Founded at the turn of the millennium, Heliotrope: a journal of poetry was the inspiration of its founding editors, Susan Sindall, Victoria Hallerman, and Barbara Elovic. Together, they published three volumes. In the third volume, they published two of Laurel's poems. Shortly thereafter, she asked if she could join the editorial board.

As poets, the editors of Heliotrope write in discernibly different voices. To their surprise and delight, they discovered that their editorial judgments, time and again, overlapped. Each editor strengthens the counterpoint.

A selection process developed that supported consensus decision-making. Each reading session included one "designated listener," an editor who had not yet seen the poems, but who listened as poems were read aloud. Discussions were vigorous, acceptances unanimous. Responses were personally written concerning each submission.

If the editors were to name a mentor, that mentor would be the too-soon-deceased William Matthews. The editors followed his advice for the ordering of a book by dividing the selected poems into pairs and then dealing them to the front and back of each volume. Sometimes the poems of a particular contributor found places in disparate parts of the book, but, it is hoped, the book always suggested a kind of thematic or narrative arc.

The final, double, adorable issue of Heliotrope - Number 8 - was published in Winter 2013. Hail and farewell!

To order back issues, write to Heliotrope, Box 456, Shady NY 12409.