WELCOME TO DELMARVA REVIEW VOLUME 14, an annual, independent, nonprofit literary journal.
In this, our largest edition, we selected the new writing of seventy authors that stood out from thousands of submissions during the year. Volume 14 includes one hundred poems, thirteen short stories, twelve creative nonfiction essays, and seven book reviews. In all, the writers come from twenty-five states, the District of Columbia, and four foreign countries. About forty percent are from the Delmarva and Chesapeake region, though the review welcomes the best new writing in English from all writers, regardless of borders.
The cover photograph, Tangier Island Light at dusk, is by contributing photographer Jay P. Fleming. It was taken as part of Fleming's work for his wonderful new narrative photography book, Island Life, capturing "a pivotal moment in time for Smith and Tangier." Life on these isolated islands in the Chesapeake Bay-the largest estuary in the United States-is often considered frozen in time, but Fleming has delved deeper, documenting work and life on the islands "as the very forces that sustain them also threaten to take them away." While not the theme of the book, or of the Delmarva Review, climate change remains highly concerning. There is no preaching here-just the facts, images, and human stories-and you are likely to learn something new from the content (see the book review in this edition). The rest is up to you.
No singular theme emerges from this issue of the Delmarva Review. As a literary collection, we continue to focus on the best new writing and what is at stake or at risk emotionally or intellectually in the author's work. The book opens with thoughts about life and death, where we realize the uncertainty of our days. Other topics include loss, desire, aging, equality, haunting regrets, bullying, beliefs, the pandemic, and the list goes on. Ultimately, themes revolve around change. It is through human change that we are forced to discover truths that guide us on our journeys or, perhaps, to make sense of where we have been. This is where our truths count most, usually with discomfort and little room for alternate deception.
The book contains three major genre divisions: Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, and Poetry. An editor's interview with a featured writer opens each section. The interviews are designed to set a tone for the writing that follows. They provide readers with a window into the authors' intentions-what they were thinking when they wrote the piece or the choices they faced. We hope this adds an interesting dimension to all the writing presented. Volume 14 also includes seven reviews of recent books of special interest to readers.
Delmarva Review was created to provide both established and aspiring writers with a valued venue to present their best work in print at a time when many commercial publishers continue to reduce content or are going out of business. For electronic reading, we have been among the first literary journals to publish an eBook edition. Both editions are available from major booksellers online. The printed book is available from participating specialty bookstores.