Tag Archives: Poetry

Celebrating “The Delmarva Review’s” sixth year

02 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Poetry, The Delmarva Review, Writing, Writing and publishing today

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The Delmarva Review

The Delmarva Review, Volumes 1 – 6

Writers gathered on the Eastern Shore for poetry readings and a special thank you to the 135 authors published in The Delmarva Review over six years. As executive editor, I was pleased to announce the official opening of the submission period for the 2014 issue, Volume 7 (see the website to submit work: www.delmarvareview.com).

Last night’s festive crowd of writers met the editors and the publisher, representatives of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, at a public reception held at The News Center bookstore, in Easton, Maryland.

All of us at the Review believe the best writing has no borders. We have published compelling new literary prose and poetry from 135 authors over the first six years. In all, writers have come from 23 states, the District of Columbia, and eight other countries. About two-thirds are from the Delmarva and Chesapeake region. Twenty-four have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Primed with cider, light refreshments, and home-baked cookies, the audience was treated to readings from the Review’s Poetry Editor, Anne Colwell, from Milton, Delaware, and poet William Peak, of Easton, one of the contributing authors to the 2013 issue. It was a delightful way to start the new writing season.

The literary journal is published in print and digital editions. The Delmarva Review, Vol. 6, downloadable edition is now available on Amazon.com. The link is: http://www.amazon.com/The-Delmarva-Review-Vol-6-ebook/dp/B00G390V0G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383423047&sr=8-1&keywords=the+delmarva+review+vol.+6

For those who could not attend the celebration, I’ll share some photos by my photographer wife Katie Wyatt:

Poetry Editor Anne Colwell reading at the Review's Sixth Annual Celebration

Poetry Editor Anne Colwell reading at the Review’s celebration of six years of publishing – click on photo for larger image

Author William Peak reading his poetry in Vol. 6, The Delmarva Review

Author William Peak reading his poetry in Vol. 6, The Delmarva Review – click on photo for larger image

Co-Fiction Editors Margot Miller and Harold Wilson discuss the current Issue of the Review

Co-Fiction Editors Margot Miller and Harold Wilson discuss the new issue of the Review    – click on photo for larger image

Co-Fiction Editor Amy Abrams talks to poet Sue Ellen Thompson, a contributing author to the Review

Co-Fiction Editor Amy Abrams, left, talks to poet Sue Ellen Thompson, a contributing author to past issues of Review – click on photo for larger image

Editorial Advisor Gerald Sweeney, president of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, welcomes writers to the event

Editorial Advisor Gerald Sweeney, President of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, welcomes writers to the event – click on photo for larger image

Executive Editor Wilson Wyatt with Kimberly Bushey, Manager of The News Center bookstore

The Review’s Executive Editor Wilson Wyatt with Kimberly Bushey, Manager of The News Center bookstore – click on photo for larger image

The Delmarva Review Announces Sixth Literary Journal

24 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Poetry, Writing

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The Delmarva Review, Vol. 6 - 2013

The Delmarva Review, Vol. 6 – 2013

The Delmarva Review announced its sixth annual literary review presenting new prose and poetry from 23 authors. In all, they come from nine states and the District of Columbia.

“From the hundreds of submissions, we selected stories and poetry expressing the human themes of healing, aging, independence, loss, love, and a sense of place,” said Wilson Wyatt, executive editor. “The cover photograph, Coming, Going, by Christopher Woods, suggests a metaphor of opening the door to imaginative writing.”

The nonprofit literary journal publishes distinctive poetry, short stories, and nonfiction in print and digital editions. It also reviews a selection of new books.

The editors selected Ron Capps, founder of the Veterans Writing Project, as this issue’s featured writer for his powerful personal essay, “Writing My Way Home.” The essay will relate to the many thousands of veterans who have returned from combat with physical and psychological wounds, while it shows how writing can help everyone to heal from the scars of adversity.

Poetry editor Anne Colwell expanded the poetry in this issue. Thirty-one poems from 11 poets represent a wide range of poetic voice and form. Many of the poems are about how life experiences, art, or even age change the way a person perceives the world. “They lead us to unexpected moments of beauty and insight,” said Colwell.

The fiction section contains seven short stories. Beginning with “Undertow,” by Margaret Adams, readers are offered a penetrating view of self-esteem and misunderstanding. A flash fiction piece probes the subject of personal identity. In all, the stories explore freedom, aging, loss, and life’s unanticipated consequences.

The editors selected three books by regional authors to review, including a current novel by John Barth, poetry by Jehanne Dubrow, and a trilogy of stories by Sophie Moss.

In addition to Wyatt and Colwell, the editorial board includes: Harold Wilson, Margot Miller and Amy Abrams, as fiction editors, George Merrill, nonfiction editor, Mary Ann Hillier, submissions administrator, Melanie Rigney and Gerald Sweeney, editorial advisors, Jeanne Pinault, copy editor, Charleen Marcum, proofreader, and Laura Ambler, for layout and design.

The Delmarva Review is produced with the support of subscribers, contributors, and the publisher, the Eastern Shore Writers Association. The association is a nonprofit organization supporting writers and the literary arts across the Delmarva Peninsula.

“We are indebted to the remarkable talents and spirit of the writers, editors, and designer as we present this volume to the eyes of your imagination,” said Wyatt.

The editors encourage writers to consider submitting their best work. The next submission period opens November 1 and closes on February 28, 2014. Submissions are competitive. Publication of an author’s work in The Delmarva Review represents a significant literary achievement.

Single issues of the Review are $10 each plus $2 for postage. Two-year subscriptions are $20 postpaid. An order form is available on the website: www.delmarvareview.com, or by writing: The Delmarva Review, P.O. Box 544, St. Michaels, MD 21663.

A digital edition of The Delmarva Review, Vol. 6, for download to electronic reading devices, is available on Amazon.com.

Community of writers…helping each other grow on the Delmarva Peninsula

25 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in Inspiration, Maryland, Poetry, The Delmarva Review, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and publishing today

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Wilson Wyatt Interviewed - The Talbot Spy

Wilson Wyatt Interviewed – The Talbot Spy

Video interview, by The Talbot Spy, highlights the significance of a growing “writers’ community” across the tri-state Delmarva Peninsula. Part 2, Video link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GWoGf1Y4DI

Today’s digital age gives local writers everywhere the ability to reach a worldwide audience.  Regional borders are disappearing.  This technological phenomenon, combined with dedicated volunteers, has spawned a vibrant writer’s community across the Delmarva region of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

The Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA), Bay to Ocean Writers Conference, new critique groups, writers’ workshops, book clubs, Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild (RBWG) and many writers’ groups are growing at a healthy pace in the region. Website www.easternshorewriters.org.

The Delmarva Review, in its sixth year as a quality literary journal, is attracting prose and poetry submissions from hundreds of writers across the U.S., far beyond regional borders. Website www.delmarvareview.com

It’s a wonderful time to be a writer.  Of course, along with opportunities for writers to reach a vastly greater readership, the Internet also gives readers more reading choices than ever before.  The quality of writing has never been more important, as readers become the discerning gatekeepers of good writing.

The strength of an active writers’ community is writers inspiring each other to improve their work, share marketing and distribution experiences, and become successful.

These and other subjects were discussed in the two video interviews by The Talbot Spy:  http://talbotspy.com/arts-2/

The value of a “writing community”…transcending borders

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Inspiration, The Delmarva Review, Uncategorized, Writing

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Hal Wilson, of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, interviews Ron Capps in Public Radio Delmarva’s studio (WSDL, Salisbury). - Photographed by Wilson Wyatt

Hal Wilson, left, of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, interviews Ron Capps in Public Radio Delmarva’s studio (WSDL-FM, Salisbury). – Photographed by Wilson Wyatt

Several friends are currently publishing their literary work. With each, a writing community contributes to the achievement.

I think of this from time to time. Why do I volunteer to help other writers? Does a writers’ community really benefit writers?

The answers are powerful affirmations.

A writer once told me of a desire to publish more work in local publications, but opportunities were diminishing. Does that sound familiar?  I asked why he was thinking locally when he could consider a much larger universe…beyond local borders.  A little nudging, and assurances from a larger community of writers, expanded his vision and potential. His determination was fueled for the hard work to complete and publish books capable of reaching a vastly greater audience…now a major accomplishment for the author.

Another example is about a combat veteran of five wars, Ron Capps.  Parts of his story have been told in the national media and are still being unveiled.

As a very capable writer, Ron decided to use writing to apply his experiences to three new and meaningful purposes.  First, writing enabled him to face and manage the horrors of combat that were relived in his mind daily.  It was a means of confronting and healing.  Appreciating this strength, he initiated a major project to teach other combat veterans, and their families, writing techniques for their healing and expression.

He recognized the value to show the rest of the world, through veterans’ writing, that there were other costs of war we don’t think about, that aren’t reported by the daily media. Only one percent of Americans are engaged in military duty today. Combat veterans, through writing, can “bear witness” for us to comprehend the personal impact of combat and war. As a society, we can become better informed before making decisions about going to war.

This week, two of us from the Eastern Shore Writers Association, hosted  Ron at the Public Radio Delmarva station (WSDL-FM) in Salisbury, Maryland, to record a special radio segment, “The Writer’s Edition,” about his experiences and inspiration to create the Veteran’s Writing Project, veteranswriting.org.  It will air on June 28, contributing his message to a new audience.

Ron Capps also wrote a powerful personal essay that will be published in The Delmarva Review’s sixth edition, in October, expanding the reach of his story among literary readers (www.delmarvareview.com).

These stories “bear witness” to a writing community helping writers in their work while contributing something meaningful to a far greater audience.  The value of a writing community transcends us…it transcends borders.

A Choice…entertainment tonight, or poetry to inspire me for the rest of my life – Richard Blanco’s “One Today”

18 Saturday May 2013

Posted by in Aging and Freedom, Inspiration, Poetry, The Future, Uncategorized, Writing

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I had that choice this week…one of those times to pick between the ordinary and the extraordinary.  I could have seen a good movie or a play or a show on TV.  Nothing wrong with that.  Today, entertainment is only a “click” away.

But, instead, we drove two hours to a special reading of a poem.  To hear Richard Blanco, the fifth Inaugural Poet in history, read from his personal poetry and “One Today,” the poem he wrote for the nation…at the 2013 Presidential Inauguration.  I knew this would be unique, rarely to be repeated in a small gathering, as the poet told his story.  Another emigrant making an indelible contribution to the United States.

My wife and I attended…no, we listened…at a special gathering orchestrated by The Writer’s Center, in Bethesda.  The poet, one of the Center’s former teachers, told his remarkable story.  These were the words behind the words…some of the raw history behind the music of his poetry.

Richard Blanco has been acclaimed in poetry circles, winning praise and awards, but now he is known as one of the few poets to be celebrated on the world stage.  This would be a distinctive experience, one of those times I could place delicately in my memory, offering inspiration on demand…a gift that keeps on giving.

From the ending of his poem, “One Today”

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight

of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always, always

Home, always under one sky, our sky. And always

One moon like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop

And every window, one country—all of us—

Facing the stars. Hope—a new constellation waiting

For us to map it, waiting for us to name it—together.

# # #

A special “thank you” to my friends at The Writer’s Center, “one home,” a writer’s home, for creating this personal opportunity.

The Value of a Literary Review…along the road to good writing

07 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by in The Delmarva Review, Writing

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The Delmarva Review, vol.5 – 27 authors, nine states, D.C., and three other countries

The Delmarva Review published its fifth annual edition of prose and poetry this week, rising competently at the far end of the writing spectrum, known to discerning readers as literary writing.  I say the “far end” of the spectrum, because it is the place reserved for literature as an art.  This is the place where art and craft combine in the writer’s quest for excellence…aspired to by many, but attained by few.

That sounds intimidating, and perhaps it is to some writers.  But to others it is a rewarding journey.  A literary journal like The Delmarva Review attracts hundreds and hundreds of submissions for the few that are finally published.  Of course, there are space limitations.  For the aspiring and persevering writer, publication in the review is a well-deserved achievement.  Even the best writers receive rejections, but selection for publication is always an occasion to be celebrated.

The Delmarva Review is one of some 3,300 literary reviews around the world.  That sounds like a lot.  But, when you consider there are over 200,000 commercial magazines in production, literary reviews are, indeed, at the small end of the spectrum. It’s interesting that they are growing in numbers, not diminishing.

For those who would like to know more about literary reviews, their purpose and history, I recommend an excellent article by an experienced editor-writer, Paul Soderberg, “The Secret World of Literary Journals,” available to read online at: http://thefeatheredflounder.com/2012/05/the-secret-world-of-literary-journals/

Today, as I and my talented editorial associates stuff envelopes with copies of  The Delmarva Review, to be on their way to readers, this concludes a year of difficult work. “Difficult” because it has been a year of choosing the final stories, essays, and poetry to publish in our fifth edition.  However, like for the authors, it is an occasion to celebrate.  The reward is treating our writers with the respect they deserve and producing a literary journal of quality for readers with high expectations.

We will now wait…and wait…for the comments…for our own critical review.  For you see, even the editors can face rejection.

Of interest to writers, the submission period for the sixth issue of the Review is from November 1, 2012 to February 28, 2013. We publish a print edition as well as a downloadable digital edition, available at Amazon.com. You can see the website for copies, guidelines and a submission link: www.delmarvareview.com

As executive editor of The Delmarva Review, I am thankful for the remarkable talent and generous spirit of all the people who worked on this edition.  All contributed as volunteers.  They include fiction editors Margot Miller and Harold Wilson, nonfiction editor George Merrill, poetry editors Amanda Newell and the late John Elsberg, managing editor Mala Burt, designer Laura Ambler,  copyeditor Jeanne Pinault, and our prose readers, who help to discover the best work. Thank you, as well, to our publisher, the Eastern Shore Writers Association, a nonprofit organization that supports and believes in the literary arts.

Back and front cover – The Delmarva Review, vol. 5  (Click on image to enlarge)