Wordgathering

A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature
 

Volume 12     Issue 1     March 2018

Welcome

With this issue Wordgathering heads into its twelfth year, becoming the third longest continuously operating journal of disability and literature. To date, we have published over 360 poets, provided 190 book reviews, and given 85 interviews of writers and others involved in the area of disability and literature. By looking in our Authors Index, any of the past work Wordgathering has published is available.

Several poets make their first appearance in our journal. These include Sarah Dubinsky, Jeannine Hall Gailey, Linda Carney-Goodrich, Mary McGinnis, and a talented 14-year old writer, Zoe Bush. Returning poets include Janelle Eckardt, René Harrison, Gerard Sarnat, and Yuan Changming. We are also pleased after a long absence to present a new poem by one of the pioneering voices in disability literature, Neil Marcus.

Book reviews abound in this issue with fiction from Anne Finger, Raymond Luczak and Kristen Witucki, new books of poetry from Andy Jackson and Jen Karetnick, and a memoir on life with her guide dog by Ann Chiapetta. We are especially happy to have Olivia Mammone's review of Shaping the Fractured Self, the first major anthology of Australian disability poetry, edited by Heather Taylor Johnson.

Essays include Jane Joritz-Nakagawa's "Fibropoetics" and Lizz Schumer's description of the Museum of disability History In Buffalo, New York. Interviews are with Reclamation Press founder, Corbett O'Toole and Canadian poet Kevin Spenst. New fiction comes in the form of Louise M. Hart's "Alien Insanity."

Last summer saw the release of the movie Deej about the life of D. J. Savarese, the first person with autism to graduate from Oberlin College. In this issue's Arts section, Nick Penzell, a friend of Savarese's and writer with autism himself, gives his take on the film.

Two of Wordgathering's special features, the Gatherer's Blog and the Reading Loop return with interesting offerings. In Gatherer's Blog, Anne Kaier "Hunting, Pecking, and Gathering" dispels some of the aura of inspiration that sometimes surrounds writers. This issue's guest Reading Loop editor, Sean Mahoney, takes a personal look at the influence of Kenneth Patchen and Nancy Mairs.

While Wordgathering is always proud of the work that it has to offer, we do not exist in a vacuum. This month it will once again be part of the Disability Literature Consortium along with Breath and Shadow, Kaleidoscope, Deaf Poets Society and other journals as it takes the published books of writers down to the AWP conference in Tampa to bring them before a larger public. We will also be continuing to try to keep our followers on Facebook and Twitter up to date on Zoeglossia, which is in the process of organizing its first two conferences on writing and disability this year.

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 appreciates 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.

The Editors

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