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As we do at this time each year, this issue celebrates Hispanic American Heritage Month, with work by writers Chantel Acevedo, Rafael Campo, Suzanne Frischkorn, and Steven Ramirez, as well as artist José Guajardo. Our Synecdoche column for the first time reviews only fiction, featuring Hispanic American writers A. Lee Martinez and Aaron Michael Morales.
This is also our summer fiction issue, featuring swatches of stories from the old-fashioned charm and moment-to-moment reality of Joanne Zimmerman to the more ephemeral and strange worlds of Ramirez and Silas Dent Zobal. We may have fewer pages than we had in the past (because of Iowa’s fiscal problems), but we trust you’ll enjoy the fine stories splashed before you.
Sadly, Ron Sandvik, our managing editor, is leaving the NAR for grad school (more below). We welcome Rick Natale in his place. Rick has already established a Web store (an idea Ron wanted for years) as well as an electronic submission portal—see our new submission guidelines. Both are available at our website, <northamericanreview.org>. See also Rick’s Past Perfect column in this issue.
Well, go write some stories down by the pool. Rock ’n’ roll.
ART
Cover Untitled [collage] • Brent Watkinson
9 Untitled [archival pigment print] • Matthew Knight
15 Untitled [graphite, collage, and acrylic] • Joanna Barnum
21 Untitled [digital photo montage] • Marty Gotera
24 Inside Joan Crawford’s Closet [ink wash] • Jess Fink
25 Untitled [pen, acrylic, and spray paint] • Claire Stigliani
32 Untitled [mixed media] • José Guajardo
FICTION
9 Carolyn Came to Visit • Joanne Zimmerman
15 Wretchedness • Silas Dent Zobal
21 Endangered Species • Erik Hanson
24 Inside Joan Crawford’s Closet • Kristine Somerville
25 The Hunt • Lisa Lee
32 Five Movie Endings [I Would Banish from This World if I Were Ruler Supreme of Hollywood] • Steven Ramirez
NONFICTION
3 365 New Words a Year: October • Lucienne S. Bloch
38 Stop • E. B. Cavanagh
48 Continuing the Lunacy [Past Perfect] • Richard D. Natale
POETRY
8 My Body as The Tropicana Nightclub, 1952 • Suzanne Frischkorn
11 The Last Cigarette • John Davis
14 Advice, for Me, on Ironing • Gary Fincke
20 On Finding a Legless Doll at the Beach Called Park Facing Southeast, California • Alyce Miller
27 Why Chromosomes • Scott Provence
28 Classical • Ronald Wallace
31 Shopping at Super Target with Death • Eric Charles Hansen
34 Answers the Lake Gave • William Johnson
37 The Shelf Life of Robot Food • Katherine Anne Webb
37 Trees • Rafael Campo
39 The Poets Agree Not to Talk About Money • David Wagoner
41 An Angry Lover’s Alphabet • Chantel Acevedo
REVIEWS
45 [Not] “All Screwed Up” • Anne Drolet
46 Crosscuts: Brief DVD Reviews • Grant Tracey
47 Synecdoche: Brief Book Reviews • Vince Gotera
MISCELLANY
2 From the Editors • NAR Staffers Out in the World
47 Contributors