Editor's Note

Welcome to Issue #8 of the Fib Review. As Editor of the Fib Review and Shot Glass Journal, one of the more enjoyable parts of my job is reading the bios that accompany the poetry submissions. Having a rather simple bio myself, I admire some of the creativity that some poets put into their bios. Sometimes it is wit and humor, proud accomplishments, or acknowledgements to other publications

I think a bio gives the reader further insight into the poet which can often times be seen within their poem or style. Maybe it's the presence of an old soul or a young heart; it could be the experience of a teacher, minister, soldier, or even a falconry apprentice. Poets' biographies can guide a reader through the places that influence their writing, through the life changes that mold them, and through the relationships that impact their lives.

I encourage you to take some time to read the poets' bios as you read their poems. In this issue we continue to see a mixture of poets both new to the Fibonacci form and those who continue to take the form to new levels. From the short six-line poem to the experimental short play in Fibonacci sequence, the Fib Review continues to push the boundaries of this poetry form to new creative and artistic levels.

Mary-Jane Grandinetti

What is a Fib?

The Fibonacci poem is a 6-line short poetry form that is based on the structure of the Fibonacci sequence. For those unfamiliar with the Fibonacci Sequence, it is a mathematical sequence in which every figure is the sum of the two preceding it. Thus, you begin with 1 and the sequence follows as such: 1+1=2; then in turn 1+2=3; then 2+3=5; then 3+5=8 and so on. The poetry sequence therefore consists of six lines of 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8, with each number representing the number of syllables that a writer places in each line of the poem. Initially poems were written with 6 lines, but now many poets experiment with poems that go well into higher digits, or with poems that are in reversed sequence. As a literary device, it is used as a formatted pattern in which one can offer meaning in any organized way, providing the number sequence remains the constancy of the form.

The subject of the Fibonacci poem has no restriction, but the difference between a good fib and a great fib is the poetic element that speaks to the reader. No longer just a fun form to write as a math student, the poets who write good Fibonacci poems have replaced the 'geek' with the poet.

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