WordgatheringA Journal of Disability Poetry |
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WelcomeWordgathering is excited to begin its sixth year of publication with an exceptionally strong field of poets. This includes Sheila Black, John Lee Clark, Aleksandra Djordjevic, Jim Ferris, Anne Kaier, Laurie Clements Lambeth, Denise Leto, Hal Sirowitz and Kathi Wolfe, all writers who have joined us over the first five years and helped the journal to become a recognized force in the field of disability poetry. Joining Wordgathering for the first time in this issue are Katie Aubrecht, Amber DiPietra, Lynn Fetterolf, Malialinda, Pravat Kumar Padhy, Megan Stewart and Avra Wing. From Leto's experimental language to Padhy's haibun to Clark's incorporation of ASL-like speech these poems demonstrate the wide range of expression available to disability poetry. A click on the adjacent poetry link also reveals the surprising range of topics that these writers' poems encompass. Five new books are introduced to readers in this issue of Wordgathering in our book review section. Three of these – works by Lisa Gill, Raymond Luczak and Rusty Morrison – are poetry, but each poet represents a very different approach to the art. We continue to try to review new contributions to disability-related fiction and this time it is Terry Tracy's A Great Place for A Seizure. Finally, Norma Cole's book provides something a bit new, the first collection of essays Wordgathering has reviewed. Samples from Cole's, Morrison's and Tracy's books are found in the "Excerpts" section. Interviews, essays and fiction are in good supply as well. Interviewed are novelist/poet Jillian Weise, webmaster Eliot Spindel, and Spoken Word poet, Nathan Say. Essays represent a wide variety of takes on disability and writing contributed by essayists Michael P. Amram, Stephen Kuusisto. Rob J. Quinn, Avra Wing and Kathi Wolfe. The fiction pieces are Jimmy Burns' story centering on recovery from a stroke and two samples of flash fiction from Sandy Olson Hill. In the section on "The Arts" you will find John Luttenberger's description of how he prepares Braille programs for concerts. As we begin our sixth year, there are two exciting changes to Wordgathering. Poets Sheila Black and Linda J. Cronin whose work has often been featured in this journal will now be joining Wordgathering as associate editors. Both are talented and experienced writers whose input should help to push the journal to increasingly new arenas. One of these, representing the second change, is already in the works. With the next issue of Wordgathering, we will be introducing a new feature, a curated poetry loop. In this a feature a guest poet will be asked to pose a question or idea in an area of poetry that interests them and have writers of their choice respond in a poem. The curator will then write a response to the results. The curator for the June issue will be English poet Mark Burnhope. Wordgathering continues to seek work that develops the field of disability literature. We invite the submission of poetry, short fiction, and essays that discuss poetry from a disability perspective or that contribute to the theoretical development of the field of disability literature. Submission guidelines are provided at the guidelines link on this page. We value our readers' opinions and hope you will send your comments to us at comments@wordgathering.com. We can be seen on Facebook where we hope you will join us with your comments about the journal or about poetry and writing in general. Wordgathering can also be found on Twitter, You can receive updates related to the field of disability literature from us on 're looking forward to another great five years. The Editors Return to Top |
This site is maintained by Michael Northen. |
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