Late November (II)
Today in Virginia, unseasonably cold, high only in the mid 30’s. I think of a night drive from Austerlitz an hour north to bring in my plants, early September. The sky tangerine, guava and teal. My own house strangely quiet, my cat at my mother’s. When I think of a night I drove from Austerlitz to bring in the plants, my mother young enough to swoop up suitcases, my cat, I was looking for someone. “Aren’t you glad you still have me?” my mother purred. The cat I got after that one, now going on 21, the ice yesterday a...
Read MoreLate November (I)
one minute, the sun was out, it was fall. Geraniums under a quilt last night, a blotch of red opening. On the front step what looked like lint has small pink claws and feet. Next the sky was the color of lead. Geraniums under a quilt last night like a child you’ve tucked in or a body wrapped in the earth under leaves. In the swirl of sudden snow, what was left of the headless fur blows west Like a child you’ve tucked in whatever was living, a just born squirrel I suppose, hardly a living thing except for feet. In fifteen...
Read MoreFeatured: Week of Sept. 24
In the Northeastern United States, where I live, the weather is wavering between warmth and coolness. But on many days, as this past weekend, one last burst of heat blooms, as summer takes a last stand. This week’s contributors celebrate the beauty of warm weather. Emily Strauss, in her poem, “Settling Into Outside,” explores the transformation brought by spending time outdoors. John Grey’s poem, “Train Through Nebraska,” depicts the scenery out a train traveling through the Midwestern U.S. Stephanie DeLusé, in her essay, “My Morning with a...
Read MoreAbout This Issue
When Wild Violet published the first issue, 10 years ago, the country was in great need of healing following the September 11 attacks on the U.S. My co-founder, Amanda Cornwell, and I had been working on the issue for several months, and we had already agreed on our goals to create a positive place for the arts. We wanted to create a space where independent artists and writers could flourish, and make their work accessible to a greater audience than those who read small literary magazines. In the decade since, Wild Violet has published poetry, fiction, humor, short pieces, essays, artwork and...
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