While quarterly issues of Persimmon Tree generally do not have an overall theme, this edition happens to be filled with tributes to resilience, the eventual triumph of light over dark—and not only in our special “Resilience” section and the Forum. Diane Apter’s “You Just Never Know” and Antonia Lewandowski’s “The Art Lesson” are just two of the essays in Nonfiction that reflect our power to recover from pain and disappointment. “Regeneration: Two Flash Stories” by Liz deBeer, and Karen G. Berry’s “Mysteries of June and August” are among the Fiction section’s array of tributes to people who somehow find ways to move through the challenges of life—and death. And, in her introduction to the Short Takes section on the theme “Friendship and Other Gifts,” Short Takes Editor Linda Barrett Osborne salutes the “warmth, humor, hope… lovely images and canny insights” that characterize the prose and poetry featured on that page.
“Smithsonian” by Betsy Sholl is but one among a stunning array of tributes to courage, determination, and resilience to be found in the Poetry section. Introduced by Poetry Editor Cynthia Hogue and co-curated by Guest Poetry Editors Katherine Soniat and Gyorgyi Voros, these works by “Poets of the Eastern States” sing of the mysterious, inspiring, often harrowing currents of life. In the Art section, Art Editor Greta Berman interviews muralist Judith Inglese, whose devotion to placing her art in public spaces reminds us yet again, as she notes in our pages: “Yes, we need shelter, clothing, and food. But we also need inspiration, and we require a creative outlet to go beyond ourselves.”
As Persimmon Tree embarks on its nineteenth year, our magazine itself is a tribute to resilience. Those of you who have been with us over the years have seen our website and contents evolve. In her Back of the Book feature, Publisher Jean Zorn guides readers through features on our website that we hope you will use—and on which we hope you will comment as we pursue further changes and improvements. We especially invite you to comment on the new feature you will find in four places in this issue, marked by 🎧. Two essays and two stories include audio recordings of those articles, generated by cost-effective Artificial Intelligence. We have chosen a voice that, to us, seems most expressive. Please let us know if this is a feature you would like us to expand. All other comments on these recordings are also most welcome.
Your comments and ideas are only one way in which Persimmon Tree’s volunteer staff, board, and Council of Advisors rely on members of the Persimmon Tree community. Twice a year we ask you for the financial donations that ensure our magazine’s continued existence (and in these fraught times for the arts, those donations are increasingly important). We also rely on you to spread the word about Persimmon Tree through conversations with friends and acquaintances and by highlighting our magazine on your websites and social media to increase awareness of who we are and the wealth of creativity and insights we publish. And, of course—as reflected in every issue of our unique publication—we treasure, and are honored to present to the larger world, the prose, poetry, and visual and musical arts of older women. While we’re not able to publish every submission we receive, we read, look at, and/or listen to every single one (though this can take some time). Each submission is treated with respect and appreciation for the effort that went into its creation.
Please, send your creative works to the addresses you will find by consulting our Submissions Guidelines. And send any comments, criticisms, and ideas you have to me at editor@persimmontree.org and to Jean Zorn at publisher@persimmontree.org.
Peggy Wagner
Editor-in-Chief
Bio
With degrees in Asian history, Lynn B. Connor planned to be an academic. That was short-lived. She realized that sharing stories that explore other times and places is what she enjoyed. Her stories and poems have appeared in many literary journals over the last fifty years. A few years ago she remembered the title of a book, Painting with Light, which she’d read as a teenager. The title was all she remembered, but that made her see differently when taking a photo.
Until I read “Too Muchness” in Persimmon Tree today, I didn’t know Naomi Shihab Nye had mention my mother, Malvina Reynolds, in a poem! Thank you.
I would like to know when I would have to have my ad submitted to appear in next issue.