Featured Works: Week of Apr. 2 (Love)
Explore the many facets of romantic love with this week’s contributors, from yearning to reciprocation to weathering challenges. “In Love” by David Sapp starts our journey with adolescent infatuation. “Dear Memory II” by Kevin J.B. O’Connor recalls a past relationship with a mixture of emotions. “Tree and Grass” by James B. Nicola delves into nature as a metaphor for a past love. “What a Parasite Would Say” by Carson Pytell adopts a botanic viewpoint that could as easily refer to an unhealthy relationship. “The Mathematics of Love” by Vicki Iorio uses...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of March 26 (Renewal)
A lot has happened since an issue of Wild Violet last came out, but we are back! In the spirit of renewal, this week’s contributors offer fresh eyes on ordinary things. “All these peach blossoms” by Ayaz Daryl Nielsen evokes the rebirth of spring. “Only You Could Catch Me” by David Sapp recalls the memory of a childhood rescue. “Crows and dragonflies” by Ayaz Daryl Nielsen examines the inspiration of nature. If you are a contributor who prefers to send submissions via the postal service, use our new address: Wild Violet P.O. Box 887 Havertown, Pa....
Read MoreRemembering Chuck Shandry
This weekend, I learned of the sudden passing of Chuck Shandry, who contributed interviews to Wild Violet in our early days, and who was a fellow staffer at the annual anime and East Asian cultural convention, Otakon. I met Chuck about 30 years ago, when I was an officer and newsletter editor for the Penn State Monty Python Society. He occasionally attended meetings, not performing in skits like the rest of us hams, but laughing in the audience and cheering us on. Nearly 20 years older than us, a Navy veteran, he genially turned down our offers to join us for a run to the College Diner after...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of Feb. 22 (The Arts)
In trying times, the arts provide refuge. Whether escaping into a fictional world, or finding relief through laughter, or simply being inspired, the arts improve our lives. That concept is as true today as when Wild Violet was founded to provide a “place for the arts,” as this week’s contributors illustrate. In “The Wrong Kiiid Died,” actor, writer and artist Raymond J. Barry provides an impressionistic account of his experiences shooting a scene in a comedy film. “Rehearsals” by R. Steve Benson uses the language of dance and theater to relate a life...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of Jan. 18 (News)
While some draw inspiration from personal experience, others find source material in local, national or global events, as this week’s contributors illustrate. “Headlines” by Kevin J.B. O’Connor encapsulates some of the major themes from recent newscasts. “To Pete Rose” by Joey Nicoletti finds a personal connection to a sports legend. “Approaching comet” by Douglas J. Lanzo highlights a recurring science phenomenon. “The Cemetery Gardeners” by J. Novalis Wolfe may be set in any age, moving on from war to find...
Read More