Gay and Lesbian Theme Views and Mechanics Publisher's Note Editor's Note Review of This Is Not For You Review of Potato Queen Crossword (Solution Posted in March. Printable version in pdf format of journal.) Creative Nonfiction Tunis, Forever By John Champagne Bisexuality 101 By Evelyn McFarland Poetry Blackouts By Steve Rydman Self Loathing By Steve Rydman A Boy Reads YM By Steve Rydman I Finally Found Me By Lucretia Randle Acorn Boy Above the Conclave By James Penha Fiction As If In Time Of War (1985) By Christopher T. Leland General Works Creative Nonfiction Stone Musings #5 By Mike Munsil Ascent Into Being By Holly Mitchell Fiction Come Winter By Sandra M. McDow The End of Stories By Sonia Vora Coal Blood By Tom Bennitt About the Contributors © 2006, River Walk Journal and respective authors and artists. All rights reserved. Do not use or reproduce without permission. River Walk Journal, Inc. Board of Directors Chairman - Elizabeth Ross Vice Chairman - Joseph Koch Secretary/Treasurer - Geri Stock-Ross Editorial Director - Patti Kurtz, DA Literacy Director - Bill Mausteller Policy Director - vacant Advisory Board Chairman - Patti Kurtz, DA Asst. Chairman - Dan Lachenman, PhD Samuel Hazo Christopher Leland Edwin Yoder Joseph Bathanti Journal Staff Publisher - Elizabeth Ross Editor-In-Chief - Joseph Koch Sen. Fiction Editor - Patti Kurtz Sen. Poetry Editor - Neeldhara Misra Sen. Creative Nonfiction Editor - Brenda Coxe Contributing Editor - Robert Dittman Publicity Director (PA) - Geri Stock-Ross For information about submissions, visit http://www.riverwalkjournal.org/submission.html. Questions about promotions, subscribers' services, and advertising should be sent to publisher@riverwalkjournal.org. River Walk Journal, Inc. is a non-profit corporation run entirely by volunteers. For information about volunteer opportunities and internships, visit http://www.riverwalkjournal.org/volunteer.html. |
Editor's Note Welcome to River Walk Journal's January/Feburary "Gay and Lesbian" issue. Our readers may wonder about the differences between this issue and our previous ones. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual lifestyles are very personal, and sometimes controversial. It was decided that the writings in this issue should be separated into themed and non-themed groups. We do not want readers to think that authors are gay/lesbian/bisexual when they are not, and we wanted to offer material for readers who have no interest in these lifestyles. The journal has the pleasure of re-printing Christopher Leland's "As if in Time of War". This piece was originally printed in our first issue. The rest of our fiction for this issue is non-themed. We have Sandra M. McDow's "Come Winter" - a story that explores the internal landscape of an elderly woman. Sonia Vora's "The End of Stories" is a bit surreal, but is worth the trip. Tom Bennitt's story "Coal Blood" reminds me of home. Where I grew up, coal mining, lumber, and farming were the main ways people earned a living right up until my father's day. Gay and bisexual themed poetry in this issue centers around three poets - Steve Rydman, James Penha, and Lucretia Randle. Mr. Rydman's poems - "A Boy Reads YM", "Blackouts" and "Self-Loathing" - are all quirky, unique and insightful. Mr. Penha's "Acorn Boy Above the Conclave" is an interesting take on DaVinci, the Church, and playful fantasy. Ms. Randle's "I Finally Found Me" is a bit more sober, but uplifting as well. We have a nonfiction piece by Dr. John Champagne. "Tunis, Forever" is a nicely immersive travel piece where our protagonist has to deal with a foreign country, its convoluted culture, and his deep loneliness. We have one on-theme essay in our creative nonfiction section from a new author, Evelyn McFarland. Ms. McFarland's narrative details her flamboyant coming out on campus. In our general literary offerings we have another installment of Mike Munsil's "Stone Musings," and Holly Mitchell's "Ascent into Being." Mr. Munsil's piece is another chapter from his earthen ponderings - contrasting well with Ms. Mitchell's more rarefied piece. Joseph Koch |