Guest Blogger: Lori Desrosiers
In November, Lori Desrosiers joined a panel of esteemed local editors to discuss publishing in literary journals. During their compelling conversation, Lori mentioned a new venture, Wordpeace (http://wordpeace.co). I invited Lori to tell us more about this important new project, the kind that – in my opinion – we desperately need in these turbulent times.—Missy Wick, Straw Dog blog editor
From Lori Desrosiers:
Wordpeace is a new online journal of literary conversation with world events. It is on the web at http://wordpeace.co. I started it in June of 2015 with Monica Hand as poetry editor and Oonagh Doherty as fiction editor. For now, I am serving as non-fiction editor and webmaster.
In my introduction to the second quarterly issue, I wrote, “One gets a sense, gleaned from the upheaval and constancy of wars and racial violence, that many people may believe this is a given; as if there is nothing that can be done about it. However, we know there is something that can help. We can raise our voices in protest, in prayer, and in conversation.
“The viability of literary conversation is why we decided to put Wordpeace together, to put forward, through literature, the possibility of peace, that there might be change in the US and elsewhere to lead us toward a united world where there will be no extremes of wealth and poverty, and where all people of all faiths will feel safe to enter into not just conversation, but abiding friendship.”
Wordpeace accepts submissions year-round through Submittable and considers poetry, short fiction, essays and articles, as well as multi-media and cross-genre work. We are particularly looking for essays and poetry right now. We also publish an interview each month. The September issue features an interview with Joseph Ross, whose series of poems about Trayvon Martin are also featured in the journal. For more information, see the website or email wordpeace.editors@gmail.com.—Lori Desrosiers
Lori Desrosiers’ poetry books are The Philosopher’s Daughter, published by Salmon Poetry in 2013, a chapbook, Inner Sky is from Glass Lyre Press and a second full-length book of poems, Sometimes I Hear the Clock Speak will be out from Salmon in March 2016. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She edits Naugatuck River Review, a journal of narrative poetry. She teaches Literature and Composition at Westfield State University and Holyoke Community College, and Poetry in the Interdisciplinary Studies program for the Lesley University M.F.A. graduate program.