Within the pages of Evening Street Review Number 11, Autumn 2014, a diverse chorus of voices rises, each offering a distinct glimpse into the human experience and the world around us. It is a collection woven with threads of clarity and depth, reflecting a belief in the inherent rights of all individuals to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, a foundation upon which the eclectic array of works is built.
The journey begins with an echo from the past, a contemplation on Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and Theo Colborn's Our Stolen Future, setting a contemplative tone, hinting at reflections on our relationship with the natural world and the legacy we forge. The very cover, a vista of the Columbia River Gorge, speaks to this connection, a landscape shaped by both nature's grandeur and human endeavor, a road built along its Oregon side decades ago, holding memories of travel and enduring beauty.
As one delves deeper, the landscape of fiction unfolds, presenting narratives that span a rich emotional spectrum. One might encounter the quiet resonance of a "Some Sunday Morning" or the poignant echoes within "Daughters of DES." There are tales that burn with intensity, like "Burning Cane," and others that evoke the distinct atmosphere of a "Summer 1943," each story a window into lives both ordinary and extraordinary. Even a "Citizen Yiayia" finds her place, adding a touch of cultural texture to the tapestry.
Interspersed with these imagined worlds are pieces of nonfiction that ground the reader in shared realities and personal histories. Journeys with "No Borders" explore expansive themes, while accounts like "The Huguenots and the Communists" delve into historical currents and societal struggles. Intimate portraits emerge in "My Mother's World" and "Patricia," offering reflections on family, identity, and the passage of time, inviting a quiet introspection.
And then, the verse takes hold, a symphony of poetic expression. Here, the everyday is elevated, whether in the simple act of "Walking Downtown" or the complex realities of "Robotic Hysterectomy." There are intimate observations, such as "His," and broader commentaries on urban life and distant loved ones in "City and Son, Far from Home." Moments of profound natural beauty, like a "Blood Moon," share space with meditations on silent heroism in "Everyday Heroes" and the quiet understanding of "There Will Be No Headline About You and Me." The collection moves through diverse forms, from the observational "What I Heard" to the evocative "News from the Uterus," "Ranchero," and pieces capturing the bittersweet essence of being "Apart Together" or the subtle power of "Echoes" and "Ipso Facto." Later life's quiet joys, the act of "On Looking," and the stark realities of "Parkinson's" are all given voice. Even the raw power of nature, as in "The Storm, October 29th 2012," finds its lyrical expression, alongside reflections on enduring affection in "For You in Our Autumn." The collection also touches upon the ancient, with "The Cave of Forgotten Dreams," and the cosmic, with "Dark Energy," before settling into more earthly pleasures like "Merlot" and quirky human interactions in "The Bad Guys" and "To the Lady Who Gave Out Pencils on Halloween." Finally, the echoes of struggle and resilience reverberate through poems like "Warrior," "The Exiles," "After the Journey," "The Eight," and "Over the Winter."
