Bill Gourgey

Delmarva Review Bill Gourgey

Welcome to the thirteenth annual Delmarva Review, an independent, nonprofit literary journal. Our editors have selected the new work of 64 authors that stood out from thousands of submissions during the year. In this edition, we are publishing 79 poems, 10 short stories, 11 creative nonfiction essays, and seven book reviews. In all, the writers come from twenty-one states, the District of Columbia, and five foreign countries. Forty-two percent are from the Delmarva and Chesapeake region, though the review welcomes the best new writing in English from all writers, regardless of borders. The cover photograph, "Cedar Island Watch House," by contributing photographer Jay P. Fleming, captures the feeling of nature's power and suggests the increasing concern of climate change on our coasts. A number of human themes are represented in this issue. One, in particular, gives life to the others-change. We strive to deal with change in our daily lives. While change can be uncomfortable, often confronting personal denial, it finds its natural place in all forms of writing. After all, it is the change in a character's life that creates the action of a good story...or in the narrative description that adheres to our strongest beliefs and emotions. As our lives change, we are forced to discover the truth to guide us on our journeys, or perhaps to make sense of where we have been. The search for meaning is the basis for the best of enduring literature. In this issue, we are featuring three exceptional writers. They introduce the published work of the volume in three sections: fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. An interview with the featured writer opens the section, showcasing the author's work in the genre followed by the evocative writing of other authors in the category. It is our hope that the interviews provide an interesting perspective of the author's work, as well as the genre, for discerning readers. This year's selected writers feature Sue Ellen Thompson who opens the Creative Nonfiction section with her new memoir When Friendship Dies. Thompson, from Oxford, Maryland, is well known as an outstanding poet to readers and critics, alike. I interview Thompson to learn why she chose creative nonfiction, over poetry, to reveal her story. We publish both the poem and memoir in this edition. Introducing the Fiction collection, we are pleased to be the exclusive publisher of the first English translation of A Reversed Miracle, a short story by the prolific Argentinian writer Guillermo Martínez. Fiction editor Harold O. Wilson interviews Martínez about the background and depth of his story. The Poetry section opens with poetry editor Anne Colwell interviewing Filipina American poet Luisa A. Igloria, the new Poet Laureate of Virginia and professor of English and creative writing at Old Dominion University. Dr. Colwell's interview is an insightful introduction to seven of Dr. Igloria's new poems. In addition to the selection of poetry and prose for the 13th edition, we expanded the Book Reviews to seven new regional books. This is the section of the journal that is exclusive to regional writers or regional Delmarva-Chesapeake subjects. As Delmarva Review enters its fourteenth year, it has become an established national literary journal open to the exceptional work of all writers, regardless of borders. The review was created to provide both established and aspiring writers with a valued venue to feature their best work in print at a time when many commercial publishers were reducing content or closing their doors. We also publish an eBook edition for electronic reading.