“In descriptions of Nature one ought to seize upon the little particulars, grouping them in such a way that, in reading, when you shut your eyes, you get a picture . . . Nature becomes animated if you are not squeamish about employing comparisons of her phenomena with ordinary human activities.” // from an 1886 letter by Anton Chekhov to his novelist brother Alexander; translated by Louis Friedland.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• A Note from the Editor
• Shelby Newsom: On Wilderness
• Dan Coyle: A Blessing
• Lori Bodner: when sea calls salt
• Julian O'Dea: Our Old Suburb
• Barbara Daniels: Red Dirt
• Sarah DeWeerdt: Early Spring in Virginia
• John Rowe: Cow Poem
• Elizabeth Paxson: For the Ones Who Will Soon Be Dead
• Arno Bohlmeijer: By the itching ditch
• Jakki Bankong-Obi: Epiphany
• Hibah Shabkhez: Respair
• J Clark: And the Giants Still Stand
• Recommended Reading
• Art: Blue Jay, from the chapbook Birds: How I See Them by Alicia Collura

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The front cover art is adapted from a 2008 photo by Wikimedia user Patrice78500, showing the phenomenom of crown shyness among canopy trees (species Dryobalanops aromatica) in Kuala Lumpur. Released into the public domain by the creator.

This issue was edited by Cory Willingham. © 2020. All rights reserved by contributors and editors for their respective work. Texts may not be reproduced other than for personal or academic use without written permission of the author or editor. Reviewers are encouraged to excerpt when reviewing.