The Starbeck Orion Issue #9 Showcasing: Alan Parry, Page 25 of 25

A Feast Of Words And Image

Here's a link to Alan’s latest published writing: Peeling Apples:

https://amzn.eu/d/1wcrqRt

Festschrift Interview

Q. 25: Once they have read this showcase what do you want the reader to leave with?

I'm grateful to have had the chance to share new poems outside of traditional submission models. This showcase has let me speak plainly: about the work, my values, and what The Broken Spine stands for. Readers should know: I’m exactly who I say I am. The writing, the editing, the community building; it all comes from the same place. No gloss. No performance.

I give The Broken Spine close to twenty hours of my time every week. It’s built in my image: messy, stubborn, and deeply human. I don’t just publish protest poems—we make space. I platform others. I let people lead. And I mean it. That matters more to me than reviews, bios, or any literary prestige.

If someone finishes reading this and feels something real, that’s enough. If they feel less alone, even briefly, it’s worth it. If they see a press doing something different and decide to lean in, to get involved, to share their truth, then I've done my job.

The Broken Spine isn’t about me though and somehow neither is this showcase anymore. It’s about what we’re building together as a community. It’s scrappy, punk in spirit, principled, and honest. That’s where the real work lives. And I’m proud of all of that.