Women :: Nonbinary :: Art :: Fiction :: Poetry
Editor's Note
Dear reader,
Thank you for being here.
It's not easy to show up in literary spaces, or any space at all these days, with the immense weight of the pandemic and climate chaos burdening so much that was already heavy. It seems that even the old comfort TV and tunes remind me of days when we could all be in the same room and hug our hellos, and that makes me sad, so the desire to shut out the world is overwhelming and at times irresistible. Even my usual coping mechanism of reading doesn't provide the solace it once did — with a few exceptions.
I hope that you have not lost the ability to lose yourself in a good read, but if you have, I hope WTR will be one of your exceptions. This issue is chock full of brilliant writing by poets and writers who've been fantastic to get to know: Alina Stefanescu, Amanda Chiado, Amrita Chakraborty, Jenny L. Davis, Jules Jacob, Kim Shuck, Kolbe Riney, M. Saida Agostini, Majda Gama, Michelle Johnson-Wang, Sonja Johanson, Susan Cohen and Valentine Pierce. We're also fortunate to pair some of these pieces with stunning acrylic paintings by Cierra Rowe. Be sure to read Olivia Joyce's interview with Rowe for a glimpse into what drives her art.
If you appreciate what you find here, please reach out to these folks, via social media, their web pages, or the WTR contact page, and let them know you're a fan. Sometimes being a writer or an artist feels like calling into a night cavern and hearing only the lonely sound of one's own voice echoing back. I would love for West Trestle to be a conduit to building personal connections among these days of distance.
Again, I am grateful to my co-editors, Annie Stenzel and Olivia Joyce. We are thrilled that Olivia will be stepping into the role of art director at WTR. We are also grateful to Molly Dunham, as she's agreed to be our resident artist and to produce a few collages for each issue. See if you can spot Dunham's work alongside Rowe's.
May this issue be a bright spot for you during these dwindling summer days. It certainly has been for me.
With gratitude,
Patricia Caspers
Founding / Managing Editor, West Trestle Review
Thank you for being here.
It's not easy to show up in literary spaces, or any space at all these days, with the immense weight of the pandemic and climate chaos burdening so much that was already heavy. It seems that even the old comfort TV and tunes remind me of days when we could all be in the same room and hug our hellos, and that makes me sad, so the desire to shut out the world is overwhelming and at times irresistible. Even my usual coping mechanism of reading doesn't provide the solace it once did — with a few exceptions.
I hope that you have not lost the ability to lose yourself in a good read, but if you have, I hope WTR will be one of your exceptions. This issue is chock full of brilliant writing by poets and writers who've been fantastic to get to know: Alina Stefanescu, Amanda Chiado, Amrita Chakraborty, Jenny L. Davis, Jules Jacob, Kim Shuck, Kolbe Riney, M. Saida Agostini, Majda Gama, Michelle Johnson-Wang, Sonja Johanson, Susan Cohen and Valentine Pierce. We're also fortunate to pair some of these pieces with stunning acrylic paintings by Cierra Rowe. Be sure to read Olivia Joyce's interview with Rowe for a glimpse into what drives her art.
If you appreciate what you find here, please reach out to these folks, via social media, their web pages, or the WTR contact page, and let them know you're a fan. Sometimes being a writer or an artist feels like calling into a night cavern and hearing only the lonely sound of one's own voice echoing back. I would love for West Trestle to be a conduit to building personal connections among these days of distance.
Again, I am grateful to my co-editors, Annie Stenzel and Olivia Joyce. We are thrilled that Olivia will be stepping into the role of art director at WTR. We are also grateful to Molly Dunham, as she's agreed to be our resident artist and to produce a few collages for each issue. See if you can spot Dunham's work alongside Rowe's.
May this issue be a bright spot for you during these dwindling summer days. It certainly has been for me.
With gratitude,
Patricia Caspers
Founding / Managing Editor, West Trestle Review