The Delmarva Review: Volume 5

The Delmarva Review announced publication of its fifth annual literary review, available in October at regional bookstores, libraries and in a Kindle edition from Amazon. It features new prose and poetry from 27 authors, most from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, the tristate Delmarva region. In all, the review includes authors from nine states, the District of Columbia and three foreign countries. “The selected stories and poetry express the human themes of aging, independence, loss, love, a sense of place and healing,” said Wilson Wyatt, executive editor. “The cover photograph, by Rafael Garcia, depicts the metaphor of life as a distant journey over time.” Published by the Eastern Shore Writers’ Association (ESWA), the nonprofit review focuses on “memorable” poetry, short stories and nonfiction from writers in the Chesapeake region, while welcoming work from all writers. “With both pride and sadness we dedicate this edition to the memory of one of our own, John Elsberg, who was poetry editor for five years,” said Wyatt. John Elsberg, of Henderson, Maryland and Arlington, Virginia, passed away on July 27. The issue opens with one of his poems in remembrance. An anonymous gift enabled the 2012 edition to include thirty percent more content than the previous year, making room for additional short fiction. It includes publication of the first-place winner of The Delmarva Review Short Story Prize, “The Flight,” by Iain Baird, from Annapolis and New Orleans. Award-winning author Barbara Esstman judged the competition. Other differences in the new review over previous editions include the clustering of some of the poetry by author, giving exposure to the unique voice and range of the poet. The editors invited an original essay, “Writing Rwanda,” by scholar Lee Slater, about the power of writing to heal a nation after one of the worst genocides in history. A similar theme follows in a review of Ron Capps’s Writing War, a book offering guidance to soldiers returning from combat, using writing as a tool for healing and expression, for project Operation Homecoming. “The review benefits from the remarkable talents and generous spirit of our volunteers,” Wyatt writes in the Preface. The editorial board for the 2012 edition, in addition to Wyatt, includes Mala Burt, managing editor, Amanda Newell, poetry editor, Margot Miller and Harold Wilson, fiction editors, George Merrill, nonfiction editor, and Laura Ambler, the issue’s designer. The copy editor was Jeanne Pinault. All are volunteers. The review announced three additions to the board for the coming year. Poet Anne Colwell, of Milton, Delaware, will be the poetry editor. Colwell is associate professor of English at University of Delaware. Melanie Rigney, of Arlington, Virginia, will be an editorial advisor. Rigney, an author of fiction and nonfiction, was editor of Writer’s Digest magazine for five years. Mary Ann Hillier, of Trappe, Maryland, will be the new submissions administrator. Hillier, a poet, essayist and novelist, was the administrator of The Delmarva Review Short Story Prize in 2011. The Eastern Shore Writers Association, as publisher, encourages all regional writers to consider the review as an opportunity for the publication of their best work. While submissions are competitive, publication of an author’s work in the review represents a literary achievement. The review is for sale at regional bookstores, including: the News Center, in Easton, Mystery Loves Company, in Oxford, Creative Xpressions, in St. Michaels, and The Writer’s Center, in Bethesda, Maryland. Single issues are $12 each. Two-year subscriptions are $20. An order form is available from the website: www.delmarvareview.com, or by writing: The Delmarva Review, P.O.Box 544, St.