Issue #76

For Christmas last year, my sister gave me an Effin’ Birds page-a-day calendar. If you’re not familiar with this calendar, each page has a drawing of a bird along with an expletive somewhere to drive home a point. From my chair, these pages are applicable in just about any office setting, for example:
• “Get to the f****n’ point,” for the person who likes the sound of his/her own voice during a meeting that’s already gone on too long;
• “Check out these f****n’ clowns,” which reminds me of the scene in the movie Office Space when the Bobs show up to help make Initech more efficient; and
• “Some day I will be free of this bullsh*t,” as I daydream about retirement.

These daily pages make me giggle, but the December 11th page did not: “How the fuck did we get here?” Indeed. As I write this, three people are dead and six injured in what is at least the 83rd school shooting in the U.S., where gun violence is the leading cause of death for kids. Politicians will be wringing their hands with thoughts and prayers, yet we will not see policy and change. I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it.

On to better news. We’re thrilled to bring the you the work of James Cato (fiction), Greta McGee (nonfiction), Jodi Miller-Hunter (poetry) and Benjamin Green (art) in this issue.

James Cato’s fiction piece “Buying a Gun” follows a couple’s sexual role playing that the narrator says is not role playing but preparation should an abusive former lover make an appearance. The recently purchased gun is not just a prop in the role play, but a critical component in self-defense.

Greta McGee’s narrative “My Father’s Legacy,” presents a profile of her father, a resourceful man who lives in a rented room and adapts to his environment and health restrictions. He helps her through the aftermath of a bad breakup, teaches her lessons on staying below the radar, how to negotiate white supremacy, and recognizes McGee’s “desire to be a genderless, fluid entity.”

Jodi Miller-Hunter’s poetry collection, “Installation in 3 Rooms: Possibility and Enclosure,” is an exploration of imagined art installations. Miller-Hunter’s work leads readers through a labyrinth of interior and exterior spaces, colors, and textures.

Benjamin Green is our featured artist, and has created a unique style that he calls “broken fenceboard landscapes.” Each work features fenceboard in some way, along with incorporating veneer, glass, resin, leather, Styrofoam, and other materials.

Back to “how did we get here?” The Mud Season Review is an affiliate of the Burlington Writers Workshop, a non-profit organization that works to provide writers with free learning opportunities and resources to help them develop as writers and artists as well as providing a supportive, creative community. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of the Burlington Writers Workshop members, and its Board of Directors. I specifically would like to acknowledge the Board of Directors, who provide guidance and occasionally have to walk me back from the ledge on administrative matters. Publishing this journal is much more than reviewing submissions.

The answer to the follow up question, “how do we stay here?” resides solely with MSR’s all-volunteer staff. Originally, MSR’s staff was local to Burlington, Vermont. As our submissions have grown to include international work, our staff has become international as well. This brings new perspectives and considerations as we work together to publish this journal. One thing remains constant, however: staff dedication to publishing strong, skillful writing that trudges through the mud of human experience as we discover new voices and art.

Just to reiterate: Mud Season Review is run by an all-volunteer staff. They read an extraordinary amount of submissions for each issue, engage in meaningful debate about what to publish, mentor new staff members as they join, and are just a great bunch of people. I want to acknowledge all of them, as without them, there wouldn’t be a Mud Season Review: Paul Chuks, Megan Harris, Shalom Kasim, Andrew Miller, Ann Fisher, Fabian Aruquipa, Jonah Meyer, Lenore Weiss, Madeline DeLuca, Michelle Quick, Annie Bower, Crystal Gross, David Kann, Edith Cook, Emily Mack, Frances Lee, Grier Martin, Jennifer Bryant, Joseph Linscott, Kris Kaila, Leah Holbrook Sackett, Maria McKinney Smith, Marisa Dallas, Neepa Sarkar, Nelly Shulman, Princess Zuri McCann, Wendy Swift, and William McCrary.

Thanks again to our contributors, the Burlington Writers Workshop and Board of Directors, and staff for recognizing the power of art and literature.

Suzanne Guess
Editor in Chief