Wordgathering

A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature
 

Volume 12     Issue 4     December 2018

Welcome

In our September issue, Wordgathering told readers of the symposium "A New Disabilitiy Poetics" to be held at the University of Pennsylvania in October. As promised, the symposium proved an important event for those involved in disability poetry. The December 2018 issue of Wordgathering reflects some of the fruits of that gathering. Daniel Simpson, one of the poets reading at the symposium, summarizes his impressions in our essay section. Symposium panelists Gaia Thomas and Camisha Jones are represented in our interviews and book reviews, respectively. Poems from Jones, Anne Kaier and Kathi Wolfe appear in the poetry section for this issue and our responses section is centered on the work of Jim Ferris, also a symposium participant. All in all, quite a bounty for Wordgathering readers.

Jones, Kaier and Wolfe are joined in the poetry section by the work of returning poets Lynda McKinney Lambert, Mary McGinnis and Roy Wahlberg. We are also happy to introduce the work of eight new poets: Katheryn Krotzer Larborde, Kendra Preston Leonard, Erin Lynn Marsh, Michael Mogel, Morgan Outlaw, Kristin Roedell, Samuel Swauger and Holly Wells. Our music section features the work of one of Wordgathering's founders, Stuart Sanderson, whose poems have recently been turned into songs.

As mentioned, poet Gaia Thomas is one of the interviewees for this issue. The other is Kate Fialkowski, the Director of Academic Programs for Temple University's Institute on Disabilities. Along with Dan Simpson's piece in the essays section are essays from Susan Mockler and Australian satirist Michael Uniacke. The fiction section in this issue gives readers four very different samples of disability fiction from authors Salvatore DiFalco, Brian Koukol, Susan M. Silver and Ana Vidosavljevic.

Wordgathering continues to try to provide readers with looks at some of the most recent books in disability literature. This issue, books from four poets are reviewed: Camisha Jones, Jane Joritz-Nakagawa, Erin Kelly and Seeroon Yeretzian. Also reviewed are Alice Wong's anthology of essays by disabled writers, Resistance and Hope. Two novels, Maxine Rosaler's Queen for a Day and Dora Raymaker's Hoshi and the Red City Circuit, bring readers perspectives on autism.

In addition to the poetry, fiction, essay, interview and book reviews sections, Wordgathering has three special features: the Reading Loop, the Gather's Blog and Responses. Our Reading Loop gives one writer a free reign to discuss some aspect of disability that they would like to write about at length. In this issue New Zealand scholar René Harrison discusses psychological issues around visualization and blindness. The Gatherer's Blog offers a writer the chance to talk about their own writing process. This time around Taylor Carmen Savath is the blogger. Finally, the Response section asks writes with disabilities to respond to a particular work. In this issue poets Kara Dorris, Gwendolyn Edward, Travis Chi Wing Lau, Shane Neilson, Avra Wing and Kathi Wolfe respond to Jim Ferris well-traveled essay "Crip Poetry or How I Learned to Love the Limp" first published in the June 2007 issue of Wordathering.

Each spring Wordgathering along with other journals that make up the Disability Literature Consortium participate at AWP by taking part in the book fair where we have a booth that works exclusively to sell the literary work of writers with disabilities. This year AWP will take place in Portland, Oregon in March. Writers interested in having their work for sale at the Disability Literature Consortium booth can check the consortium website at https://dislitconsortium.wordpress.com or email dislit666@gmail.com for details.

Wordgathering continues to seek work that develops the field of disability literature. We invite the submission of poetry, short fiction, drama, art and essays that discuss poetry from a disability perspective or that contribute to the theoretical development of disability literature. The journal editors appreciate hearing from authors whose books quaify as disability literature and would like them reviewed. Our guidelines provide further information about the kind of work we seek. We value our readers' opinions and hope you will send your comments, concerns or ideas to us at comments@wordgathering.com. Wordgathering invites readers to follow us Facebook and on Twitter @wordgathering.

The Editors

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