Introduction

You might love it or hate it, but hopefully you will form some opinion about this journal and the idea 
behind it. And the opinion you form will be, indirectly, an opinion of me. Hence, timid I tries to hide 
behind the façade of the publication. It has been almost a year of Subjective Substance, and I have 
succeeded in keeping my identity somewhat in the shadows. I can tell you it has been out of a desire 
to cloak my lack of credibility more than anything else!

I bet half the people that come here wonder, "Who on earth are you and what gives you the 
right to act like a poetry critic?" The answer to the second question is that the right to be a poetry 
critic is one that I gladly share with you and am actively trying to promote. But why does my taste 
even count? I am not even a professionally trained critic. I know enough to be dangerous,
does that count for something? But seriously, I'm here to make a statement for no-name 
editors like myself. Exposure and reflection can be an excellent form of education. 

I must also say that, as I have learned through other fields I have studied systematically, training and
overanalysis usually wound up killing much of the love I had for the field in question, and often 
obscured the big picture. I hope to reflect these lessons and  my taste via the poetry you will find 
here — it has the right balance of street credibility and sophistication.

On a more personal note, as poets continue entrusting Subjective Substance with their gems of 
inspiration and sharing their background, it's appropriate to take a moment to share more about 
myself. The poets who have published here far surpass me in credibility, so it is with humbleness 
and with a spirit of reciprocity that I henceforth declare my latest bio!  


				  
 
					 
 
After many years admiring modern poets and venting poetic self-analysis
while acting like a scientist, Omar has declared his freedom by becoming a
literary activist. He has little formal training in publishing beyond
school projects. He feels that art has been there for him through the hard
times and likes to remind himself to eat his own produce. He feels that it
is much easier to take on someone else's mindset than to find his own. He
likes to weave his artistry, humanity, and sensitivity to ethics into his
other interests of music, psychology, music, athletics, and computers.

As you move on to the meat of the journal, I want to thank everyone who is reading this issue and 
who has helped make its publication a reality. I feel honored that people are debuting their work here. 
Hopefully, Subjective Substance will be a home for these poems for years to come. Thanks to the 
poets who listen to, and participate in, the vision that I have for this journal. I am, in turn, continually
energized by your visions! Most of all, I thank God.

Enjoy your phrase-hopping!

Omar Azam