In this edition of Inside the Den, we’re featuring Raiya Shaw, who joined Black Fox as a poetry reader in November 2024. A writer and editor deeply engaged in the literary community, Raiya brings a vibrant, thoughtful perspective to the submissions she reads. Her attention to language, form, and emotional depth reflects both her experience as a poet and her commitment to the evolving landscape of contemporary poetry.
Black Fox Literary Magazine: How did you become a reader for Black Fox?
Raiya Shaw: As someone involved in the Orlando literary community, Black Fox had been on my radar two years before I became a poetry reader because I knew it was an Orlando-based literary magazine! I also knew that Racquel Henry was a Trinidadian American writer, and as someone who is also Caribbean American, I felt so seen and loved the representation. I had signed up to the newsletter and often explored the Black Fox website. When I received an email stating that they were accepting Reader Applications, I knew I had to apply.
BFLM: What draws you into a poem right away?
RS: I am a sucker for strong imagery and striking language. I love when writers surprise me with their metaphors and when they describe ordinary images in novel ways. Obviously, anyone can write about grief, love, heartbreak, trauma, joy, etc., but I think that strong and new imagery and diction is what often makes a piece different from others that are focused on the same topic.
BFLM: What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to reading poetry submissions?
RS: It may seem trivial, but excessively long cover letters! I know that some may be thinking “the more info, the better,” but I think the best cover letter is one that is clear, concise, and to the point. I admire a good cover letter that effectively prepares me for the poetry I’m about to read while still being short and sweet.
BFLM: What’s something that elevates a poem from good to great for you?
RS: Enjambment, without a doubt! I think that enjambment is a gravely underrated poetic device and I wish more writers capitalized on how effective it is. Sometimes, I’ll read an absolutely stunning poem, but there are so many missed opportunities to enjamb certain lines. It can infuse a text with so much additional meaning and can sometimes completely recontextualize a piece.
BFLM: Has reading submissions changed the way you read or write poetry?
RS: Reading submissions has not only changed the way I read and write poetry, but has also shaped how I interact with prose too. It’s made me think more about what poetic elements pull me into a poem, what kind of writing styles and voices I like, and what kind of poems I want to write too. In addition to that: what kind of emotions do I want to channel in my writing? How do I feel about experimenting with form and rhyme schemes? I think these are important questions for all writers to ask themselves, and I’m grateful that Black Fox has sparked that consideration.
BFLM: What’s a line of poetry you love and think about often?
RS: It has to be from the poem “To the Young Who Want to Die” by Gwendolyn Brooks. The line is the concluding couplet: “Graves grow no green that you can use. / Remember, green’s your color. You are Spring.” It is one of the strongest conclusions to any poem that I’ve ever read, and the phrase “you are Spring” will sometimes pop into my head when I’m feeling particularly stressed and overwhelmed. I could write a whole essay on it!
BFLM: If your approach to reading poetry had a theme song, what would it be—and why?
RS: After sifting through every playlist I have and changing my mind about four different times, I’m gonna have to say “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)” by Us3. It contains a multitude of samples, but most noticeably Herbie Hancock’s classic “Cantaloupe Island,” and transforms them all into a beautiful, new, “groovy groovy jazzy funky,” song.
All of poetry is a remix—of human experiences, emotions, previously written literature, and inspiration—and I think “Cantaloop” embodies that. That spirit (along with the song’s feel-good, refreshing energy) is how I approach reading poetry.
BFLM: Many thanks, Raiya, for the energy, insight, and care you bring to our poetry submissions. Your thoughtful engagement with language and form continues to enrich the work we’re proud to publish.
Stay tuned for more staff spotlights in upcoming editions of Inside the Den—because every page begins with a reader.
Raiya Shaw is a writer, editor, and student at the University of Central Florida. Her poetry has been featured on NBC 6 News, and she has won multiple awards from the Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network for her work. She has been published in Blue Marble Review, Of Poets & Poetry, FLARE Magazine, and IMPRINT Magazine, among others, and her work has received a 2025 Small Fiction Nomination. She has been an editorial intern for The Florida Review and is currently a chapter writer and editor for Her Campus magazine, a reader for Black Fox Literary Magazine, and a guest editor for Palette Poetry Literary Magazine.
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