A Gathering of Literature and Art



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Contributors to the Issue

Stephen Zelnick
Oonah V. Joslin
Ian Fisher
Lisa Walters
Mari Fitzpatrick
Greet Tijskens
Kathleen Cassen Mickelson
John P. Bourgeois

Prologue Continued

Inspired by a visit to the Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration in Stamullen, Co. Meath, this poem explores the sacred rhythm of chant, memory, and silence. Through layered verse and luminous imagery, it evokes the timeless pull of prayerful repetition, where breath and voice awaken the soul's ancient longing. The cloister becomes a living field--one that remembers, responds, and rekindles grace each time its sacred name is spoken.

Spring/Summer 2025 Archive

Stephen Zelnick explores Timon of Athens as Shakespeare’s most furious, unvarnished critique of greed, flattery, and broken friendship. With insight into its chaotic structure and modern staging, this essay reveals a play that mirrors our own disillusionments.

In this meditative poem, Oonah V. Joslin traces the spiral of connection and disconnection through time, matter, and memory. With echoes of Escher and DNA, the poem explores the fragile chemistry of identity, friendship, and the spectral nature of being.

In this quietly luminous story, Ian Fisher charts the long arc of family, memory, and connection through the life of Bronagh Bumgarner. From Montana cabins to dreams by the Stillwater River, Carousel is a tribute to legacy, love, and the names we pass on.

This piece by Lisa Walter opens our seasonal art with a question rather than a conclusion. It speaks to the interplay of permanence and impermanence, of woman as witness and cipher. And in doing so, it anchors our broader exploration this season: how art, like memory, lingers-uninvited but undeniable-on the walls we pass by.


Inspired by Paggi’s Venus and Cupid, Greet Tijskens reimagines memory through smalti mosaic. Rooted in Baroque light and maternal grace, this work blends Italian art history with a personal vision shaped by time, illusion, and the fidelity of feeling over fact.

In this tender garden elegy, Kathleen Cassen Mickelson reflects on memory, labor, and the quiet transformation of grief. Through pruning, presence, and green promise, the body remembers love-and turns sorrow into soil. A poem rooted in care and renewal.



In Knotted Fables, John P. Bourgeois weaves classic animal tales into a darkly playful, richly allegorical novella. From a boastful hare and stoic tortoise to a bone-coveting dog and a calculating crane, the stories explore vanity, hunger, and moral compromise. With wit, pathos, and lyrical bite, these reimagined fables reveal the tangled instincts beneath civil disguise-where every creature, no matter how clever or cautious, must reckon with the cost of being hungry, proud, or simply alive.

In The Echoing Field, Mari Fitzpatrick blends memoir, mysticism, and memory to explore sacred resonance in places like Ferrara, Knock, and Leitrim. From Eucharistic miracles to personal visions, she reflects on the soul’s capacity to tune into a deeper field of meaning. Drawing on Irish Catholic heritage, poetic insight, and Rupert Sheldrake’s morphic theory, this lyrical essay invites us to consider whether miracles are echoes-ancient notes still sounding for those who listen.

Why 'Human Being Responsibilities?' Because fostering respect for human rights contributes to stable and harmonious societies where every individual feels valued and protected. It reduces conflict, enhances social cohesion, and builds trust in institutions. When individuals respect and uphold the rights of others, it creates an environment where equality and justice can thrive, improving overall quality of life.



Savonarola

Set in Renaissance Florence, this powerful poem captures the tension, beauty, and destruction surrounding Savonarola’s infamous Bonfire of the Vanities. With vivid imagery of hidden art, sacred fear, and the irreversible cost of creation, it bears witness to a city torn between devotion and expression. Artists vanish, sketches burn, but beauty endures in memory--etched in charcoal, pigment, and conscience.

A haunting elegy for a world that once shimmered in colour.

Tracing the legacies of Eleanor of Aragon and Isabella of Castile--two royal daughters whose choices shaped culture and history. From Eleanor's artistic patronage in Ferrara to Isabella’s sponsorship of Columbus, the short piece links brushstrokes and voyages, courts and cathedrals. As the world marks 250 years of U.S. independence, these early echoes remind us how art, power, and faith shaped our present. A lyrical meditation on inheritance, influence, and the enduring symbols that still guide us.



A playful, poignant tribute to artist Louis Wain, whose whimsical, electric cats transcended convention-and perhaps reality. Oonah V. Joslin celebrates his visionary spirit, exploring art, madness, and the feline spark that lit Wain’s extraordinary imagination.

This lyrical poem reflects on time, memory, and heritage through the image of an ancient clock tower. With graceful rhymes and quiet reverence, it explores the rhythms of history, the constancy of symbols, and the dreamlike thread connecting past and present.

Kathleen Cassen Mickelson's poems trace the contours of memory, place, and quiet revelation. With vivid detail and emotional clarity, she transforms everyday moments--grief, childhood, discovery-into tender meditations on what endures.

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