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. |
Review of Night Shade: Gothic Tales by Women Edited by Judith M. Redding, Victoria A. Brownworth ISBN-10: 1580050247 By Elizabeth Murray In the grand tradition of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Night Shade edited by Victoria A. Brownworth and Judith M. Redding, is a collection of gothic stories written by women. Night Shade’s seventeen different tales create a book with a feminist view of this genre. From the taken-for- granted wife-and-mother, to the story where a silkie’s thought processes play an important role, this book finally gives women a rightful place within the gothic culture as more than extras for the main characters. While not all of the stories in Night Shade are of the quality that one would hope for, the majority of them are well written and more than worth the time to read the book. Night Shade contains a broad range of styles and there’s something for everyone. “Feeding the Dark” by Jean Stewart is pro-lesbian and could be seen as anti-male. This view is not prevalent in the book, but might make this better for a reader with a bit more maturity than the average high school reader. "Existential Housewife" by Lisa D. Williamson is one story among many that shows the daily expectations and constraints placed on women in an otherworldly light. Although there is the expected feminist twist, this book would appeal to male or female readers. The different styles of writing make this book good for creative writing classes, while the female aspect makes it perfect for any women’s studies class. |