Anticipation is like the twilight time between Christmas Eve and Christmas when children and those young at heart await the secret arrival of Santa Claus with presents that may delight and then again, disappoint. All cultures seem to have an annual “anticipation” event. So, this literary journal is not out of step with global celebrations and cultural mores with our annual celebration of outstanding aaduna contributors It is always a difficult task to identify the best from the best. As an online publication that prides itself on presenting quality and enduring literary works and visual images, once a year, we task ourselves with trying to determine what literary work is uniquely challenging to our sensibilities and further expands the journal’s pivotal role in broadening and invigorating the community of established literature.  The annual Pushcart Prize ( www.pushcartprize.com ) has been doing that for decades, selecting the best from the best. And each year, p...

Yeah, we all have heard that phrase or some configuration of certain "words" that suggest the same meaning and feel of that statement.  So, what's the deal this time?  Well... "Word, Revisited" November 9, 2017 Photo Credit:  Debbie Cleveland (Left to Right) Pat D'Agostino (open mic), Joe Sarnicola (open mic), Kirsten Wise, Curator/Cayuga Museum, Heidi Nightengale (open mic), Rachael Ikins (open mic), Laura Williams French (open mic), Dan Cleveland (featured poet/musician), Ron VanNostrand, Publisher/Olive Trees (emcee), Eileen McHugh, Executive Director/Cayuga Museum, Teresa Motz (open mic), Pammy Freeman (open mic), Jim Ellis, (featured poet)    We recently posted information on " word, revisited's" closing 2017 literary season that featured speakers  Jim Ellis and  Dan Cleveland ; emceed by  Ron VanNostrand , and supported by several open mic presenters convened at the Carriage House Theater in Auburn, New York hosted by the...

The Very Thought of You As I reflect on “The Very Thought of You,” I surmise that “you” can be used to suggest a single individual or the universal “you” representing a group, a gathering, community, or collective of individuals. As a song, the lyrics were written and sung by Ray Noble, but the classic lyricism and emotional laden quality of the words found other expressive voices such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Kay Starr, Sarah Vaughn, Rod Stewart, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Elvis Costello, Johnny Hartman, Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett and probably countless others. The very thought of you And I forget to do The little ordinary things That everyone ought to do I´m living in a kind of daydream I´m happy as a king and foolish Though it may seem to me That´s everything The mere idea of you The longing here for you You´ll never know How slow the moments go Till I´m near to you I see your face in every flower You eyes in stars above...

Death, resurrection.  A door closes, a window opens.  For every closure, there is a new beginning.  The end is the opening for a new beginning.  Seasons change. In all these scenarios, the focus is on the process and not necessarily the elements that create a period of transition, a moment of change.  So, what does it mean to embrace the valedictorian when a year later another person plays the same role?  We herald a championship athletic team in one season to be replaced by another winner a year later.  We hear “last call” and know hours later the festivities will resume, yet again.  A corporate CEO leaves, another comes in.  A nation’s political leader is eventually displaced, reaches closure.  A new leader emerges to accolades from the people.     In moments of transition, we focus not on the process but the individuals involved.  And for every end of a creative season, whether or not it i...

When any community, especially a community of creative people, is supportive and in tune with each other, a member(s) can miss an event, but the event remains powerful and stimulating.  While Lisa and I missed Thursday’s “word, revisited” featured speaker and open mic, we researched event highlights noted by audience comments on their social media postings, their evaluative thoughts expressed in e-mails, as well as words from an organizing partner and comments from the featured speaker.  “It was a good night…open mic poets (9 readers!)  We had a new reader, a truck driver, Jim Spencer, who was excellent. I read Heidi's bio from her book and told a little bit about my past associations with her on different projects for an introduction. We all missed you.” - Ron Van Nostrand The post-event general consensus is that the Carriage House Theater was a room full of people.  During the open mic session, Karen Faris , a Rochester, NY based writer, poet, and mixed...