Editor's Note
When West Trestle Review began in 2014, it was a mostly solo adventure. Posting one poem each week, along with an occasional Cross-Tie, was something I thought I could accomplish on my own. I was wrong, of course. I realized quickly that if I wanted the journal to be a space for diverse voices, I had to find those voices and invite them into conversation. If I didn’t have the energy to seek out those voices, the journal couldn’t be everything I wanted it to be.
I also missed what I had loved most about publishing in the past: bouncing ideas off the walls with other editors, arguing over whether or not to include a piece, groaning over the inevitable frustrations — all that good stuff.
Under the weight of a mountainous to-do list, I shuttered West Trestle with the hope that one day I’d be able to return. Every so often I would lament to my good friend Annie Stenzel that I missed the work — finding new (to me) poets, building relationships, showcasing the voices of women and nonbinary writers, and putting something beautiful in the world. I missed all of it.
One day, when her own mountainous to-do list lightened a bit, Annie took pity on me and agreed to be my co-conductor of this operation (though her official title is poetry editor, Annie does much, much more) and then my daughter, Oli Joyce, signed on as fiction editor, and it all seemed possible again. I’m so grateful to these two for the many volunteer hours they’ve committed to this project. It is something spectacular.
In addition to the Cross-Ties, West Trestle Review now includes a new feature: Fairlies. These are reprints of poems or stories written by writers of color, including Black and Indigenous authors. Check out this issue’s Fairlie: S. Erin Batiste’s powerful poem, “At Trader Joe’s in South Pasadena.”
Fairlies are one piece of our effort to build an inclusive and anti-racist literary magazine, creating space for all historically underrepresented artists and writers. Read our full statement on inclusivity and anti-racism. We may be small, but our smallness doesn’t not excuse us from doing the work.
Switching tracks from publishing a single poem each week to publishing a full issue was daunting, but we were incredibly impressed with the submissions we received, and we’re proud of those featured here. We love that these poems and stories are in conversation not only with the real and literary world outside of this digital space, but in some ways with each other as well, and we are grateful to our authors for trusting us with their work.
Finally, we could never say enough good things about Molly Dunham, as a person and as an artist. Molly took up the challenge to create art in response to each piece we selected. She volunteered her time, and her beautiful collages have made this issue something so far beyond what we ever imagined it could be. Thank you, Molly! Be sure to read her interview.
Now, we hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Write on!
Patricia Caspers
Founding / Managing Editor, West Trestle Review
I also missed what I had loved most about publishing in the past: bouncing ideas off the walls with other editors, arguing over whether or not to include a piece, groaning over the inevitable frustrations — all that good stuff.
Under the weight of a mountainous to-do list, I shuttered West Trestle with the hope that one day I’d be able to return. Every so often I would lament to my good friend Annie Stenzel that I missed the work — finding new (to me) poets, building relationships, showcasing the voices of women and nonbinary writers, and putting something beautiful in the world. I missed all of it.
One day, when her own mountainous to-do list lightened a bit, Annie took pity on me and agreed to be my co-conductor of this operation (though her official title is poetry editor, Annie does much, much more) and then my daughter, Oli Joyce, signed on as fiction editor, and it all seemed possible again. I’m so grateful to these two for the many volunteer hours they’ve committed to this project. It is something spectacular.
In addition to the Cross-Ties, West Trestle Review now includes a new feature: Fairlies. These are reprints of poems or stories written by writers of color, including Black and Indigenous authors. Check out this issue’s Fairlie: S. Erin Batiste’s powerful poem, “At Trader Joe’s in South Pasadena.”
Fairlies are one piece of our effort to build an inclusive and anti-racist literary magazine, creating space for all historically underrepresented artists and writers. Read our full statement on inclusivity and anti-racism. We may be small, but our smallness doesn’t not excuse us from doing the work.
Switching tracks from publishing a single poem each week to publishing a full issue was daunting, but we were incredibly impressed with the submissions we received, and we’re proud of those featured here. We love that these poems and stories are in conversation not only with the real and literary world outside of this digital space, but in some ways with each other as well, and we are grateful to our authors for trusting us with their work.
Finally, we could never say enough good things about Molly Dunham, as a person and as an artist. Molly took up the challenge to create art in response to each piece we selected. She volunteered her time, and her beautiful collages have made this issue something so far beyond what we ever imagined it could be. Thank you, Molly! Be sure to read her interview.
Now, we hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Write on!
Patricia Caspers
Founding / Managing Editor, West Trestle Review
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