The Vol.76, No. 1 issue of New Letters – the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s (UMKC) international magazine of writing and art – features a collection of war poems selected by guest editor and celebrated poet Mia Leonin.
“All of the writers in this issue can be called fierce, even when facing internal dilemmas,” said New Letters editor-in-chief Robert Stewart.
For example, Roy Scranton reflects on the struggle to reconcile military service with domestic life in “Like I’m Forgetting.” Alexis Sellas addresses a discrepancy between reality and rhetoric in “Pantoum on Baghdad and Fish.” Leslie Ann Minot memorializes one casualty of war, 2-year-old Najwa Salman, in “Monkey, Cup, and Moon.”
This issue also features new fiction by prize-winning writers Sara Pritchard and Clancy Martin; poetry by Pulitzer Prize winner Maxine Kumin and former poet laureate for Iowa Robert Dana; an interview with historian poet Edward Sanders; and essays by new voices Renée Giovarelli and Krista Eastman. Artwork includes service photographs by U.S. Marine Stephen Grote and paintings by nationally-acclaimed artist Ellen Pearce, including the cover art titled, “Holy Land.”
The 184-page issue features people confronting a range of ideologies and personal experiences. “This has nothing to do with the validity of any particular religion, or of religion, itself,” said Stewart. “It concerns our ability to act out of conviction. The stories are personal and political and cultural, and every one required conviction to write.”
New Letters is the international magazine of writing and art, published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Subscriptions are available for $22 per year (four issues), with discounts for longer subscriptions. Call (816) 235-1168 or visit www.newletters.org to order.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience.