Issue 85
Welcome to Issue 85!
As I sit here, writing this letter to celebrate Issue 85 as the new Editor-in-Chief of Bellingham Review, there are packets of seeds that my mother gave me the last time I visited home. These seeds were saved from her Jersey garden, packed in little handmade envelopes. Among them: bitter melon and eggplant. These seeds sit on my desk, a reminder that there is growth ahead. It’s the year of the Water Rabbit. Though we are in a constant state of grief and rage, I know there is tenderness and beauty here too — dwelling in the velvet ears of this year.
This issue is woven with such tenderness and beauty. Issue 85’s cover artist, Henry Jackson-Spieker’s installation “Void” beams forth in glowing neon light, asking us to question our perception(s). If you’re in Seattle, please do check out his exhibition at MAD Art , “Interstitial Volume” (up now until April 1, 2023). This issue also celebrates (!!!) our stunning 2022 Bellingham Review Contest Award winners: Jamila Osman’s “Street View,” Kenzie Allen’s “even the word Oneida / can’t be written in Oneida [1],” and Nandini Lal’s “Anaadi’s Smile.” There are so many incredible works of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid writing in here — each piece delights in language, storytelling, and lyric experimentation. I’m so excited for you to read, explore, and feel each visceral piece. Please also listen to River 慧瑩 Dandelion’s audio for his poem “Spell for Trans Safety (I).” The music of this poem echoes its healing power: “clean grime off porcelain cups / it’s time // to return to who you thought you could never be/ i ask you through this song stay here with me.”
I have so much to say about every single piece, but I’ll pause here so you can dive in. I am so grateful for each brilliant writer and artist who contributed to this issue, as well as my Bellingham Review team. We are waving hello from the moss, cheering each contributor on!
This year, may your seeds gather, grow, and transform into something “unctuous” (to bring in a word from Diamond Forde’s poem “Calling the Hogs”). Happy reading and I hope to see some of you at the AWP Conference in Seattle!
- Jane Wong, Editor-in-Chief
