Fall 2021 / Winter 2022

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to the Fall ’21 edition of Clamantis: The MALS Journal. I am thrilled to have this opportunity as editor-in-chief, working with terrific colleagues and overseeing an outstanding number of submissions pertaining to the theme: Revolution. We chose the theme as a particular stand against all that we have endured over the past year – from Black Lives Matter protests and associated injustices to the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, to the impact these and other major ongoing global traumas, not least climate change, have had, and continue to have, on our lives. We set the theme as an opportunity to reflect on something hopeful, and also terrible, a space that offers opportunity in the midst of grief, a moment to consider our personal and collective movement in service and in response to Revolution.

At the time of writing I sit with the grief of losing my father and pondering my role in a deeply personal Revolution – moving from child to adult, wondering what to take forward, what to leave behind, how to move at all. The new cycle, as in any cycle or revolution, requires of me, and all of us, a leap of faith. It demands courage and a closer examination of our potential and how we choose to occupy our place in this world – will we be crippled by not putting grief into words? Will we choose to be silent, or will we eschew regret in favor of action? In choosing this theme, my editorial board colleagues and I hope to open a space for a critical and tender exploration of our humanity and believe the multi-faceted dimensions of the concept of Revolution have nurtured a remarkable variety of genres, styles, and approaches in this edition.

The Inexorable Day of the Revolution, by P.F. White, opens the Fall ’21 edition with a futuristic dystopian vision that captures the universal sense of revolution – taking readers beyond the lead to revolt to capture a comprehension of the necessity of revolution, if we are to experience change, no matter the time or place.

We were thrilled with the large number of poetry submissions received. Final selections include Christian Erikson’s work, In Dissent of Heliocentrism in which he takes an anthropocentric perspective, repositioning humanity with a claim of authority over the sun. This duality is echoed in the pieces from Sully Sullivan, Our Bounty Cometh and Beguiled, We Begotten. Poems that again speak to the re-examination of our purpose in this world – frailty, wonder, and uncertainty – itself an opportunity for Revolution.

Less literal, but equally resonant, representations were received in photography submissions from Vivian Milan with Guardian and Crowning, offering visual stimuli from which to draw our individual interpretations of Revolution in thought-provoking interpretations.

Continuing the visual theme, we are honored to publish the terrific spread from Tim Fish, inked by Monica Gallagher with colors by Matt Beaugrand. In A Bad Start, we see the 9th & Pine vignettes illuminate the underpinning systemic challenges the community faces in confronting the “Delmar Divide” in Saint Louis, Missouri, on the eve of revolution sparked by the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Delmar Boulevard continues to be a flash point for protests, activism, and change today.

The final piece from Loey Crooks brings us back to the natural Revolution of life and death. One Last Thing, provides a deep inquiry of what life means, echoed in Andrea O’Connor’s piece, Lloyd, where end of life experiences offer hope for the future as we confront the death of the past.

It is our wish that our readers can explore the multifarious sentiments in the theme Revolution and find a grounding in the works we have been privileged to publish.

With thanks to our readers, in particular the efforts and time of Sabine Hoskinson, Maisea Bailey, Teresa Lust, and Ed Ting, the MALS faculty advisor Anna Minardi, and the entire board.

!Viva la revolución!

Amanda Skinner, Editor-in-Chief