ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE

Between 1960 and 1963, the renowned Wisconsin writer, poet, lecturer, and editor August Derleth edited and published a small literary magazine titled Hawk & Whippoorwill, devoted to what he called “poems of man and nature.” Published from Derleth’s home, Place of Hawks, in Sauk City, Wisconsin, the modest saddle-stitched journal quickly earned a reputation for uncommon integrity. Original contributors included James T. Farrell, John Beecher, Felix Stefanile, Carleton Drewry, and Helga Sandburg. The original series ultimately concluded with its tenth issue for financial reasons. (Interested readers and collectors may wish to keep an eye on the rare books market for the omnibus edition that binds all ten issues of the original series into a single volume. This collected edition was issued in a limited run of 170 sets by Villiers Publications Ltd. of London.)

In the summer of 2008, Derleth’s “little magazine” was revived by editors Matthew Kelsey and Jon Wooding, with the endorsement and support of April Derleth. This new series was conceived as a twice-annual publication, with issues appearing on the summer and winter solstices. Four issues were produced before the project entered a hiatus. In 2018 the new series resumed publication under the supervision of editor Kraz Willingham.

Beginning with Number 6 (Winter 2018), the magazine adopted a revised tagline, replacing the inherited “man and nature” phrasing. From that point forward, Hawk & Whippoorwill has described itself as a journal devoted to “poems of nature and humankind.”

The magazine went on hiatus once again during the COVID pandemic but as of 2026 it is once again publishing new issues, accepting proposals for nature-poetry chapbooks and broadsides, and administering three competitions: the Acadia Poetry Prize for excellence in technique; the Aspen Poetry Prize for writing of noteworthy moral acuity; and the Wachusett Essay Award. Please visit individual issue pages to read the names of past winners; submission guidelines and deadlines appear on our Submittable page.

Work accepted for publication typically appears both online and in print. Contributors receive two complimentary copies of the issue in which their work appears, along with the opportunity to purchase additional copies at a contributors’ discount. Some material designated as online-only appears on the magazine’s website but not in the print edition.

Many college students have participated on the editorial side of the magazine throughout the history of the new series. Undergraduates who wish to apply for a semester-long internship or editorial assistantship should contact the editors by email: hawkandwhippoorwill@gmail.com. Please include a link to your institution’s internship program guidelines, if applicable.

Editor: Zachary Bos
Editorial Assistant: Peter Elliott
Past Editors: Nora Delaney, Matthew Kelsey, Kraz Willingham, Jon Wooding
Past Contributing Editors: Sean Campbell, Leah Falk, Liza Katz, Louisa Mandarino, Essie Martsinkovsky, Jay Otsuka

Hawk & Whippoorwill is a publication of Pen & Anvil Press, a literary imprint founded by members of the Boston Poetry Union. All rights reserved. Copyright for all poems and translations published on this website or in the print journal are retained by the author. For permissions requests and other inquiries, please contact the editors at hawkandwhippoorwill@gmail.com.