Views and Mechanics Publisher's Note Editor's Note Review of Nickel and Dimed Review of Night Shade By Elizabeth Murray Radical Influence: Review of Spoken Word Revolution Redux By Romella D. Kitchens Creative Nonfiction Toiling in the Garden of Memory By Madonna Dries Christensen Poetry Homecoming By Nic Sebastian Maple Syrup Emergency By Paul Carlino Bathroom Visitor By Michael Lee Johnson Fiction A Job Well Done By Catherine Cheek Animal Man By R.B. Trout Watch Over By S.K. Tatiner The Frailty of Perfection By William R. Stoddart Eat Drink and Be Merry By Rebecca Barbush Cover Art "Riot of Flowers" By Dee Rimbaud 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 - Kenneth Weiss, Ed.D 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 Copyeditor - Kathy Skaggs Blog Contributing Editor - Maggie Koster Education Blog Contributing Editors - Jordan Wirfs-Brock, Kim Haynes 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. |
Contributors' Bios Elizabeth Murray - Elizabeth Murray is a practicing Druid, and proud (if occasionally harried) mother of one 14 year-old daughter. She describes herself happily as, "What happens when a 'Goth' grows up." She lives in Erie, PA. Romella D. Kitchens - Ms. Kitchens is a nationally and internationally published poet and Spoken Word artist. She has a chapbook published by Main Street Rag in Charlotte, North Carolina titled HIPHOP WARRIOR. She performs with an Avant Garde jazz band called "The Cap Gun Quartet" and led by Jeff Stringer and has a new CD scheduled to come out with them shortly. She had two chapbooks coming out from Pudding House Press in late 2007 or early 2008: The Immortals and The Heaven of Elephants. The Immortals is poetry for adults and The Heaven of Elephants is thematic poetry written for a child-audience. She has been performing poetry for over twenty years and has had poems published in numerous periodicals over the years, including Iodine Press, Caprice, MudFish, 5AM, Alpha Beat Soup, Philadelphia Poets, Hot Metal (on line), Soul Pit (on line), Paper Street Press, The California Quarterly and many more. She reads on a regular basis in academic and Spoken Word settings interchangeably. Madonna Dries Christensen - Madonna Dries Christensen’s work has appeared in more than one hundred publications. Three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she writes a column for Creativity Connection and is on the editorial board of Doorways, a memoir writing project in Sarasota, Florida. She’s the author of two books, Swinging Sisters, and Masquerade: The Swindler Who Conned J. Edgar Hoover. Nic Sebastian - Nic Sebastian hails from Arlington, Virginia and travels widely. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Shit Creek Review, Loch Raven Review, Lily and The Adroitly Placed Word. She blogs at Very Like A Whale (http://verylikeawhale.wordpress.com). Paul Carlino - Paul lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two young children. Michael Lee Johnson - Mr. Michael Lee Johnson lives in Chicago, IL, after spending 10 years in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada during the Vietnam era. He is a freelance writer and poet. He is interested in social, religious topics, and the need for universal health care in the United States. He is presently self-employed, with a previous background in social service areas. He has a B.A. degree in sociology, worked on a Masters Program in Correctional Administration. Recent published poems: The Orange Room Review; Bolts Of Silk; The Flask Review; Apollo’s Lyre; Chantarelle’s Notebook; Fresh! On Line Literary Magazine. Mr. Johnson has several poems pending publication March through July, 2007. Catherine Cheek - Catherine Cheek has a BA in Linguistics, a brown belt in karate, and a garden that doesn’t yield nearly as much as she would like. When not writing, she sculpts and paints, but her full time job is that of mom. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, and is a graduate of Clarion San Diego, class of 2007. www.cagedfaeries.com www.catherinecheek.com R.B. Trout S.K. Tatiner - S. K. Tatiner writes short stories and plays. Born and raised in New York City, Susan now lives, works, and writes in central New Jersey. She is a member of the Artsbridge Writers Group in the Lambertville-New Hope area and is grateful to the members of the group for their friendship and criticism. One of her short stories will be published this October in the Litchfield Review. William R. Stoddart - William R. Stoddart lives in Pennsylvania. He has fiction published in The Pittsburgh Quarterly online and more work in Insolent Rudder. His poetry has appeared in The Adirondack Review and The Pedestal Magazine. Rebecca Barbush - Rebecca has been writing fiction for a couple years now, but hasn't had anything published until now. She belongs to a writers' group in Pittsburgh, Pa and works in the communications department at a local hospital. Dee Rimbaud - Dee Rimbaud is an artist, poet, novelist and occasional new age gypsy. He is currently living in Isla Cristina, in the south of Spain, with his partner and child, after four months of travelling about in a Mercedes 609d van. He is author of two poetry collections, The Bad Seed (Stride, 1998) and Dropping Ecstasy With The Angels (Bluechrome, 2004); and one novel, Stealing Heaven From The Lips Of God (Bluechrome, 2004). He edited the charity poetry anthology, The Book Of Hopes And Dreams (Bluechrome, 2006). He also edits The AA Independent Press Guide, a free online directory of magazines and publishers, hosted on his website alongside a host of useful writers' resources, as well as a portfolio of his art and a selection of his writing. His art is frequently used in magazines and internet zines and has graced the book jackets of collections by Janet Buck, Rupert Loydell, Norman Jope and many others. Dee's art is now available on t-shirts, posters, cards and assorted gift items via his CafePress shop. |