Women :: Non-binary :: Art :: Fiction :: Poetry
Editor's Note
Dear Reader,
I’m writing on the cusp of International Women’s Day, “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality,” according to the IWD community. This day is a national holiday in many countries, but not, sadly, in the United States where the West Trestle team resides. In fact, it occurs to me that here in the U.S., we don’t have a single holiday in honor of a woman—let alone a non-binary or trans person. I, for one, would gladly trade in a couple of old white presidential dudes for a Harriet Tubman Day, Sacagawea Day, Laverne Cox Day, or a Notorious RBG Day.
One day.
While I’m on the topic of Ginsburg, you must read, “Ruth’s Aria,” a powerful poem by Melissa Studdard in honor of Her Honor: “I cut hackneyed, / hand-me-down, halftime rights / from the hands that held them, and I / returned them stitched back whole.”
Ginsburg would have been 89 this month, and I hope she’s making spectacular birthday wishes on the other side.
While you’re here you should also read everything, of course. This issue’s contributors--Allison Blevins, Sally Badawi, Jessica Cohn, Terri Linn Davis, T. De Los Reyes, Karen George, Anuja Ghimire, Chitra Gopalakrishnan, Brionne Janae, Angie Macri, Catherine Esposito Prescott, Kelly R. Samuels, Melody Serra and Hannah Silverstein—have written moving pieces about grandparents and parents, about bodies and bodies of water, about racism, loss, and delight. We’re also incredibly grateful to Paulina Swietliczko for sharing her still lifes with us. Their soft, quiet domesticity brings the entire issue together.
I considered sharing here the many and varied ways that women are oppressed by the patriarchy (as if you don’t know), but the purpose of International Women’s Day, it seems, is to share women’s successes, and what better way to celebrate than with a beautiful new issue of West Trestle Review, as we are dedicated to uplifting the creativity of women and non-binary folx every day.
Huzzah!
Patricia Caspers
Founding Editor-in-Chief
I’m writing on the cusp of International Women’s Day, “a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality,” according to the IWD community. This day is a national holiday in many countries, but not, sadly, in the United States where the West Trestle team resides. In fact, it occurs to me that here in the U.S., we don’t have a single holiday in honor of a woman—let alone a non-binary or trans person. I, for one, would gladly trade in a couple of old white presidential dudes for a Harriet Tubman Day, Sacagawea Day, Laverne Cox Day, or a Notorious RBG Day.
One day.
While I’m on the topic of Ginsburg, you must read, “Ruth’s Aria,” a powerful poem by Melissa Studdard in honor of Her Honor: “I cut hackneyed, / hand-me-down, halftime rights / from the hands that held them, and I / returned them stitched back whole.”
Ginsburg would have been 89 this month, and I hope she’s making spectacular birthday wishes on the other side.
While you’re here you should also read everything, of course. This issue’s contributors--Allison Blevins, Sally Badawi, Jessica Cohn, Terri Linn Davis, T. De Los Reyes, Karen George, Anuja Ghimire, Chitra Gopalakrishnan, Brionne Janae, Angie Macri, Catherine Esposito Prescott, Kelly R. Samuels, Melody Serra and Hannah Silverstein—have written moving pieces about grandparents and parents, about bodies and bodies of water, about racism, loss, and delight. We’re also incredibly grateful to Paulina Swietliczko for sharing her still lifes with us. Their soft, quiet domesticity brings the entire issue together.
I considered sharing here the many and varied ways that women are oppressed by the patriarchy (as if you don’t know), but the purpose of International Women’s Day, it seems, is to share women’s successes, and what better way to celebrate than with a beautiful new issue of West Trestle Review, as we are dedicated to uplifting the creativity of women and non-binary folx every day.
Huzzah!
Patricia Caspers
Founding Editor-in-Chief