We invite all of our readers to return and leave comments using the "Write Us" page.

• "I am so impressed with the new SP Quill Magazine that I felt compelled to write a congratulatory note! I contribute to many publications, and find that the quality and content of this publication is unsurpassed. It includes so many features, all of which are presented in a very professional format. I am honored to be included in the first volume, and intend to promote the magazine at every opportunity." - Barbara Cagle Ray

• "I absolutely love the SP Quill; it’s outstanding! When I received my first issue of the magazine, I was totally thrilled! This is certainly not a magazine you can just rush through, rather sip on it slowly like a gourmet cup of coffee or tea. It’s everything and more, a world to explore. I can’t wait to receive the next edition. Hats off to Shadow Poetry!" - Sally Ann Roberts

• "I wanted to applaud Shadow Poetry on the impeccable promptness of their journal. So many journals arrive months after the promised date, and as a poet, the wait to see one's work in print seems very long indeed! I also wanted to congratulate Shadow Poetry on the tastefulness of the SP Quill journal. It was good-to-read wholesome poetry. So many of the journals want "gritty" poetry, the use of swear words and blatant sexuality to shock us! I also appreciate the fact that one doesn't have to hold a teaching position at a major university just to get published in the SP journal, nor does one have to have a heavy, downtrodden agenda of political angst. The SP Quill seems to be about real, ordinary people, living real, ordinary lives, which have the ability to see the extraordinary and the beautiful that is inherent in daily life. It celebrates love, nature, family, and friendships. The word "God" is not blacklisted from its pages, and no one at the SP Quill seems to feel the need to pair the word rhyme with the word trite. I, for one, love rhymed and metered poetry. Such poetry demonstrates that the poet has taken the time to learn their word-crafting well, and to study from the great cultural treasure house of humanity. If it was good enough for Shakespeare, Elizabeth and Robert Browning, Robert Frost, and their ken, it is certainly good enough for me! I am proud to have my art and poetry displayed in a magazine I would be pleased to have my mother or son read. I hope someday that the SP Quill is available at every major bookstore, so the public can benefit from reading unpretentious, well-crafted and literate poetry!" - CarrieAnne Thunell

• "I truly love your new magazine, "White Lotus." I only wish there were more of it as the poetry is so very beatiful. Keep up the good work for all of us." - Lois Hayn

• Review of White Lotus on the New Hope International Review web site, Reviewer: Patricia Prime.

• "When White Lotus arrived in the mail, I simply held in it my hands for several moments. From the cover alone I knew it was a labor of love. Cover art sets the tone for any book or journal. This cover, front and back, reflects the eloquent simplicity I found within. Inside are small visions of man's universe, fleeting bits of life recorded in haiku or senryu by twenty-four contributors. And scattered throughout are beautiful drawings by talented artists, evocative of and aesthetically connected to the verses.

I must confess to knowing very little about haiku, senryu, or haibun. This journal educated me in so many delightful ways. Simply stated, haiku concerns nature and senryu human nature. Haibun is a combination of prose and haiku. I randomly chose several samples from White Lotus to demonstrate its content and examples of haiku and senryu:

white lotus
behind a veil of green
the blushing bride

by Robin M. Buehler

over marsh marigolds
the shadow of a hawk
as it circles

by Emily Romano

missing you --
I drop each bread crumb
a little closer

by Robert Mestre

soup line --
a tattered child makes
the first snow angel

by Kathy Lippard Cobb

In addition to verse, White Lotus features informative, provocative haibun and an interview with Stanford M. Forrester. Forrester is past President of The Haiku Society of America, a poet, and a frequent judge of haiku competitions. Submission guidelines are clearly stated for both White Lotus and Shadow Poetry's Zen Garden Haiku contest.

By every possible measure, White Lotus lives up to its promise. I congratulate Shadow Poetry for creating this beautiful journal. It's an island of peace, a haven from our stressful world. As a journal, White Lotus is highly recommended." - Laurel Johnson, Midwest Book Review / (Fall/Winter 2005, Issue #1)

• "Thank you for including my cinquains in the Spring issue. As a first time contributer and new subscriber, I am impressed with the creative pieces you and the other editors collected for this wonderful edition. I am enjoying the interactive nature and variety of the magazine. I know it takes a lot of effort to come up with all the interesting ideas for writers to participate in. "SP Quill" is a quality magazine, one with more than one element that makes it an artistic experience. I am grateful for the experience and look forward to more." - Karen O'Leary