Magnolia Journal!

Today I received my contributor copies for the inaugural print issue of Magnolia Journal. It's stunning, and I'm thrilled to have my work included.

Here's a bit from the back cover:

"In this first volume of a new series dedicated to socially engaged literature by women, guest editor Gayle Brandeis introduces us to powerful storytelling that speaks out loud the atrocities of our world, breaking the silence and taking pause. Included are the traumatic tale of a mother’s loss during a clandestine border crossing, the unionization of a women’s light bulb factory in pre-World War II Chicago, a child whose life has been stunted by a futuristic device she is stored in on a daily basis, and many more.

This year’s writers represent a diversity of geographies, stylistic sensibilities, and perspectives. Through poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction, they universally challenge us to reconsider what “women’s experience” looks and sounds like—they require us to break our hearts, celebrate even the smallest triumphs, and to critically examine the seemingly mundane moments of everyday life, all through the medium of language. Featuring new and established voices, this collection is a must read for compassionate and thoughtful readers from all walks of life."

I'm especially happy to have found this fine home for my short story "Waste Island." It's speculative fiction, set in the future, on an island made from trash and located in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic gyre (aka the garbage patch). The narrator is a young woman caught in the web of an environmental cult with a leader whose good intentions lead them to tragedy (a la Jim Jones).

I won't have a chance to read the other work until next week, but I did a quick scan and it looks like a fabulous issue!

Here's a link to purchase it on Amazon: Clicky