Fall 2022
Letter from the Editor
You see: light escapes from a body at night
and in the morning, despite the oppressive vacancy
of her leaving’s shadow, light comes up
over the mountains and it is and it is and it is.
– Excerpt from “Relentless” by Ada Limón, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States
Ada Limón’s use of relentless as the title of her poem frames for us the sharp edges of resiliency that come from the world going forward no matter what happens to us. More than two years into the pandemic, “it is and it is and is.” Even so, some softer things are returning or appearing anew. You can see this in our Fall 2022 Issue. The editors feature stories this season that do not shy away from the sharpness of difficulty, and they do not deny that beauty and wonder are also present. Because what always happens next is: ”it is and it is and it is.”
The other day I was walking and I realized that in 2024, the Fall Issue will mark our 15th year. I’m going to need a color-coded spreadsheet immediately. As a smaller volunteer-run journal, it was amazing to celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2019, and Senior Poetry Editor and Zest Editor Eric Steineger was a guiding force in getting us there.
This issue marks Eric’s 10th anniversary with The Citron Review. He has been steadfast in his commitment to readers and writers, and he’s always imagining and taking generous action to ensure a bright future for Citron and its editors, readers, and staff. All of this and more has made him a wonderful leader and friend. We fully support his decision to take a well-deserved sabbatical. He is an incredible writer, and if you have not read his book, From A Lisbon Rooftop, interviews, or book reviews, I encourage you to do so.
Although it is hotter in Nevada than summer in some places, I have yielded to the season of cozy no matter what the thermostat says. I’ve started carrying a sweater with me because I love the idea that I might get cold, that I will be cold again some day.
Thank you to all of the contributing writers for sending us your work. Thank you, readers, for making time to witness these stories with us.
May beauty and wonder find you and your loved ones on this fall equinox.
Angela M. Brommel
Editor-in-Chief
Poetry Editor
The Citron Review
Image above: Angela M. Brommel, Sunrise at Mystery Ranch, Search Light, NV, 2019
Image at right: Angela M. Brommel, Plum, 2013
Masthead
Table of Contents
Poetry
Notes on the selections by Eric Steineger
| Daisy Bassen |
An earth, a leash | |
| DS Maolalai | Currency | |
| Julia Watson |
Sand Dollar | |
| Judith Fox | The Gift Ars Poetica |
|
| RB Brown | B’reisheet | |
Creative Nonfiction
Notes on the selections by Ronit Plank
| Camille U. Adams | Before Carnival Cancel and Borders Close | |
| Christy Tending | It Explodes | |
| Nancy Huggett | Benediction | |
| Maura Alia Badji | Porca Miseria with Knife | |
| William Woolfit | P Is for Paradise Garden Bad Blood |
|
| Arin Calaway | Dear Shannon Moore | |
| Naihobe González | Little Devil | |
Flash Fiction
Notes on the selections by Hedwika Cox
| María Alejandra Barrios Vélez |
Cotton | |
| Kavi Yaga |
2.84 Ounces | |
| Marianne Villanueva | Spinning by Candlelight | |
| Lynn Mundell | The Loved Ones Who Haunt You in Technicolor Still | |
| Sabina Y. Wong | Shine in Her Light | |
Micros
Notes on the selections by JR Walsh
| Patience Mackarness |
As Humans Screw Up Yet Again, Don’t You Just Wish Mother Gaia Would Step In? | |
| Megan Carlson |
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| Celeste Hurst | Waking Up | |
| Terri Drake | The Time Will Come When You Shall See What the Hummingbird Sees | |
| Jen Schneider | on unlikely teams & broken s(t)eams | |
| Judith Shapiro | Proposal | |
| Eliot Li |
It Must Have Taken So Much Courage For My Disowned Mother To RSVP Yes To Uncle’s Wedding | |
| K.S. Dyal | Forest Lawn |
The Citron Review 