7 December 1998 Vol. 53/No. 4 2 In this issue we celebrate the life of Street, just off Times Square in New Warren Kliewer, writer and York City on October 24. dramatist of Mennonite background, We also include a bibliography of who died July 29,1998. Kliewer was Warren Kliewer's numerous known in Mennonite circles for his contributions to Mennonite Life, poetry, short stories, dramas, and going back to 1953. novels on Mennonite themes, but A short story by Dallas Wiebe and was also well-known in theater poems by Rhoda Janzen, California circles for his work in poet laureate; G. C. Waldrep, an reviving eighteenth Amish poet of North Carolina; and In this issue and nineteenth century Cheryl Denise, a Mennonite poet in American plays with West Virginia who has previously his East Lynne company in Cape been published in Mennonite Life fill May, New Jersey. His work along out our Arts section. these lines was noted in an article by Our History sections consists of an Alvin Klein, "A Director with a article that reflects on one incident in Reverence for Things Past," in the the long history of interaction Sunday, August 9, 1998, New York between leaders of the General Times. Conference Mennonite Church and Here we publish three tributes to the (Old) Mennonite Church, timely Warren Kliewer, one by Raylene in the light of ongoing merger Hinz-Penner of Bethel College, read discussions and the recently at a memorial service in Mountain published biography of Harold S. Lake, Minnesota, September 19, Bender. 1998. Another is by Kliewer's friend and contemporary Elmer F. Suderman. A third is a poem by Dallas Wiebe, another of Kliewer's friends in Mennonite literature. The poem was also read by Elmer Suderman at the Kliewer memorial service in Mountain Lake. Then follows Warren Kliewer's last submission for Mennonite Life, a short story called "Fathers and Sons," which he implied contains "some ugly stories that must also be told." (See Raylene Hinz-Penner tribute.) Also included here is one of Kliewer's poems, "A Story about Beginning," first published in Cincinnati Poetry Review, fall 1989, which was edited by Dallas Wiebe. Wiebe read this poem at the memorial service for Warren Kliewer Photo credits: p. 6,43,45, front cover, in the Lambs Theatre on West 44th Mennonite Library and Archives. M e n n o n i t e Life Mennonite Life to cease publication 4 Arts Tributes to Warren Kliewer For Warren Kliewer Rciylene Hinz-Penner 7 Contents Warren Kliewer, Writer and Mennonite Eimer F. Suderman 8 An Elegy for Warren Kliewer Dallas Wiebe 9 Fathers and Sons Warren Kliewer 10 A Story about Beginning poem by Warren Kliewer 17 Warren Kliewer in Mennonite Life: A Bibliography 18 Tiffany Claasen Dallas Wiebe 20 Poems Rhoda Janzen 28 G. C. Waldrep 32 Cheryl Denise 37 H i s t o r y Inter-Mennonite Scholarly Dialogue in 1929: Edmund G. Kaufman and Harold S. Bender James C. Juhnke i D F. C !■ M B I: R 1 9 9 8 4 M e n n o n i t c L i f e W T Te regret to announce The phrase "semi- popular" was that Mennonite Life will cease used at least a couple of times. publication with the December 1999 Mennonite Life seems to have run issue. For several years now, revenue a deficit almost all the years it was in has been unable to meet printing existence up to 1970. Thus there was costs, let alone other expenses repeated consideration given to associated with producing the discontinuing it. It was evaluated at Mennonite Life magazine. With subscriber numbers least every five years, on average, if to Cease now below 500, it no longer seems not more often. In 1970, the Herald practical to continue. In this, Publishing Co. (publishers of Publication Mennonite Life is succumbing to a Mennonite Weekly Reviczu) offered to trend that seems to be more take it over on a trial basis. widespread in church-related and Mennonite Life was published and even secular publishing: general edited by the Mennonite Weekly audience magazines which address Review staff from 1971-1974. This issues of a more intellectual nature coincided with the preparations for than popular culture and current the 1974 Russian Mennonite news have trouble surviving. immigration centennial and thus Mennonite Life began in 1946 at they were able to build up subscriber Bethel College with a number of numbers considerably. purposes and goals in mind: to In late 1974 Herald Publishing replace the Bethel College Monthly decided the publication was too (which ended in 1935) as a forum for expensive and asked the college to writing by Bethel students and take it back. Apparently the plan faculty; to speak to issues of was to operate on a break-even basis Mennonite identity in a situation of and not provide a subsidy from the considerable social change after the college budget. With the centennial end of World War II; to provide a past, the number of subscribers forum for General Conference seems to have started declining interests, meaning also Russian- almost immediately. Occasional background Mennonites and those attempts were made to bring in living in the plains states (this was in outside support, such as several direct competition with Mennonite issues published with the help of Quarterly Review which was seen at Canadian General Conference that time as not offering room for groups. those interests). The intention was to Mennonite Life was edited from position the new periodical in tone its beginning through July 1971 by and audience somewhere between a Cornelius Krahn. Other editors newspaper such as Mennonite Weekly included: Robert M. Schräg, Dec. Review and a periodical aimed more 1971-Dec. 1974; Robert Kreider and at the scholarly specialist audience Jim Juhnke, 1975-June 1980; Robert such as Mennonite Quarterly Review. Kreider, Sept. 1980-Sept 1984; David M e n n o n i t e L i i- e Mennonite Life ITaury, Dec. 1984-Sept. 1989; Jim and Mary Sprunger (history), Duane Juhnke, Dec. 1989-June 1995; John D. Friesen and Lois Barrett (theology). Thiesen as managing editor. Sept. Brad Born and Rich Preheim (current 1995-present. In addition, Raylene issues), and Raylene Hinz-Penner Hinz-Penner served as editor of the and Carla Reimer (arts). Barbara annual December arts issue Dec. Thiesen has acted as copy editor since 1991-Dec. 1995. at least 1985. After a 50th anniversary issue Since this reorganization and dated March/June 1996, a new redesign of 1996, we have received editorial team was in place whose more praise for Mennonite Life than dudes would be to select and edit at any other time in the recent past. articles in the four areas of history, This is ironic, since at the same time theology and religion, current issues, subscriber numbers continue to and arts. John D. Thiesen continued drop. as managing editor, with We hope to devote much of the responsibility for compiling selected space in the 1999 issues to articles and working with Mennonite celebrating the 54 years of Mennonite Press to produce each issue, as well as Life and to looking forward into the continuing as book review editor. The new century and millennium with a editorial team consists of: Jim Juhnke Mennonite perspective. D is c n m ii I-: k 19 9 8 6 R a y I e n H i n z - P e n n e r Mennonite L i fE R a y 1 e n e H i n z - Penner 7 end at the memorial reading of other writers, his interest service in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, in story for the sake of story, his September 19,1998. interest in telling the truth, his bold willingness to tell the other side of In the 1969 Thresher yearbook, the story. the last year that I was at Bethel The warm human being that College as a student, there is a Warren was became obvious to all of wonderful picture of Warren Kliewer us at the Goshen conference last For Warren kneeling on stage, a manuscript in October, "Mennonite/s Writing in hand, earnest look on his youthful, the U. S.," where he was much Kliewer bearded face, alongside the caption honored both formally, in a tribute, which reads: "Warren Kliewer, and informally, by old friends and Wichita State writer and oral new ones like me, who after so many R a \j I e n H i n z - interpreter, engaged in interpretation years of writing back and forth over P e n n e r of his own work." submissions to Mennonite Life, was I did not know Warren Kliewer able, finally, to sit around the table in those years, but it seems I have and talk with Warren about writing always known of him and of his and more. work. In his last submission to The last story Warren submitted Mennonite Life ["Fathers and Sons," for Mennonite Life is about what is in this issue], Warren began his good and true and essential, and as letter: "Enough with the bittersweet always, it is seeking how to live, in nostalgia. There are some ugly this case, differently from his father, stories that must also be told," and and it involves the work of the then, in a later paragraph, "It's easy imagination. From Warren's to apply stringent standards to other youthful perspective at the story's writers. Let's see what you can do end he says, Kliewer." He then tells me what he is I began to realize I was sending, why, how he has revised it, going to have to become a and finishes, "I strongly suspect this different kind of person, a is the last mixed-genre story I'll send person for whom 1 had no model you...