The ''Painted Bride Quarterly'', also known informally as ''PBQ'', is a Philadelphia-based literary magazine. It was established in 1973 by Louise Simons and R. Daniel Evans in connection with the

Painted Bride Art Center The Painted Bride Art Center, sometimes referred to informally as The Bride, is a non-profit artist-centered performance space and gallery particularly oriented to presenting the work of local Philadelphia artists, which presents dance, jazz, wo ...

, an art gallery founded in 1969 in an old bridal shop on

South Street South Street may refer to: Streets by that name * South Street (Durham), England * South Street, Mayfair, England *South Street (Manhattan), United States *South Street (Perth, Western Australia) * South Street (Perth, Scotland) *South Street (Ph ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. The journal is supported by

Drexel University Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...

in Philadelphia. It is staffed by a mix of volunteer editors and changing student staff. The magazine is published quarterly online and yearly in print. The magazine, which sees itself as "literary forum for poetry, fiction, prose, essays, interviews and photography", has a dual-city editorial staff in Philadelphia and New York. ''PBQ'' has featured works by such poets as

Charles Bukowski Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German Americans, German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambien ...

Etheridge Knight Etheridge Knight (April 19, 1931 – March 10, 1991) was an African-American poet who made his name in 1968 with his debut volume, '' Poems from Prison''. The book recalls in verse his eight-year-long sentence after his arrest for robbery in 1960 ...

Sonia Sanchez Sonia Sanchez (born Wilsonia Benita Driver; September 8, 1934) is an American poet, writer, and professor. She was a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement and has written over a dozen books of poetry, as well as short stories, critical essays ...

Amiri Baraka Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism. He was the author of numerous b ...

Dede Wilson Dede Wilson (born Marilyn Marie Coco) is an American poet and writer. She has published short stories, essays, seven books of poetry, and a family memoir. Her fourth book of poetry, ''Eliza: The New Orleans Years'' has also been produced as a one- ...

Simon Perchik Simon Perchik (December 24, 1923 – June 14, 2022) was an American poet who has been described by Library Journal as, "the most widely published unknown poet in America." Perchik worked as an attorney before his retirement in 1980. Educated a ...

Yusef Komunyakaa Yusef Komunyakaa (born James William Brown; April 29, 1941) is an American poet who teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for '' ...

, Gregory Pardlo, and

Major Jackson Major Jackson (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American poet and professor at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of six collections of poetry: ''Razzle Dazzle: New & Selected Poems 2002-2022'' (W.W. Norton, 2023), ''The Absurd Ma ...

, among others.

History

In 1969, Gerry Givnish and a group of his artist friends founded a gallery space on Philadelphia's

in an old bridal shop. The cooperative gallery began a cultural revolution in the area. Soon, dozens of art galleries blossomed, but none as provocative, daring or enduring as theirs. The group of artists staked their claim on their patch of street with a window display. Among the remains of the bridal shop was a mannequin, made up for some hellish ‘60s wedding she would never attend. The artists took her straight to the storefront to cause a scene, but not in a typical virginal, white wedding gown. Soon, the " Painted Bride" became a

attraction. People would stop by just to see what provocative outfit or lewd position she’d be in that day. She was the icon and namesake of the art center that, in 1973, gave birth to ''Painted Bride Quarterly''. In 1999, ''PBQ'' changed from an entirely print edition to a hybrid model of publishing.

Events

''PBQ'' holds interactive prose and poetry events to make its presence known in the Philadelphia area. On the last Thursday of the month, the journal hosts a

poetry slam A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word, spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. Poetry slams began in Chicago in the 1980s, with the first slam competition designed to move poetry rec ...

at the Pen & Pencil Club called "Slam, Bam, Thank You, Ma’am." Monthly poetry readings are held in both Philadelphia and New York, featuring local poets and musicians. On May 13, 2009, ''PBQ'' held its first annual Bookfair for Literacy, raising funds for Philadelphia Reads and donating the remaining books to

Books Through Bars Books Through Bars is an American organization that works to provide quality reading material to prisoners in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Members of New Society Publishers of Philadelphia founded Books Through Bars in 1990.

. More than twenty regional presses and literary magazines attended and sold their wares at below costs. For a few months prior to the event, books were donated by members of the Drexel community, and then sold with all proceeds going to Philadelphia Reads. The Second Annual Bookfair for Literacy was held on Friday, May 21, 2010.

Awards and honors

''PBQ'' has had many of its first-published poems chosen for

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...

s, on ''Poetry Daily'', and other accolades, such as inclusion in ''Online Writing: The Best of the First Ten Years''.

References

External links

Complete archive of PBQ
*Finding aid for th
Painted Bride Quarterly records
from th
University of Pennsylvania Libraries
{{Drexel University, state=collapsed Literary magazines published in the United States Quarterly magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1973 Magazines published in Philadelphia

History

Events

Awards and honors

See also

References

External links