Views and Mechanics Publisher's Note Editor's Note Review of Bliss Review of Atheist Manifesto Review of The Stones Cry Out Film review of "Karov La Bayit" Creative Nonfiction A Reverence for Words By Virginia Hendry For the Wife of Bath and the Wife of Yeats, I Give Thanks By Sara J. Ford Birth By Clint Pearson Poetry Gong Fu By Tim J. Brennan Phases By Tolu Ogunlesi They Are Driving Their Cars Again, They Are Driving... By Anne Cammon Death of the Travelers By Abigail Grant Leaves By Matt Gee Fiction The Wood Splitter By Michael Phillips Boogie & Sarah Leigh By Sandra L. West What Happened to Matt Dillon By Chris Drangle Red, Manhattan, 523 By Beth Hogan Titanic Hat By D.K. McGill About the Contributors © 2007, 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 - Vacant Policy Director - PA State Rep. Jess Stairs 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 Senior Editor - Patti Kurtz Senior Editor - Neeldhara Misra Senior Editor - Mike Munsil Assistant Editor - Steve MacNeil Copyeditor - Kathy Skaggs Blog Contributing Editor - Maggie Koster Publicity Director (PA) - Geri Stock-Ross For information about submissions, visit http://www.riverwalkjournal.org/subs.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 VolunteerMatch. |
Review of Bliss By O.Z. Livaneli ISBN: 0-312-36053-3 Bliss is a member of that collection of stories that haunts readers long after the cover has been closed. O.Z. Livaneli takes readers on three eventually intersecting journeys through the Turkish countryside. Although sometimes slow or halting, the stories of Meryem, Cemal, and The Professor show three sides of life in Turkish society. Meryem’s story of being orphaned at birth, victimized by incestuous rape, then becoming an outcast in her village illustrates the communal brainwashing often found in radical religious sects in rural Turkey. Her story intersects with her cousin Cemal’s, when he is given the task of ridding the village of her – the impure dishonor to their family. Cemal is emblematic of the soldier’s loss of innocence and soul. Istanbul’s nature of being neither of the East nor of the West – a city without a definite place in culture – is embodied in The Professor. His attempts to find his identity lead him to an unlikely partnership with Meryem and Cemal. Livaneli creates three worldviews that on first glance could never coexist peacefully, even for a moment. Bliss offers readers the opportunity to understand even a little why Turkey is not an easily categorized country – the differences from Eastern to Western borders is so striking. Educators in contemporary affairs of Turkey, Muslim practices and traditions, and contemporary world literature will find this text useful. Creative writing instructors can make use of this text for examples of complex characterization, scenes and plot structure. |