Editor's Note
Welcome to West Trestle's first Poetry Award issue!
There were so many wonderful submissions that made for difficult decisions, and we are so appreciative of our judge, Noor Hindi, and her dedication to the poetry and patience with the WTR team as we figured out how this whole award thing works!
We are pleased to announce that Hindi has chosen the following prizewinners:
We are grateful to everyone who shared poems with us, and we are grateful to all those — including our own staff — who donated funds so we could offer free submissions to poets who requested them.
While we're on the topic of donations: In celebration of my 50th birthday this November (oof!), we're offering free submissions through the end of the year! And in an effort to provide free submissions throughout 2022, we are asking for donations. $400 would pay our Submittable fee for the year. $1000 would allow us to offer free submissions and run another poetry contest. If, like us, you believe the world deserves / needs / requires more poems, stories, and art by women and nonbinary writers, please consider supporting West Trestle Review. In return, we will keep doing what we do, while thinking of you fondly.
As long as you're here, take Sabrina Guo's poetic advice in "Catalog of Ripening": Cradle yourself. Let Marian Flores ghost you "down / into the old city where cobblestones stripe roads" in her eerie poem, "Semester Abroad, Aberdeen, Scotland, 1985." Delve into erased history in Jenny L. Davis's "Honor Song for Tulsa, May 31, 2021." Discover the hidden fire in Lisa Marie Oliver's "Squash Blossoms." Don't stop there. This issue also includes gorgeous work by Deborah Bacharach, Unmana, Jasmin Lankford, Sherrel McLafferty, Shareen K. Murayama, Kelly R. Samuels, Ellen Stone, Mandy Moe Pwint Tu, and Bänoo Zan.
We are also incredibly appreciative of artist Amber Tattersall who provided many brilliant paintings to accompany these texts. Read Oli Joyce's interview with Tattersall here.
When you've drunk your fill, tell us what you loved. Tell the authors and the artists what you loved, too. Tell the readers in your life to come and find us. We'll be right here.
Patricia Caspers
Founding Editor
There were so many wonderful submissions that made for difficult decisions, and we are so appreciative of our judge, Noor Hindi, and her dedication to the poetry and patience with the WTR team as we figured out how this whole award thing works!
We are pleased to announce that Hindi has chosen the following prizewinners:
- 1st place: "When We Learn It Is Primary Lateral Sclerosis by Meghan Sterling. Hindi writes: "The lines in this poem are absolute fire. I was at the edge throughout the entire poem. It's musical and heartbreaking, in form, content, and craft."
- 2nd place: "Though It Is Summer We Cover You in Overcoats" by Carine Topal. Hindi writes: "The intimacy of this piece and its pacing, as well as the image in the title. This was a definite contender for first."
- 3rd place: "Moon Jelly" by Megan Kim. Hindi writes: "I'm a sucker for anything referencing the moon, admittedly, but I really loved the sense of wonder and play in this poem, especially in that last line."
We are grateful to everyone who shared poems with us, and we are grateful to all those — including our own staff — who donated funds so we could offer free submissions to poets who requested them.
While we're on the topic of donations: In celebration of my 50th birthday this November (oof!), we're offering free submissions through the end of the year! And in an effort to provide free submissions throughout 2022, we are asking for donations. $400 would pay our Submittable fee for the year. $1000 would allow us to offer free submissions and run another poetry contest. If, like us, you believe the world deserves / needs / requires more poems, stories, and art by women and nonbinary writers, please consider supporting West Trestle Review. In return, we will keep doing what we do, while thinking of you fondly.
As long as you're here, take Sabrina Guo's poetic advice in "Catalog of Ripening": Cradle yourself. Let Marian Flores ghost you "down / into the old city where cobblestones stripe roads" in her eerie poem, "Semester Abroad, Aberdeen, Scotland, 1985." Delve into erased history in Jenny L. Davis's "Honor Song for Tulsa, May 31, 2021." Discover the hidden fire in Lisa Marie Oliver's "Squash Blossoms." Don't stop there. This issue also includes gorgeous work by Deborah Bacharach, Unmana, Jasmin Lankford, Sherrel McLafferty, Shareen K. Murayama, Kelly R. Samuels, Ellen Stone, Mandy Moe Pwint Tu, and Bänoo Zan.
We are also incredibly appreciative of artist Amber Tattersall who provided many brilliant paintings to accompany these texts. Read Oli Joyce's interview with Tattersall here.
When you've drunk your fill, tell us what you loved. Tell the authors and the artists what you loved, too. Tell the readers in your life to come and find us. We'll be right here.
Patricia Caspers
Founding Editor
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