Persimmon Tree had been in existence for only two years then, but its mission was already clearly established: quoting Nan again, Persimmon Tree was to be “a place where our voices would be honored and heard, and although it would have high standards, any older woman could submit her work and be seriously considered whatever her publishing background. Most of all, its existence would be saying to the world: Yes, yes, we too exist, Look at our talent and imagination!”
For Marcia, ArtsMart would be yet another means to accomplish Persimmon Tree’s mission of giving talented older women visibility and voice, another medium through which older women writers and artists could disseminate their work:
ArtsMart continues that tradition today. It exists, first and foremost, as a service to the Persimmon Tree community. It serves Persimmon Tree’s contributors, the women whose writing and art is published in the magazine, by giving them a very reasonably priced platform for marketing their work. It serves Persimmon Tree’s readers by giving them access to books and artwork produced by women whose strength and acumen and experience grant them perspectives and a depth of vision available nowhere else.
It was Marcia’s hope, and it is that of the current editors as well, that you will spend some time browsing ArtsMart, even better that you will make most of your book purchases through ArtsMart. Not only because, in doing so, you support Persimmon Tree and its community of older women writers, artists and readers, but because here you will find, as you do throughout the virtual pages of Persimmon Tree, words and images that will speak to you as no others do.
"An intense, addictive drama with a hint of light at the end of the tunnel." — Kirkus Reviews
It is the Civil War, Susannah Shelburne, age 36, is living in South Carolina. Although she and her husband oppose the Southern cause, their only child Francis is a Confederate soldier. When Francis is wounded in Tennessee, Susannah leaves home to find him. Under her care his condition improves, but he soon becomes a prisoner of war, and Susannah strikes a wrenching personal bargain in exchange for his parole. Soon, though, news from South Carolina makes it clear that returning home is impossible, and Francis’s worsening mental state necessitates a high-stakes escape plan.
There is a wildness hidden beneath Susannah’s demure façade, leading her into unconventional, courageous decisions that put her at odds with her husband, her son and her community. Adversity also brings her more fully into the realities of the people of color in her life.
Measure of Devotion’s themes—political differences among families and communities, the urgent need for transracial understanding, a woman’s existential search for control of her own life—are the persistent issues of our national consciousness.
“Measure of Devotion is a debut novel that is bound to enter the canon of classic Civil War literature. That it's told from a woman’s viewpoint makes it unique.” — Hungry for Good Books
Available from Regal House Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and your local independent bookseller.
For more, go to measureofdevotion.com
Jean Zorn is publisher of Persimmon Tree and secretary/treasurer of the Board of Directors of Persimmon Tree Inc. She is a lawyer, and retired in March 2018 from the City University of New York School of Law, where she had worked for more than 30 years, primarily as a Professor of Law, and, most recently, as Senior Associate Dean for Administration and Finance.
Diane Rakocy, a Chicago-based painter, creates vibrant, nature-inspired paintings layered with color and texture--exploring the unseen details of life and how they connect us all. Her work, balancing abstraction and representation, has been exhibited internationally, including solo shows in Tokyo, Singapore, and the USA.
Thank you for including my artwork in the magazine!