Power and poetry.

Feedback on our January-February 2006 cover story "Large and in Charge, the Powers Behind Black Books" was laudatory, appreciative and also troublesome. The thanks were more emotional and complaints louder because black professionals have so much at stake.

Since publication, BIBR has cast an even wider net for individuals to include, so that we mention everyone who contributes to making the world of black books so vibrant. Important additions to the "Publicity Makers on the Rise" sidebar are some of our most respected colleagues and friends: Laini Brown, publicity assistant, Time Warner Book Group; Tara Brown, director of sales, marketing and publicity, Hilton Publishing; Simone Cooper, Simone Cooper Public Relations; Rhoda Dunn, marketing director, Poli Point Press; Arin M. Lawrence, publicity assistant, Crown Publishing Group; Winfrida Mbewe, senior publicist, W.W. Norton; Althea Spellman, publicity manager, Atria Books/Simon & Schuster; and Gilda N. Squire, director of publicity, Amistad/HarperCollins.

This is our annual issue saluting women's history month (March) and poetry month (April). We're delighted that avid reader and Law & Order costar S. Epatha Merkerson agreed to grace our cover. (See "Off the Page," page 12.) A vocal proponent of books, she has optioned a book by of one of our favorite authors Diane McKinney-Whetstone. A black woman daring to bring to the big screen a literary novel by a black woman is still rare enough to count as history.

Our poetry offering includes our annual expanded section of poetry reviews AND our first ever special review section on self-published poets. (See page 20.)

An argument has raged in the black book community on which works deserve center shelf--those by literary, commercial or self-published writers. The heated discussion has focused on fiction, but the same concern lurks in the less vociferous world of verse. Should prize winners like Rita Dove and Cornelius Eady get more attention than the Def Jam Poets we featured on our cover two years ago or the self-published poets in this issue?

Our response to this question is "no!" Our mission is to bring everything by black authors and about black culture to our readers. We cherish our literary poets. We applaud our popular poets. We encourage our self-published poets. The self-published books we review are notable for their accomplishments and their attempts. We bring them to you in hopes that you will enjoy reading them before they win prizes from the literary establishment.

A defining piece by poet and teacher Camille Dungy rounds out our poetry coverage. (See page 16.) If you've been intrigued by poems written in the voice of historical characters--often with vastly divergent viewpoints--you will be a better poetry connoisseur after reading Ms. Dungy's accessible explanation of these works. Her article brings together some of the best of poets writing today and casts a lens on a style that unifies their work.

I regret that this is the last poetry issue, at least for now, to be overseen by BIBR's most valued poetry resource, Quraysh Ali Lansana. His own writing, poetry productions and myriad teaching and editing responsibilities have finally out-voiced our wails that he remain as our poetry editor. Words, finely wrought, are his life work, and none I write can appropriately thank him for his selfless contribution to this magazine. But since words on the printed page do matter: Quraysh, thank you. The entire staff of BIBR adores working with you. You have educated us; sparked in us excitement about what black poets are doing today; expanded our reach deep into the poetry community; and given us a fresh love for works by our canon poets. We will always be grateful for your talents.

William E. Cox President/Editor-in-Chief