Issue # 12 Fall 2016 Nonfiction - Fiction - Poetry - Art - eBook
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Dear Readers, Thank you for opening up Jet Fuel Review’s Fall 2016 issue—we, the editors, are excited to provide you with the twelfth issue of our high-octane literary journal filled with a dazzling new set of poems, fiction, creative non-fiction and artwork that we selected from hundreds of submissions this fall. The editors have spent many hours reading creative work from across the globe and have been faced with the difficult decision of what to feature in our latest issue. After careful consideration and intense discussion, we believe the twelfth issue is a fresh representation of the voices of contemporary writers and artists from around the world. You have probably noticed Melody S. Boone’s photographic piece “Girls” on the cover of our journal—a superimposition of multiple images that seem to each have a place in a family photo album, yet when fused together, captures the transience of growing up. The sepia tones bring us back to the nostalgia of childhood, and if you look closely enough, you will notice a white silhouette of a bride embedded in these other memories that function as a narrative to the female experience in America. The idea of a woman’s narrative in this world is a theme that seems to overlap with many of the pieces we published in this issue. In our non-fiction section, you will find Christine Holmstrom’s “Rumor Has It” in which she relays an experience from her days as a prison guard and how being a woman affects the way she is viewed in this position. Another struggle that not just women, but everyone deals with in their life is the pressure to be “beautiful,” which Genelle Chaconas wonderfully meditates on in their fiction piece “Skin Deep”. In the expansive poetry section, Natalie Crick’s piece “Sunday School” is featured, a poem which uses stunning church imagery to conceptualize the innocence of adolescent girls. With many new literature-lovers added to our staff this fall, we encountered some obstacles as we all worked to produce a publication that can measure up to the previous issues, yet reflect our unique tastes. In the end, we found a way to balance our desire to achieve the standard that past editors have set for us while simultaneously selecting work that ultimately showcases what we value as editors and human beings. In a small room located in Romeoville, IL, Jet Fuel Review runs off of active Lewis students’ and alumni’s dedication and our self-prescribed quest to spread literature and art. With the mentoring of faculty advisors, Drs. Simone Muench and Jackie White, the editors work hard at curating a diverse journal that we believe speaks to people from all walks of life. We strongly hope that the twelfth issue is reflective of the different experiences in this world and that every reader can find a piece that embodies his/her/their experience in some form. Read on, Sam Gennett & the Jet Fuel Review Editors |