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The sky looks like it portends snow, and the maples are bare of all the brilliant fall colors they had just weeks ago. This morning, a woodpecker was busily drilling the tree in our yard, and like the woodpecker, I feel the urgent need to tidy up the winter supplies.
As I’ve been reviewing the proofs for this issue and doing the last bits of tidying work before we publish, I’ve been moved by the stories found in these pages, and the authentic glimpses of humanity that they reveal. When such pieces as each of these come across our editorial desks, we set down our coffee, rub our bleary eyes, and happily nod in turns.
The natural contemplativeness of the season has manifested in the voices of this issue. James Tyner’s poetry studies the difficulty of witnessing a shell-shocked brother and Tom Molanphy’s nonfiction piece “The Last Hand-me-Down” explores the aftermath of losing a sibling. “Feeding” by Gregory Wolos focuses on the isolation of adults who must surreptitiously handle the small but awful responsibilities of life. The pieces in this issue allow the reader to process the human emotions that we confront as we clean closets, feed the pets, and keep ourselves sane by jogging and taking weekend trips with friends. I love the emotional textures found in this issue because they feel as real and sensible as these crisp, wind-swept days.
This is the season when people sit down to elaborate dinners with friends and family: piecrusts will suddenly seem poetic; siblings will argue over wine and appetizers; people will fall in and out of love. Blood Orange Review looks forward to the year ahead, and reading what writers will make out of the wonderful melee.
H.K. Hummel, co-editor
Blood Orange Review
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