Bear RiverReview Bear River Review ear River Review Keith Taylor Kathleen V. McKevitt Richard Tillinghast Vicki McMillan Mary Kathleen Angel Brenda Meisels An Anthology of Poetry and Prose arwulf arwulf Jennifer Metsker by Bear River Writers 2008‐2009 Norma Bishop Peg Padnos B Mira Bowman Sue Marie Papajesk Lee Warner Brooks Kerry Rutherford Elaine Burr Barbara Saunier Jacqueline Carney Melissa Seitz Richard H. Coupe Susannah Sheffer Kaye Curren Ken Shelton Jim Daniels Robert E. Smith Jerry Dennis Holly Wren Spaulding Susan L. Denny Jennifer Sperry Steinorth Marti Dodge Ellen Stone Eric Ederer Pia Taavila Jeremy Efroymson Laurence W. Thomas Kelly Fordon Bill Trevarthen Joy Gaines‐Friedler Angela Williams Christopher Giroux Anthony Zick Leigh C. Grant Penny Hackett‐Evans In Memoriam Don Hewlett Jaime Courtney Bear Esther L. Hurwitz Judy Reid River Jeff Kass Paintings by Dorianne Laux Ava Gilzow Mardi Link H. Anne Thurston Writers Chris Lord Diane Marty Cover art by John Mauk Don Hewlett 2008 ‐ ISBN: 978-0-9795404-2-4 2009 jÉÜwËÇ jÉÅtÇ cÜxáá AnnArbor, Michigan 48103 [email protected] ear River Review An Anthology of Poetry and Prose by Bear River Writers 2008-2009 B ear River Review An Anthology of Poetry and Prose by Bear River Writers 2008-2009 B Editor Chris Lord Managing Editor Kaye Curren Associate Editor Jennifer Metsker Art Editor Don Hewlett Editorial Board Lee Warner Brooks Catherine Calabro Cindy Glovinsky Esther Hurwitz David Penhale Greg Schutz Richard Solomon Published with the support of an anonymous donor. Published May 2010 by Bear River Writers’ Conference and Word’n Woman Press © 2010 by Bear River Writers’ Conference and Word’n Woman Press All rights reserved by Bear River Writers’ Conference, Word’n Woman Press, and the authors, who retain all copyright to their own material. Cover art by Don Hewlett Paintings by Ava Gilzow and H. Anne Thurston For information on the Conference and to read on-line issues of the Bear River Review, please go to http://www.lsa.umich.edu/bearriver/ Printed by Kolossos Printing, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan jÉÜwËÇ jÉÅtÇ cÜxáá Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 [email protected] ISBN: 978-0-9795404-2-4 Introduction he reason the Bear River Writers’ Conference exists is to Tencourage new writing. It only makes sense that we do what we can to help some of that work find an audience. Luckily, we've been given some financial support to implement that idea, and also the important support of donated time. These incredible gifts have allowed us to create a space for people to share their writing with their Conference colleagues and with any other reader who may stumble across it. We hope people enjoy the work and find it helpful with their own projects. ~Keith Taylor, Director Paintings on this page by Ava Gilzow v s one of Bear River’s founding fathers, I am proud to assert, A a full decade on, that we have stayed true to our original intention. To paraphrase William Faulkner, we have not only endured, we have prevailed. Through a healthy connection with the University of Michigan, supported by good and generous people in our state, we have brought to our participants the best writers and teachers in the world. At the same time we have never stopped being an “up north” outfit. We have seen the green heron in flight, have spotted the indigo bunting on the finial of a jack pine, and have sat around a campfire by the lake listening to the wild pack-music of coyotes in full cry. ~Richard Tillinghast, Founder e thank our anonymous donor for supporting the W publication of this issue of the Bear River Review. And as we celebrate our ten-year anniversary, we thank the founders of the Bear River Writers’ Conference, James McCullough and Richard Tillinghast, for charting and captaining us on this literary voyage, and we thank Keith Taylor for his excellent direction as he continues to keep our poetic pontoon on course. The writers in this issue began their work at the Conference, workshopped it there, were inspired there. Welcome to the words that flowed from the clarity of Walloon Lake onto these pages. ~Chris Lord, Editor vi Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. v ~Keith Taylor, Director ...................................................................... v ~Richard Tillinghast, Founder ........................................................... vi ~Chris Lord, Editor ........................................................................... vi KEITH TAYLOR ................................................................................... 1 Canines ............................................................................................... 1 A State-threatened Species .................................................................. 1 If You Want to Find a Hummingbird Nest........................................... 2 Our Matinicus Island Seal Bone ......................................................... 2 RICHARD TILLINGHAST .................................................................. 3 Two Blues ............................................................................................ 3 MARY KATHLEEN ANGEL ............................................................... 6 A Map of the Universe ........................................................................ 6 arwulf arwulf ........................................................................................ 14 bach .............................................................................................. 14 um mitternacht .................................................................................. 16 NORMA BISHOP ................................................................................ 17 Sifting .............................................................................................. 17 Seed Stitch ......................................................................................... 18 MIRA BOWMAN ................................................................................ 19 The only way to have an organic death these days is to be eaten by wolves ..................................................................... 19 LEE WARNER BROOKS ................................................................... 21 Matrimony ......................................................................................... 21 Flash Fiction ..................................................................................... 22 This Was Us ...................................................................................... 22 ELAINE BURR .................................................................................... 23 Aunt Lucky ........................................................................................ 23 JACQUELINE CARNEY .................................................................... 33 Close Your Eyes ................................................................................ 33 vii RICHARD H. COUPE, Ph.D. ............................................................. 42 Elvis and a Wedding in Mississippi .................................................. 42 KAYE CURREN .................................................................................. 46 Zilka and Me ..................................................................................... 46 That Blank Page ................................................................................ 46 JIM DANIELS ...................................................................................... 47 Packing My Own ............................................................................... 47 Pyramids, Mexico ............................................................................. 48 Delivery Room .................................................................................. 50 JERRY DENNIS .................................................................................. 51 An April Shower ................................................................................ 51 SUSAN L. DENNY ............................................................................... 54 Graduation Day ................................................................................ 54 An Audience of One .......................................................................... 55 MARTI DODGE .................................................................................. 56 House Cat Rules ................................................................................ 56 ERIC EDERER .................................................................................... 61 Coffee and Cauliflower Soup ............................................................ 61 JEREMY EFROYMSON .................................................................... 63 Excerpts from “Shall We Accept this Pizza?” .................................. 63 KELLY FORDON ................................................................................ 71 Go-Go Boots ..................................................................................... 71 JOY GAINES-FRIEDLER .................................................................. 73 A Pheasant is Crossing I-75 North of Grayling ................................ 73 Assisted Living .................................................................................. 74 CHRISTOPHER GIROUX ................................................................. 75 Garden .............................................................................................