The Flea is an online literary and art magazine (webzine or e-zine). Its content is mostly related to poetry, and includes work belonging the differing styles of formalism and free verse by established authors and new writers. It draws partly on the authors and resources of a number of online poetry forums, such as Eratosphere and The Gazebo.
Contents
History
The Flea was founded by Australian poet Paul Stevens in 2009 with the technical assistance of Peter Bloxsom, who also edits the online sonnet journal 14by14. It has published many notable poets from the U.K., U.S. and Australia, including Les Murray, Robert Mezey, Alison Brackenbury, Stephen Edgar, Maryann Corbett, Rhina Espaillat, M. A. Griffiths, Rose Kelleher, Timothy Murphy, John Whitworth, Clive James, Alan Gould, Geoff Page, Peter Wyton and Ann Drysdale. The Flea is archived by The National Library of Australia’s Pandora Archive, whose ‘Web sites are selected based on their cultural significance and research value in the long term’ (Pandora Archive).
Style
The Flea’s visual style and layout reflect that of an early 17th-century English broadsheet. It is named after John Donne's poem "The Flea", and publishes contemporary verse loosely in the metaphysical poetry tradition.
Blog
Information about The Flea can be found on The Flea's blog, where serious and less serious discussions of literary and other matters take place, as well as links to poetry and art-related sites of interest.