From the Editors of Serving House Journal

We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, the acclaimed poet, editor, and teacher Steve Kowit, who passed away at his home in Potrero, California on the second of April. He was seventy-six.

Steve joined Serving House Journal (SHJ) as esteemed Poetry Editor in 2010. He published hundreds of wonderful poetic works in our journal—to be specific, 371 poems by 152 poets in Issues Two thru Twelve.

He described himself as “a poet, essayist, teacher, workshop facilitator, and all-around no good troublemaker.” A founding member of the San Diego chapter of the Jewish Voice for Peace, he lived with his wife Mary and several companion animals.

Steve taught poetry workshops in San Diego, and his handbook for writing poetry, In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet’s Portable Workshop, is widely used. His most recent collections include The Gods of Rapture (City Works Press, 2006), The First Noble Truth (University of Tampa Press, 2007), and Lurid Confessions (Serving House Books, 2010). His final collection, Cherish: New and Selected Poems, is forthcoming soon from the University of Tampa Press.

“A strong and vibrant force for poetry,” and a true mensch, Steve will be profoundly missed.