The Bagel Bards is a group of poets and writers founded by Doug Holder and Harris Gardner thirteen years ago. Writing poetry can be an isolating experience. Poetry is not exactly the go-to arts and entertainment experience for most Americans. We don't honor our poets the way they do in Latin America where poets are appointed as diplomats. Anyway, the Bagel Bards meet each Saturday morning at Au Bon Pain in Davis Square, Somerville, MA. There, we discuss everything from poetry to basketball, and in doing so, foster a community of writers. One of the bards, Gloria Mindock, is the current Poet Laureate of Somerville. Another, Zvi A. Sesling, who edits this anthology, is the Poet Laureate of Brookline. What all these poets have in common is a love of language and poetry and within these pages, you'll find a wide range of poems that manifest that.

The Bagel Bards (or Bagels with the Bards) (are) a group of poets varied in age, race, gender meet, share poems, discuss poetry, drink lots of coffee, chew a bagel if so desired, sometimes sell their books. The atmosphere is generous and open to all, and you don't have to be a poet to attend. What I find most exciting about the Bards, people here are not conscious of reputation and achievement, but love the poem and good friendly unpretentious talk. That doesn't mean that pretensions don't exist if that's what you desire, but the coffee is strong, the people sincere and are publishers of small press magazines, pamphlets and books. If you want to be in an atmosphere that is intelligent without self-involved, convoluted literary talk of people who need to prove themselves and announce themselves as artists, here is a place to and the pleasure that good literary company may offer. - Sam Cornish

The Wilderness House Literary Review was formed out of the desire of a group of writers and poets to create an online journal for their works. As promised this is a print summary of the best of volume 3.

An eye opening account of a trip to Fiji just before Christmas 2005. With Black & White illustrations.