Relief: A Quarterly Christian Expression

First Issue Preview

Written by Coach Culbertson

Saturday, 07 October 2006

Announcing the Author Line-up for the Pioneer Issue!

We are ecstatic to announce our accepted authors for the first issue of Relief. Fantastic work from veteran authors like Scott Cairns, Al Haley, and Nancy J. Nordenson are right alongside powerful pieces from up-and-coming authors like Michael Snyder, Jill Bergkamp, and Ryan J. Jack McDermott.

Thanks to everyone for submitting your work to us, and please, keep sending in your short fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Our next submission period for the Feb 2007 issue ends November 1, 2006, so polish up those works and get them in!

But for now, read on to see our opening line-up for the first issue:

	Michael Snyder All Healed Up Editor’s Choice, Fiction Michael Snyder is the husband of one very lovely wife, the father of four spirited children, and the owner of one incredibly dumb dog. He (Michael, not the dog) has a useless degree in music composition and arranging from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He has enjoyed the privilege of winning a few short story contests and his most recent novel is under editorial review at numerous publishers. Also, he’s not exactly sure how he feels about referring to himself in third person.
	Jill Bergkamp Sunday School Lesson Editor’s Choice, Poetry Jill Bergkamp lives in Southern Florida with her husband, sons, and cats. In between dodging hurricanes, she attends Florida Atlantic University where she is studying for a degree in English. Her work has appeared in Alive Now, Catapult and The Christian Century, and is forthcoming in 2River View and Wicked Alice. A Great Blue Heron sometimes watches her through the window while she writes.
	Nancy J. Nordenson Nothing Can Separate Editor’s Choice, Creative Nonfiction Nancy J. Nordenson is the author of Just Think: Nourish Your Mind to Feed Your Soul (Baker). A freelance medical writer, she is also a second-year graduate student in Seattle Pacific University's MFA in Creative Writing program. She and her husband live in Minneapolis and have two sons making their way in the world at college and beyond.
	Scott Cairns Erotikos Logos Poetry Scott Cairns is the author of six collections of poetry, most recently Compass of Affection: Poems New & Selected. His works have been included in Best Spiritual Writing, Best American Spiritual Writing, The Pushcart Prize Collection, and Upholding Mystery, among other anthologies. His poetry has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The Paris Review, The New Republic, Poetry, Image, Spiritus, Western Humanities Review, and others. He is Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at University of Missouri. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship for 2006. His spiritual memoir, Short Trip to the Edge, will be published by HarperSanFrancisco in 2007.
	Chuck Baker Breath of Water The Throat Poetry Chuck Baker is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor from Coquitlam, BC, Canada. Hundreds of his articles and poems have appeared in publications such as SOUL Mag, Woman This Month, Writer's Digest, Writer's Guide to Creativity, New York Moves, Healthy Living Magazine, Roux Magazine, and many more. His first collection of poetry, Cross Examinations, which includes three contest-winning poems, is now available through amazon.com and amazon.ca. His latest e-book, Get Poetic, about how to write and sell more of your poetry, is available at www.todaybooks.com . To see what else he's up to, visit him at www.getchuckbaker.tk .
	Traci Brimhall The Taste of Lot's Wife Three Days Poetry Traci is a native Minnesotan who now lives and writes in New York City. She currently attends Sarah Lawrence College where she is earning her MFA in Poetry. Her work has recently appeared in a-pos-tro-phe, kaleidowhirl and Tattoo Highway
	Wm. Anthony Connolly Zugunruhe Creative Nonfiction Wm. Anthony Connolly is a writer living in Columbia, MO with his wife Dyan and Jigsaw the Wonder Cat, Beauregard the Barbarian and Sugar Baby. “Zugunruhe” is an excerpt of his present work, a spiritual memoir of lyric essays entitled The Eight Leaves. He teaches English at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Readers and writers can visit Connolly’s web site www.anthonyconnolly.com.
	Peggy Smith Duke Mourning Poetry Peggy Smith Duke is a poet and writer living in rural Middle Tennessee with her husband, four dogs, three cats, and an intractable horse. She is a retired human resources professional and has been published in newspapers, professional journals, and magazines for 30 years. Her poetry has appeared most recently in Subtropics, The Trunk, Muscadine Lines, New Verse News, and Traveling: An Anthology. She holds a BS in Journalism, an MA in Industrial Psychology, and a Writer's Loft certificate from Middle Tennessee State University. She earned an EdD with an emphasis in Corporate Learning from Peabody at Vanderbilt University.
	Bonnie J. Etherington Dawn Poetry Bonnie Etherington, a New Zealand citizen, is a young writer who grew up in Indonesia and continues to live there at this present time. Her writing career is just starting to gain momentum and soon she hopes to study creative writing at Wollongong University, Australia. She had two poems published in anthologies in 2004, including one that won second prize in a competition run by the Poetry Institute of Australia. Lately she has been working on some devotions for the Extreme Christian Teens website, among numerous other projects. Bonnie endeavors to use her many cross-cultural experiences to enrich her writing.
	Daniel H. Fairly, Jr. Two Spirits Poetry Daniel was born and has spent most of his life in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated cum laudefrom Belhaven College this past May with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He minored in English and History. He has been writing short stories and poetry for a little less than a year. Daniel is currently employed in his father's commercial cleaning business as a supervisor, a job that allows him to sleep late and listen to too much talk radio, Widespread Panic, and Bob Dylan. He will be marrying his best friend and love of his life, Stefanie McClain in January. They have a Boxer named Cooper and attend two different churches, Lakeside Presbyterian and The Journey, mostly because Daniel is ambiguous and indecisive. He loves and appreciates his family very much, and his favorite author is Flannery O'Connor.
	Ivan Faute Removed from Hazeroth Fiction Ivan Faute is a doctoral student in the Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition to work forthcoming in Driftwood: A Literary Journal of Voices from Afar and Karamu, his story “Tragedy as Cake” was chosen as a finalist in the 2006 World’s Best Short Short Story Contest and will appear in the 25th anniversary issue of The Southeast Review. Apart from writing, he works with artist and theater groups in community development. He is currently at work revising both his first novel and first full-length stage drama.
	Kimberly George On Children, Sewers, and Dictators Creative Nonfiction Kimberly George earned her BA in English from Westmont College. Currently she resides in Seattle, WA and is pursuing a Masters in Counseling Psychology at Mars Hill Graduate School. When she is not studying, she is dancing, dining on favorite authors, and working for a local homeless shelter. She is also a contributor to the Burnside Writers Collective . With words she hopes to cast vision of a world both glorious and broken, stark and exquisite. In the midst of the paradox, she invites a way of seeing where faith stays present with doubt, and any claim of certainty yet collides with mystery.
	Nicole Gordy Gutting Houses Poetry Nicole Gordy is madly in love with her Savior, Jesus, and aspires to reflect that passion in all areas of her life. Since age five, she has had an insatiable desire to write, write more, and write better. Nicole is currently a junior at the University of New Orleans where she is studying English literature and creative writing. A lifetime resident of New Orleans, Nicole has a deep connection and heart for her city, but also looks forward to pursuing foreign missions opportunities. This is Nicole's first "real" publication and she is happy to be associated with Relief.
	Chad Gusler Mortise and Tenon Fiction Chad Gusler received a BS in Biblical studies and theology from Eastern Mennonite College. In 1998, he received an MA in religious studies from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. His thesis, "Building a Context for Buddhist and Christian Peacemaking: The Kingdom of God, Pratityasamutpada, and Sunyata," has since left him jobless, so Chad is pursuing an MFA in fiction from Seattle Pacific University's creative writing program. He lives in Virginia with his wife Cyndi and their two children.
	Albert Haley At the Reef Fiction Albert Haley is the author of Home Ground: Stories of Two Families and the Land and the novel Exotic, winner of the John Irving First Novel Award. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Rolling Stone and various literary journals. He earned a B.A. in economics from Yale and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Houston. Since 1997 he has served as writer in residence at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. He and wife of 23 years, Joyce Haley, have an 8-year-old son, Coleman.
	Brittany Hampton More than the Burn Poetry Brittany Hampton grew up in the Southeast of Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains. She currently lives in Florida with her husband, Joe, who is in the Air Force, but Kentucky will always be home. She recently won The James Still Award for Short Story from the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. Her fiction can be found in this fall's issue of Appalachian Heritage, and her poetry will be appearing in an upcoming issue of The Pikeville Review. She is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte.
	Lisa Ohlen Harris History in Her Hair Creative Nonfiction Lisa writes from Fort Worth, Texas, where she lives with her husband and four daughters. "History in Her Hair" is dedicated to Lisa's sister-in-law, Carolyn, who died in Hawaii last winter. Visit Lisa's website at www.lisaohlenharris.com .
	Amber Harris Leichner How I Explain My Religious History Poetry Amber Harris Leichner, a native of Missoula, Montana, received her B.A. in English at Montana State University-Billings and her M.A. in English and women’s studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. in 20th Century American Literature and women’s studies at UNL. She teaches first-year writing, literature, and women’s studies courses in UNL’s English Department and serves as an editorial assistant for Prairie Schooner. Her work will appear in The Dos Passos Review, and her chapbook, Just This Proof, is forthcoming from Foothills Press.
	Ryan J. Jack McDermott A Game of Hangman Fiction Ryan J. Jack McDermott lives with his wife, son, and forthcoming child in Virginia wine country. He holds a Master's in Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School and is now pursuing a doctorate in medieval English literature and theory at the University of Virginia. He is the arts editor of The New Pantagruel and has published fiction in Communique and essays in The Christian Century and Touchstone.
	Claire McQuerry Lakeside Mass Poetry Claire McQuerry is earning her MFA in poetry from Arizona State University, where she works as an associate editor for the Hayden's Ferry Review. Claire was named a 2006 summer fellow by the Virginia Piper Center for Creative Writing and was a recent winner of the Jeanne Lohmann Poetry Prize.
	Maureen Doyle McQuerry Conversion Hollows Homing Pigeon Poetry Maureen McQuerry, a misplaced Californian, lives in Richland, Washington, and works as a gifted education specialist and teacher. She is the author of Nuclear Legacy and Student Inquiry, and her YA fantasy novel, Wolfproof, will be released Oct 1, 2006 (Idylls Press). Maureen’s collection of poetry, Wingward, recently won the New Eden Chapbook Competition and can be found in the 2006, XVI issue of Ruah. Her chapbook, Relentless Light, is scheduled for publication in April 2007 with Finishing Line Press. Her poems have appeared in many journals including Smartish Pace, The Atlanta Review, Southern Review, and The North American Review. She was the MacAuliffe Fellow for WA State in 2000. Her website is found at www.maureenmcquerry.com.
	Kristin Mulhern Noblin Advent Silence Poetry Kristin Mulhern Noblin is a graduate of Wheaton College and has been previously published in Kodon, Wheaton’s literary magazine, and InPrint, Imago Dei Community’s zine. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband Mike and Reggie the Fish. When she is not teaching middle school English, she is busy standing for truth, beauty, freedom, and love. She enjoys road trips, listening to the rain, watching football, playing cribbage, and dancing with her husband.
	Jerry Salyer Samhain Shuffle Poetry Jerry Salyer was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia in 1974. He has a B.S. in Aeronautics from Miami of Ohio and a Master's in Liberal Arts from St. John's College of Annapolis, Maryland. During his 5 years as a US Navy officer he was deployed to 23 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. His print credits include The Southern Arts Journal, Catholic Men's Quarterly, and Hereditas. His online credits include MercatorNet and The Internet Review of Science Fiction.
	Allison Smythe Hymn of Ungrief The Way a Day Can Break To Hide and To Seek Poetry Allison Smythe studied for an MFA in Poetry in the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. She runs Ars Graphica, a graphic design firm, with her husband Wayne Leal, a sculptor. They recently moved family and business from Houston to ten acres in rural Missouri. Her work has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, the 2007 Texas Poetry Calendar, the RainTown Review, Anderbo.com, thematthewshouseproject.com, TimeSlice: Houston Poetry 2005, The Voice, Gulf Coast, and other journals, anthologies and record albums. She will be featured poet in the 2006 Houston Poetry Fest.
	Keith Wallis In This Confessional Poetry Apart from being engineering designer in Bedfordshire (England), Keith Wallis is an Elder at his church. He is married with two grown up sons and three grandchildren. He has four pamphlets of poetry under his belt and has had graphics and poetry published in a number of small press magazines. He is also a moderator at ChristianWriters.com and has a blog: http://wordsculptures-keith.blogspot.com.
	Sally Clark Homesteading Poetry Sally Clark lives in Fredericksburg, Texas. Her award-winning poetry has appeared in the 2007 Texas Poetry Calendar, Purpose, Releasing Times, Frogpond and Trusting Him with Your Addicted Child, an anthology scheduled for publication in 2007. In addition to poetry, Sally has published humor, children’s stories and poems, greeting cards and non-fiction for numerous anthologies. She wrote her poem, “Homesteading,” after hearing an account of a cousin’s pioneer great-grandmother killing water moccasins so her children could swim safely in their ranch’s remote Hill Country creek.
	Dianne Garcia Restoration of the Cathedral Sunday 2005 Poetry Dianne Garcia lives and works in Seattle, Washington, and has grown used to the blue of its lakes, rivers, and salt waters, and to the ever-green conifers. She graduated "two generations or more ago" from the University of Washington (where Roethke's greenhouses can still be found) and Seattle University. She only recently has submitted work for publication. She's been published in Branches Quarterly and The Curbside Review. Her poems often report that small, quiet-- and persistent-- holy Voice.