Fall 2008
Dear Readers,
Persimmon Tree is really excited about the Northeast poetry section in this Autumn issue. When you read it, I think you, too, will be moved by the wisdom and craft of these voices.
Many thanks to Judith Arcana for judging the poetry and putting the section of Northeast poets together in such a fine way. It was a huge amount of work, much appreciated by all of us.
We also thank the women who submitted poetry and congratulate those whose poems were selected to appear in this issue. In the middle of the open call, we received word of an anonymous gift of money to be used for poetry-thus we were able to award $250 each to two of the poets appearing here, selected by Judith Arcana. Congratulations to Minnie Bruce Pratt and Susan Donnelly!
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Persimmon Tree is accepting poetry from women over sixty who live on the West Coast (CA, OR, WA, AK, HI). The open submission period is Nov. 1-Dec. 15. Ten poets will be chosen from the western region, and their poetry will appear in the March 2009 issue of the magazine—poets from other regions will have their opportunity to submit their work in the future. To learn the details about submitting your poetry, you’ll need to log on to this website and click the “Submissions” link that appears in the right hand column.
As I write this in late August, the first tint of gold and orange can be seen on the leaves outside and I feel the approach of autumn. The persimmon tree in my neighbor’s yard soon will turn crimson and lose its foliage, leaving the bright orange persimmons hanging from its bare branches.
Seasons come into being, one after another. So it is with the issues of Persimmon Tree. We put our great energy into creating an issue, only to have it disappear the next season when the new one is put online. We feel attached to it-then we have to let it go. A great lesson in impermanence.
But the good news is that the contents are never lost!! After an issue is finished, all the fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art go to the Persimmon Tree Archive. This means that you can read everything that has ever been published in the magazine. Just log on to the magazine website and click “Archive” on the Contents page to discover what’s there. You’ll be amazed!
Wishing you a good autumn,
Nan Gefen
Editor
editor@persimmontree.org