbing off’ them to an extent. Some of the talents I encountered were awesomely good.
Q. Who were the major influences on you as a writer?
A. Probably Lindsay Smith originally, then with wide reading: Blake, Coleridge, G M Hopkins, Yeats, Eliot, Ezra Pound and many many more. Also local writers such as James K. Baxter, HoneTuwhare, and also the various experimental writers here and overseas, including e e cummings, Ted Hughes Allen Ginsberg, James Joyce, Beckett, Dylan Thomas etc.
Q. A number of your collections have been published, what can you share with our readers about your collections?
A. Hard to say; they are all there so people take what they like from them. I have published four collections of poetry since 1971, plus a book of short stories, “Breaker Breaker and other stories” and three books of non fiction. These are in different styles but I have always tried to tackle new styles as I have gone along. I like to think I learn just as much from other writers as they learn from me. I am not one who believes that one particular style of writing has precedence or domination over another. I have never attended a writing school but this doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t
Q. Many poets and writers develop deep frustration over rejections of their work. What advice would you give novice poets and writers about the submission process?
A. Keep on writing, keep on submitting – learn from the masters, not lesser people. I like to think that listening to people with plenty of writing experience is better than blindly following some recent fashionable style. Writing courses can only be good to hurry up the process to maturity. Above all, experiment, particularly with poetry, makes it interesting, alive and vibrant – no matter what style.
Q. The Southern Ocean Review has been a mainstay in the world of electronic publishing, where magazines appear and disappear, SOR has always been there. Twelve years is a long run on the internet for a magazine. As the last edition approaches what are your feelings as you put the last edition together?
A. Mixed feelings of course, but things must move on. Repetition is the essence of stagnation. I’ll be busy reading other people’s magazines now and concentrating on my own work; fiction and non-fiction.
Q. Do you and Judith have any new projects in the works?
A. If not immediately, we’ll think of something. Presently I am preparing a book of my selected poems; 1971-2008 with eight pages of Judith’s painting, reproduced. We did one of these a couple of year’s ago, called ‘Hand in Hand’ – limited edition. This included my collection of ‘sequences’ – pieces with no beginning, middle or end; and a break with tradition perhaps. We might also tackle some new non-fiction.
Q. Are there any plans for an SOR anthology and will the archives remain on line for an extended period of time?
A. No plans for an anthology of SOR but I will keep the magazine on line for a while including the archives even though it is a cost to us for servers etc. It is the least I can do.
Q. It has been a pleasure to interview you, any final thoughts for our readers?
A. If you are serious about writing, just do it, seriously, and good luck to you all.
