Update on Assaracus

When I founded Assaracus: A Journal of Gay Poetry, I wanted a place where our voices could exist without apology. A place for the unfiltered truth of our lives, the small details and the seismic shifts, the ordinary afternoons and the nights that changed us forever. Over the years, Assaracus became more than a journal. It became a community, a record, a love letter to the power of queer poetry.

In recent weeks and behind the scenes, I've been working on doing what I promised and previously announced: bringing back Assaracus. This October, we will relaunch with the same bold vision and open door that has always been at our core. We will continue to showcase work that risks, work that reveals, work that refuses to look away. This won't be a journal for tenure or to score a job. This will be a journal designed not to bend the knee to censorship or fascism.

The relaunch is not just a return. It is an expansion. I have been revisiting our past issues, and I am struck all over again by how much they matter. But I am also ready to push forward, to invite new voices into the conversation, and to make sure Assaracus remains a space where today’s queer poets and tomorrow’s can see themselves reflected, challenged, and celebrated.

October is just the beginning. For years, I thought of myself first as a poet who happened to run a press. But I’ve come to realize that Sibling Rivalry Press is not just something I do — it’s part of who I am. I am not just a poet. I am a publisher with a mission, and I’m back to do what I do best: break barriers, build bridges, and make sure the voices that need to be heard will not be ignored.

—Bryan Borland