Three Rivers Review of undergraduate literature volume xv 1995 – 2010 *LSLIYH[PUNÄM[LLU`LHYZ VM\UKLYNYHK\H[LSP[LYH[\YL Three Rivers Review of undergraduate literature VOLUME XV University of Pittsburgh Honors College Three Rivers Review 2010 Volume XV Issue 1 Three Rivers Review of Undergraduate Literature is an annual student- run publication of the University of Pittsburgh Honors College. It VHHNVWRHQOLYHQIRVWHUDQGSXEOLVKWKHEHVWXQGHUJUDGXDWHÀFWLRQDQG poetry in the Greater Pittsburgh area. It accepts submissions, from September 15 to January 15 of each academic year, from undergraduate students at the University of Pittsburgh, all University of Pittsburgh Branch Campuses, and all instituations of post-secondary, undergraduate education in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Inquiry and submissions can be sent by post to: Editor, Three Rivers Review, 3505 Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Submissions can also be e-mailed as attachments LQ0LFURVRIW:RUG GRFFRPSDWDEOH ÀOHVWR7KUHH5LYHUV5HYLHZ#JPDLO FRP6XEPLVVLRQUHTXLUHPHQWVDUHDPD[LPXPRISDJHVÀFWLRQRU poems. All submissions must be accompanied by a cover sheet including name, academic year, academic institution, mailing address, e-mail address, submission titles, and a press-ready biographical statement. 6XEPLWWHG ZRUN LV QRW JXDUDQWHHG WR EH UHWXUQHG $XWKRUV ZLOO EH FRQWDFWHG DV WR WKH VWDWXV RI WKHLU ZRUN QR ODWHU WKDQ WZR PRQWKV IROORZLQJFXUUHQW9ROXPH·VVXEPLVVLRQGHDGOLQH Three Rivers Review ZLVKHV WR VLQFHUHO\ WKDQN 'HDQ * $OHF 6WHZDUW Karen Billingsley & the University Honors College, Jeff Oaks, Collision /LWHUDU\ 0DJD]LQH 7KH )UDPH *DOOHU\ $ 6WXGHQW5XQ $UW 6SDFH & Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh English 'HSDUWPHQW &DUHQ 0DUFXV .ULVWRIHU &ROOLQV %ULDQ 6FXOOLRQ &DPLHOH :KLWH3DXOD%RKLQFH2O\PSLD9HUQRQ$QQH6DQRZDQG*HUDOG6WHUQ Cover image: “Untitled” copyright © 2009 Chris Neverman. ´5RVHVµE\*HUDOG6WHUQRULJLQDOO\DSSHDUVLQKLVERRNAmerican Sonnets ::1RUWRQ &R DQG LV UHSULQWHG KHUHLQ ZLWK WKH DXWKRU·V permission. Copyright © 2010 Three Rivers Review/University of Pittsburgh Honors College. All print rights revert to author upon publication. Three Rivers Review maintains digital & archival rights. Copying done for non-personal RU FODVVURRP XVH LV IRUELGGHQ ZLWKRXW WKH H[SUHVVHG FRQVHQW RI Three Rivers Review/University Honors College or author. Any resemblance WR DFWXDO HYHQWV ORFDOHV RU SHUVRQV OLYLQJ RU GHDG LQ FUHDWLYH ZRUNV contained in Three Rivers Review is entirely coincidental. Three Rivers Review Volume XV University Honors College Supervisors 8+&'HDQ 'U*$OHF6WHZDUW $VVLVWDQWWRWKH'HDQ .DUHQ%LOOLQJVOH\ University Staff Advisor (QJOLVK'HSDUWPHQW)DFXOW\ -HII2DNV Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief Nour Abdelghani Joel W. Coggins )LFWLRQ(GLWRU 5DFKHO$QQ%ULFNQHU 'HVLJQ(GLWRU 0DUJDUHW/XFLGRUH Three Rivers Review Staff Sophia Bender 'DYLG%RGDUN\ 5RE\Q&DPSEHOO Odana Chaney Evan Chen 0HOLVVD'LIDWWD Hallie Johnson Peter Kusnic 7RP/HH Niveditha Parbakaran Moira Quigley 1LNNL5RWKHU\ 'HLUGUH5XVFHWWL Jeanette Schroeder Maureen Shaughnessy 0DWW7XPDV Contest Judges Paula Bohince Olympia Vernon Contents Poetry 2009 Three Rivers Review Poetry Prize Winner: Madeleine Barnes 1LJKW5XQQHU 13 Side Effects 15 Grasp 16 Notes on Mothering 17 Child Mad Enough 18 Runner-up: Hannah Aizenman /LWDQ\ DVWXG\DSUD\HUDÁLUWDWLRQ 19 &RXQWLQJ<RXU7HHWK 20 Myth 22 Give Up Your Shosts 24 Mythmaking 26 Staff Selection: Alicia Salvadeo Like Heterolalia 27 7KH)ORZHU7HQWRU6HYHQ9LVLRQVRI.RUH 29 Grettelyn Nypaver Harakiri 32 Austin Moyer Holiday 33 Fiction 2009 Three Rivers Review Fiction Prize Winner: 6FRWW.U]\ZRQRV 7KH1LJKW-R)OLHG 37 Runner-up: /LDP6ZHHQH\ Strange Ways of Kissing 47 Staff Selection: Sarah Hogg Never Enough Poison in the World 61 Christina Seymour Pause and Circumstance 70 Christopher Stokum Kneelers 74 *UHJ7ULHWOH\ 7KH)DQWDVWLF/LIHRI(G6KRUHFURIW 83 Commentary Interview: Gerald Stern 96 Poem: 5RVHV 100 Interview: $QQH6DQRZ 101 Contributor Biographies 113 Editor’s Note 7KHPDJD]LQH\RXDUHKROGLQJLQ\RXUKDQGVLVD product of team effort, joint leadership, and the constant need WRVD\WKLVLVZKDWZHFDUHDERXWDVZULWHUVDQGWKLVLVKRZ ZHZLOOKRQRULW6LQFHThree Rivers Review has gone WKURXJKGLIIHUHQWYROXPHVLVVXHVDQGPRUHZULWHUVVWDII PHPEHUVDQGHGLWRUVWKDQZHFDQFRXQW+RZHYHUWKURXJK WKHVHQXPHURXVHGLWLRQVWKHUHZDVDOZD\VDFRQVWDQWRXUORYH UHVSHFWDQGGHYRWLRQWROLWHUDU\ZULWLQJ Looking back at our seven semesters of involvement ZLWKThree Rivers ReviewZHDUHERWKYHU\SURXGRIWKH DFFRPSOLVKPHQWVRIWKHPDJD]LQHDQGLWVVWDII7KHHYROXWLRQRI this publication has been in the style and structure that you see LQIURQWRI\RXWRGD\DVZHOODVLQWKHGLYHUVLW\RIWKHFRQWHQWLW includes. 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As readers, you have been the KRUL]RQZHKDYHDOZD\VZRUNHGWRZDUGV Nour Abdelghani & Joel W. Coggins Editors-in-Chief Three Rivers Review Poetry 2009 Three Rivers Review Poetry Prize 1\KNL»Z9LTHYRZ 0DGHOHLQH%DUQHV·VEUHDWKWDNLQJSRHPVDUHEXLOWZLWKDPXVLFDO FRPSOH[LW\DQGHPRWLRQDOFODULW\WKDWDOORZVGHHSFRQQHFWLRQ DQGZRQGHUPHQW6KHZRUNVLQYDU\LQJSRHWLFPRGHVZLWK HDVHVKHVHHPVWRLQVWLQFWLYHO\UHDOL]HZKDWIRUPZLOOSHUIHFWO\ UHÁHFWWKHVSHFLÀFLQWHOOLJHQFHRIKHUVXEMHFWV7KDWHDFKRIKHU SRHPVIHHOVDEVROXWHO\IUHVKDQGIHOWLVUHPDUNDEOH7KLVSRHW has a phenomenal ear and sense of pacing, including restraint. 7KHSRHPVUHDGDORXGLOOXPLQDWHKHUYDVWVNLOOV,IRXQG0V %DUQHV·VODQJXDJHWREHYLYLGZLWKRXWEHLQJRUQDPHQWDOHDFK ZRUGLVHVVHQWLDODQGWUXH7KHSRHWGLVDSSHDUVLQVLGHWKH SRHPVPRYLQJLQYLVLEO\VKDSLQJWKHUHDGLQJH[SHULHQFHZLWK TXLHWFRQÀGHQFHDQGFRQWURO7KDWWKHSRHPVIHHOVRQDWXUDOVR spontaneous, is a testament to her many gifts. I am genuinely PRYHGE\KHUZRUNDQGWKULOOHGWRLQWURGXFHKHUWRDODUJHU audience. ,JUHDWO\DGPLUHWKHDPELWLRQRI+DQQDK$L]HQPDQ·VVHULHVKHU restless and roaming mind, her dynamic reach, her sophisticated musical structures. In a voice at moments darkly humorous, at RWKHUVTXHVWLRQLQJDQGYXOQHUDEOHLWLVDOZD\VEHOLHYDEOHDQG LPPHQVHO\UHDGDEOH7KLVSRHWFDSWXUHVDQGNHHSVRXUDWWHQWLRQ WKURXJKRXWKHUORQJOLQHVDQGWKHEUHDGWKRIKHUUHIHUHQFHV7KH FRQWUROOHGXUJHQF\RI0V$L]HQPDQ·VSRHPVLVLPSUHVVLYH,WLV a pleasure to recognize her poems. Paula Bohince Sarabande Books Poet Incident at the Edge of Bayonet Woods (2008) 1998 Three Rivers Review Poetry Prize recipient 12 TRR Winner: Madeleine Barnes Night Runner “When a thing ceases to be moved, it does not therefore at the same time cease to be movable…” – Aristotle 6OHHSOHVV,·PQHYHUVXUHKRZWRZDVKVWDUV IURPP\KDLUHDFKIROOLFOHULQVHGZLWKWKRVHEDUEV headache after headache calling tendons into motion: night runner, I ran. I juxtaposed ankle to tar, I sprinted WKHLPDJLQDWLRQ·VVWDGLXP ,IHOODQGIUDFWXUHGDPHWDWDUVDOERQH6RZKDW I fell, ,VWRRGXSNHSWZDONLQJULSSHGVSDFHIURPFXWLFOH P\EUDLQVWHPFUXPEOLQJLQÀQLWHVLPDOVSDUNVLQWRDVKDVKDVK 7KHUHLVDQJXLVKLQPRYHPHQWEXW,KDGWRPRYH What use are studies and predictions WRIRUFHWKHÁDVKLQP\PXVFOHWKDWVD\Vhere, now, ZKRDP,"7KDW·VZKR,VWRRGXS:KDWFDQEHPHQGHG ZKHQ\RXWRRGLVVROYHLQWRSL[HOVJUDP RILPDJLVWLFIUDJPHQWV":KDW·VOHIW"ZHHNV HOHYDWHWKHIRRWVLWVWLOOZKLOHWKHHDUWKTXDNHV" Motion, anemia, osteoporosis, night runner unbeats WKHKHDUWLQWROLYLQJZKHUHLVFDOFLXPLQVSDFH" +RZZLOO,NQRZZKDWUHPDLQV