The Editorial Team

Volume 16

November 15, 2023 By The Editorial Team

WELCOME TO THE Delmarva Review’s 16^th edition. The writing of 72 authors was selected from thousands of submissions during the year. This annual issue includes 70 poems, 12 short stories, and 14 essays. In all, the writers come from 23 states, the District of Columbia, and four foreign countries.

This year’s cover photograph is called “Eye of the Beholder.” It is a fitting description for the Red-tailed hawk’s large “eye,” on the cover, that allows the raptor to focus on its prey with spatial clarity from great heights at high speed.

The stories or poems in this issue carry a unique message from each author, in her or his own words. Topics naturally include grief, death, pain, love, living, place, acceptance, and freedom, among others. Aging and the uncertainties in life are frequent subjects. All have a common challenge—facing change—and the uncomfortable feelings associated with change.

We are pleased to include a personal essay from the student winner of the Delmarva Review-Talbot County Youth Writing Scholarship award. In partnership with Talbot County Schools and supported by a grant from the Talbot Arts, the review selected Mia Mazzeo, a junior at Easton High School, in Easton, Maryland.

As an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit literary publisher, we are greatly appreciative of the funding support we receive from individual tax-deductible contributions and a public grant from Talbot Arts with revenues from the Maryland State Arts Council.

Volume 15

November 12, 2022 By The Editorial Team

Published November 2022

Buy Now ▾

Contributors

What's Inside

THROUGH THE AUTHOR’S VOICE, we discover qualities and truths about ourselves. Perhaps more than anything else this describes the strength of our connections with literature.

Welcome to the Delmarva Review’s 15^th anniversary edition. Writing from 60 authors was selected from thousands of submissions during the year. This issue includes 78 poems, 11 short stories, and 12 nonfiction essays. In all, the writers come from 18 states, the District of Columbia, and 6 foreign countries. The review welcomes the best new writing in English from all writers regardless of borders.

This year’s cover photograph of an osprey, The Fisherman, tells its own story. The osprey, with wings spread exhibiting his power, has positioned himself high above the water on a storm-broken tree trunk, his talons clutching a partially devoured fish. The osprey’s purpose is not so much the fish as it is his desire to lure a suitable mate for the season’s nest. Thematically, the image exhibits the territorial imperative shared by most animals, including humans.

Each story or poem in this issue has its own message. No singular theme was selected for the edition. As a literary collection, we focus on the most compelling new writing and what is at stake or at risk emotionally or intellectually in the author’s work.

Popular topics include grief, death, pain, love, living, place, acceptance, freedom, aging, and the uncertainty of life, among others. They have one quality in common—change—and the uncomfortable challenges of dealing with change.

Delmarva Review Announces 15th Anniversary Literary Journal

November 12, 2022 By The Editorial Team

Prose and Poetry From 60 Authors

Open Submissions Period Until March 31, 2023

St. Michaels, MD - Delmarva Review announced publication of its 15th anniversary literary journal presenting new poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction from 60 authors in 18 states, the District of Columbia, and six foreign countries. The review publishes the most compelling new writing selected from thousands of submissions during the year.

“Through the author’s voice, we discover qualities and truths about ourselves,” said Wilson Wyatt, executive editor. “Perhaps more than anything else this describes the strength of our connections with literature.”

Since its beginning in 2008, Delmarva Review has published new literary poetry and prose from 490 authors from 42 states, the District of Columbia, and 16 foreign countries. Forty-six percent are from the Chesapeake and Delmarva region. Eighty-four have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Some have attained notable attention in “best of” anthologies or received public acclaim from other literary critics and editors.

As a literary collection, the focus is on outstanding new writing. This year’s topics include dealing with grief, sickness, death, love, human freedoms, aging, and the uncertainty of life, among others. They have one quality in common—change—and the uncomfortable challenges of dealing with change.

This year’s cover photograph, The Fisherman, by Wyatt, tells a visual story. An osprey spreads its wings to exhibit his power, while positioned high above the water on a storm-broken tree. His talons are clutching a partially devoured fish.

“The osprey’s purpose is not so much the fish,” Wyatt said, “as it is his desire to lure a suitable mate for the season’s nest. Thematically, the image exhibits the territorial imperative shared throughout the animal kingdom, including humans.”

Delmarva Review was created to offer authors a valued home to publish their best writing at a time when many commercial publications were reducing literary content or closing their doors.

The review makes room for new writers, as well. This year’s fiction includes writing from the first recipient of the Delmarva Review Talbot County Youth Writing Scholarship award. In partnership with Talbot County Schools and supported by a grant from Talbot Arts, the review selected “E Duo Unum” from Maxine Poe-Jensen, a high school senior at St. Michaels High School.

While favoring the permanence of the printed word, the review publishes electronic versions to meet the digital preferences of readers. Both paperback and electronic editions are immediately available at Amazon and other online booksellers. The print edition is also available at regional specialty bookstores.

In addition to Wyatt, the journal’s editorial staff for this edition includes Bill Gourgey, the managing editor who designs and publishes the review, poetry editor Anne Colwell, poetry assistant editor Katherine Gekker, fiction senior editor Harold O. Wilson, fiction coeditors Lee Slater and Judy Reveal, and nonfiction editor Ellen Brown.

The submission period for the 16th edition is open to all writers now through March 31, 2023. Delmarva Review does not charge any submission or reading fees. Writers’ guidelines are posted on DelmarvaReview.org.

Published by the Delmarva Review Literary Fund Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the journal receives financial support from individual tax-deductible contributions and a public grant from Talbot Arts, with revenues from the Maryland State Arts Council. For more information, see DelmarvaReview.org.

# # #

Spy Reprints “Elm Trees” by Michael Carrino

November 9, 2022 By The Editorial Team

Author’s Note: “Elm Trees” started as my memory of watching the daily removal of the last trees destroyed by Dutch Elm Disease. Period photos of Clinton County, New York show the damage to the landscape caused by the disease. Soon even long-time residents would have only a vague memory of elms. As I wrote each draft during the height of the pandemic, the trees took on a haunting sense of fear and helplessness... [Continue Story]

Spy Reprints “From Here” by Lillie Gardner

October 31, 2022 By The Editorial Team

Author’s Note: I started writing “From Here” years ago in Los Angeles, on the trip that the piece is about. I was processing a breakup, helping my sister move to a faraway place, and generally figuring out how to be alone. The piece is about gathering strength to live life for your own sake—and finding the courage to go forth into the unknown... [Continue Story]

Spy Reprints “The White Egrets” by Richard Tillinghast

October 31, 2022 By The Editorial Team

Author’s Note: “The White Egrets,” from my new book, Blue If Only I Could Tell You, reflects life in an isolated place in the country. The scene specifically draws on where I live in the upland regions of Hawaii Island, but other readers may recognize treasured places of their own. Here I am emulating the style of classical Chinese and Japanese poets like Du Fu and Basho... [Continue Story]

Spy Reprints “Bratwurst Kid” by Richard Peabody

October 18, 2022 By The Editorial Team

Author’s Note: I used to play guitar in college with the late poet David Hickman. We’d workshop songs we’d written. And one day he told me, “Your song lyrics really suck as songs but they might make pretty good poems.” Turns out I’ve rubbed elbows with a lot of musicians since then. Some had the chops to escape the bar scene. I was a hack and never would have made that leap. I had to make a decision and my focus shifted to poetry and fiction. This poem is the possible road not traveled by a failed singer-songwriter... [Continue Story]