Thanks to NetGalley and Querencia Press for the ARC!

I was previously unfamiliar with Querencia’s literary magazine, but “Scavengers” embodies so much of the mission one encounters in the publisher’s books.

There’s a kind of scrappy, underdog spirit binding each of the pieces throughout this issue, and readers will find the anarchist sensibility of a zine mediated through the warmth of a community garden. It feels willfully subversive, but the goal is to elevate voices who might otherwise be missed. It’s sweet, not saccharine.

As with all literary journals, readers’ mileage will vary greatly, but that’s a testament to Shilo Niziolek’s wide-ranging editorial tastes more than a statement on quality. If you welcome surprises and view the collection almost like a vibes-driven playlist, I think you’ll find lots to love.

I personally felt most drawn to the visual art throughout, especially the pieces from Sarp Sozdinler and Lucien Rae Gentil, and I hope future issues lean even more heavily into visual language.

I’m looking forward to following along!

There is pain and vulnerability in every piece of poetry, and that’s what makes it so hard to comment and critique the words on the page. The poems in Scavengers 2 are raw and render the burdens of contemporary life as tangible things to be picked at. Personally, although I liked elements of the poetry, the poems (especially the first few) came across too blunt. The poets don’t put enough trust in their readers’ understanding or imagination. Consequently, when reading, I struggled to feel as if I was in conversation with the imagery or metaphors or messages within the poems. A standout poem for me, was the experimental, 'Large-leaved lupine', by Jessamyn Duckwall, which was rich with imagery and feeling. Overall, a great collection of poems, with united themes and images running throughout.