aaduna fall 2015 issue launch party  (photo provided by Lisa Brennan) www.aaduna.org We celebrate this issue influenced by memories of Keith Leonard who passed away unexpectedly in late September of this year.  And yet, Keith would say "get over yourself and do what you are suppose to do...celebrate and make festive noise for the poets, writers and artists who gave their work to aaduna   to publish and promote..." We first published in 2011.  In our fifth year, we combined our summer and fall issues and created a wonderful mix of words, images and contributors.  And we celebrate and fete their work and their creativity.  This current issue belongs to the contributors whose patience, support and graciousness made the difficult road to publication easier because we knew they had our backs...without question.  And that is what trust is about and where aaduna rests its hat. aaduna was born to extol the virtues of diversity, m...

Earlier today, aaduna announced its nominees for the 2016 Pushcart Prize.   bill berry, jr. stated, 2015 was a strong year for the journal as its contributors enticed and captivated readers in terms of imagery, story, focus, execution of ideas, and unique approaches to craft.   We are pleased with all the poems and stories that grace our pages, and realize that the current nominees strongly represent our entire community of poets, writers , visual artists, readers, and supporters in a marvelous manner.   We celebrate the nominees’ individual achievement as aaduna continues to embrace all contributors whose individual creativity enables us to produce a journal that is respected and valued in the world-wide   community.          Here are the aaduna 2016 nominees: for Poetry: Desiree St. Amant                    Sunrise ...

Think 1995...recall Def Jam Recordings...bring vocalist Montell Jordan to mind.  He rocked the hip hop world with his anthem of good times....34,379,000 plus views on YouTube to date.  Two decades later...we step in! aaduna's publisher, bill berry, jr., (who loved that song back in the day and still does,) along with Lisa Brennan, aaduna's visual arts editor and administrator, took time off from prepping the forthcoming issue.  To do what, you may ask? Well, they did it by coming up with the menu; prepping, and then cooking dinner for Auburn, NY's residential homeless men at their place of safety, http://www.chapelhouseshelter.org/ , for two dining sessions this past Sunday.  It was their Thanksgiving gift in honor of Leonard...our brother, colleague, friend, associate, guiding light, and manifestation of aaduna's spirit of inclusion, equity, support, and community.      The menu? Mixed...

  Hedy M. Gray (photo provided) Hedy M. Gray does not bring meaningless hype or artificial suspense to her storytelling.  She does imbibe "One Blue Mitten" with subtle nuances, imagery, and her own shades of Gray.  Here is the opening to Hedy's story that will appear in the forthcoming issue of aaduna :   T he old lady breathed an unseen deep, heavy sigh. She was resigned to her fate. The monitor levels shot up a bit, then settled back down. There were no other signs of life except the dull monotonous hum of the pumps. There was no one there to see her except the bright eyes of the monitors.             Oh no, she thought. Here they come again. Why can't they just leave me alone? I'm tired, so tired... it's been so long... too long. I wish I were a bird, then I would flap my wings and just fly away. Nothing's any good any more. But sometimes I remember when it was g...

Kathryn de Leon (photo provided)   Kathryn de Leon’s work nuanced with captivating and lasting images. Here is a teaser from her poem, “ACROSS THE BORDER (My uncle lived on a ranch in Northern Mexico) We called it simply... " across the border.” Another world, No plumbing Just a large porcelain bowl, A bar of Ivory soap Floating in warm water That clouded to thick white, My sister and I new princesses Bathing in milk. No electricity Just oil lanterns That made us evil, Painted us huge and black On the walls Of the cold bedroom. Janet Mason (photo provided) Janet Mason found her way to aaduna's pathway by weaving words and cascading them into an endearing story. Here is the opening from her story, "The Mother" as a snippet to tease you: (sometime early in the first century) I n the beginning was the Mother.             In the womb, Tamar took men...

While there are several interpretations about the designation “Indian Summer,” there are legitimate indications that Native Americans in the United States started to observe this “season” within a season.   Without a doubt, there has to be a variety of weather conditions that must exist to apply this term.   Some folks say it started on November 2, while others suggest that it can not start until November 11 and end by November 20 th .   We say, “Regardless….” Well, when our former esteemed colleague Keith Leonard talked about having a summer/fall issue, little did we know (at that time) that he was wistfully itching for an issue that would be launched during “Indian Summer .”   Now that we exist with his ever present spirit, maybe he knew something that we did not.   Anyway… Here are a few more snippets from aaduna’s summer/fall 2015 contributors for you to savor and look forward to: Bruce Ellis Alford, (photo provided) Bruce Ellis Alford’s o...

PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES WHO MAY BE INTERESTED.  THANKS.  aaduna Literary's Writers Conference. New York City. LWC}NYC is a program of the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses [ clmp ] with The National Book Foundation, The New School Graduate Writing Program, Poets & Writers, The Association of Authors' Representatives and with support from Amazon Literary Partnerships . NOVEMBER 12-13, 2015 } A two-day conference for fiction, poetry, and creative-nonfiction writers learning how to maneuver in the marketplace. Meet writers, editors, agents, publicists and publishers. All conference events will be held at The New School, 63-5th Avenue, unless otherwise noted. Register now—space is limited! Price includes two working lunches and two one-on-one meetings with literary agents. Registration is capped at 100, so book soon to hold your spot! If you have questions, please email info@clmp.org Thursday November 12 § REGISTRATION & CHECK-IN 10:00...

The initial hesitancy and anxiety has given way to curiosity and wanting to know more.  New contributors…new work…new opportunities to re-imagine what you thought was intriguing…we will offer nutritious brain food...soon enough…these are samples from the tasting menu! Here are snippets from additional summer/fall 2015 contributors: Jacqueline Henry Hill’s excerpt from “Detour” goes straight to your soul, another errand, same instructions. go straight there. don’t stop. don’t talk to nobody. stay away from those boys.   come right back. a dripping sticky moistness attacks   her hairline, dark visage,   patent leather-shiny and dewy damp. an adventuresome spirit whispers a daring detour, safety secured by villagers, seen and unseen. Dean Hathout’s opening lines from “Walking Past my Dignity ” To their cars and shops, to the flower mart They hurriedly scurry along While I sleep on the streets, next to my cart In places they say I don’t...

Once you peek through the door or window, and see something that tantalizes your spirit, the expected reaction is to push open that access point a little more…to see more…hear more…. Here is that opportunity from the forthcoming issue of aaduna.   Nancy A. Jackson’s “Train Trip”…an opening snippet: The train ride wasn’t fun, like Mama promised. Instead it was hot and dark and smelled like sewer Stuff when the basement flooded and sludge reeked in the house. We cried for food until no more tears would come And Mama tried to feed me from her breast, But fear had ravaged even that most pivotal of meals. Jennifer Singleton’s excerpt from “Never Again/Is Such a Long Time (The First Break-up)” Never again, again and never It seems such a long path now: I follow it down to the water’s edge Picking my way across the rocks and Debris that collected In the wild flowers that grow there Die one day, live on the next/die the next day Tiffany L. ...