Mud Season Review Issue #43
Here in Vermont, we are celebrating Mud Season in all of its glory.
As the ground thaws and the sun returns, we look forward to warmer (and drier) days ahead. In the meantime, we break out the muck boots and make the most of things.
Our slate of authors and artists bring a spirit of resilience and dogged determination to Issue #43.
- Nonfiction author Lauren Mauldin explores body image and self-acceptance in “Keto Crash.” In a voice that’s confident and wry, she weaves a compelling story while tackling head-on misguided societal expectations around weight. Nonfiction co-editor Julie Patterson said she appreciated Mauldin’s “ability to share honest stories of hurt without portraying herself as a victim.” Her writing asks important questions while never losing its humanity.
- Poet Joshua Sassoon Orol takes the name Shoshana as the foundation for “Shoshana’s Mother,” a series of poems that explore the name as a character and as a Hebrew word that has changed meaning over time. Says our staff mentor, Julia Shipley: “I love how these poems progressively illuminate a less explored perspective, how culture and gender identity are swirled and discussed in exact language.”
- Fiction author Carley Gomez tells the story of a nine-year-old girl and her father. In What Does a Nine Year-Old Know? he struggles to understand her; she teaches him things he didn’t expect. Together, they forge ahead as they navigate the complexity of growing up, negotiating identity, and accepting loss.
- Our featured artist for Issue #43, Ann Calandro, presents a series of mixed media collages that swirl with life, asking the viewer to linger in the details. She calls her style “enchanted realism” – the world as it is, yet something askew. Where the real meets the imaginary, she finds inspiration in the small moments of life.
Issue 43 includes additional imagery by:
