Wordgathering

A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature

Volume 11     Issue 1     March 2017

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Book Reviews and Excerpts in this Issue

We are fortunate in this issue of Wordgathering to be able to offer reviews of three important new anthologies of disability literature. The first is Dozen, compiled by Breath and Shadow editor Chris Kuell. As the editor of one of the country's longest running journal, Kuell has been able to cull the best literary work that he has seen come across his des and offer them to readers under one cover. The second anthology is The Right Way to Be Crippled and Naked, the first ever collection of short fiction written only by writers with disabilities. In the final anthology, Barriers and Belonging, Michele Jarman and associates pull together a collection of personal narratives aimed at giving college students and introduction to disability studies and disability experience.

While Wordgathering tries to keep readers up to date on some of the most recent publications in disability literature, it also makes an effort to look back at earlier work through the lens of disability. Two reviews in this issue have that focus. The first is a look back at Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears. Mears is one of the first Australian fiction writers to focus on multiple characters with disabilities. The second is The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating in Elisabeth Tova Bailey combines memoir with the observations of a naturalist.

Finally, in keeping with this journal's original focus on new work by poets, are reviews of new collections of poetry, one each by Constance Merritt and Jessica Goody.

• Elisabeth Tova Bailey, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
• Sheila Black, Michael Northen, Annabelle Hayse, The Right Way to Be Naked and Crippled
• Lisa Gill, Near Art Experience
• Michelle Jarmon, Leila Monaghan and Alison Quaggin Harkin, Barriers and Belonging
• Chris Kuell, Dozen: The Best of Breath and Shadow
• Gillian Mears, Foal's Bread
• Constance Merritt, Blind Girl Grunt

Supplementing the above book reviews are two selections in our excerpt section which give readers a first-hand look at new work. The first, "The Phone Call" is a chapter from Kristen Witucki's latest novel Songs of the Moon, featuring a conversation the between the book's two blind protagonists. The second let's readers sample two poems from Jessica Goody's most recent poetry collection, Defense Mechanism.

• Jessica Goody, from Defense Mechanisms
• Kristen Witucki, "The Phone Call"

The editors of Wordgathering take pride in presenting well-written reviews that constitute contributions to disability literature themselves. Our thanks to writers Anne Kaier, Erin M. Kelly, Ed Northen, Maya Northen, and Amanda Tink for their contributions to this issue. Writers with books that they would like to review or who would be interested in reviewing books for this journal should contact us at comments@wordgathering.com.

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