ISSUE XXXX January 2026
edited by Suzanne Lummis
VerseVille—The Noir Poems, Plus Others
In my conversation with Robert Polito and Boris Dralyuk I insisted that for a poem to be Noir it must involve, or at least allude to, a crime. Not everyone agreed. In fact, only I agreed—I agreed with myself.
I say I insisted, then… Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I…
Not all poems in the Noir themed section touch on crime, for example, Marsha de la O’s snapping little ‘what I should’ve said’ piece, although… Come to think of it, it does involve conflict with the law via an officer of the law. And who knows what inspired the officer’s contempt? Maybe the poet had made a bungled attempt to steal the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
And then there’s the Open Section, the non-themed feature, which begins with the last nine poets, which off-the-record and in casual conversation I’ve been referring to as the Crime Free Zone. However, these poems aren’t necessarily free of misfortune and bad luck, Carine Topal’s stunning poem on Frida Kahlo certainly isn’t. It zeros in on that moment of bone crushing impact.
Readers, this is the VerseVille Noir Issue, and what’s contained here will be of interest to the occasional Noir scholar, some poets, and to various others drawn to the arty end of the shadow realm, or—more accurately—shadow and bleached light.
And those who prefer other sensibilities can find refuge in the Crime Free Zone.
Good luck!
Suzanne Lummis
In my conversation with Robert Polito and Boris Dralyuk I insisted that for a poem to be Noir it must involve, or at least allude to, a crime. Not everyone agreed. In fact, only I agreed—I agreed with myself.
I say I insisted, then… Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I…
Not all poems in the Noir themed section touch on crime, for example, Marsha de la O’s snapping little ‘what I should’ve said’ piece, although… Come to think of it, it does involve conflict with the law via an officer of the law. And who knows what inspired the officer’s contempt? Maybe the poet had made a bungled attempt to steal the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
And then there’s the Open Section, the non-themed feature, which begins with the last nine poets, which off-the-record and in casual conversation I’ve been referring to as the Crime Free Zone. However, these poems aren’t necessarily free of misfortune and bad luck, Carine Topal’s stunning poem on Frida Kahlo certainly isn’t. It zeros in on that moment of bone crushing impact.
Readers, this is the VerseVille Noir Issue, and what’s contained here will be of interest to the occasional Noir scholar, some poets, and to various others drawn to the arty end of the shadow realm, or—more accurately—shadow and bleached light.
And those who prefer other sensibilities can find refuge in the Crime Free Zone.
Good luck!
Suzanne Lummis
