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EDITOR'S PREVIEW OF ISSUE 15 - SPRING 2023
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Good Reading! - Photo by Weebly.com
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Vista & Byways, the bi-annual literary magazine for students at San Francisco State University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), features works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as a selection of thematic photos in the form of photo essays. Our current issue is packed with interesting, insightful, and inspiring stories. Many contributors were included in past editions, but some are new to us. We wish a warm welcome to the following artists: Jane Barrier Cap Caplan Janis Greenberg Kim A. Munson Donna Kaulkin Cindy Knoebel Kathryn J. Miller Daniel Raskin Robert Weiner Congratulations! We hope to hear from you again, and again. One theme that surfaced among our newbies was family, a subject that is near, if not also dear, to everyone. The ideal of family means different things to different people and our thoughts and feelings about it change as life evolves. While familial sentiment is a matter of perspective, literature likes to focus on one side of the emotional spectrum. It is the stresses and strains, the fragility and failures of the unhappy family, that fascinate. Count Tolstoy was no doubt correct that every unhappy family is unique. What he did not mention, but surely intuited, was that the bestseller lists would forever demonstrate how much we love reading about them. Fortunately, readers who appreciate the art of familial fiction will find two genealogical gems in our current issue. One is about a family that is more than a bit weird; in the other, the clan’s matriarch is downright warped. These stories are sure to engage, excite, and entertain. Isn’t that what great literature is all about? Kim A. Munson’s short story, The Great Pretender, pushes the boundaries of the believable as we read of a family steeped in myth and magic. The father converses with Jesus, Thor, and Zeus while the mother channels the Virgin Mary. Before long the daughter (the narrator) is relaying messages from the Egyptian god Isis. Why did they do this? Because, “they [the parents] were ambitious in a place where there weren’t many opportunities” and “they wanted more from life quickly.” Indeed, the search for supernatural insight often focused on winning the Michigan State Lottery. And how did all that work out? Those absent a crystal ball will find the answers inside this uncanny story. “Mothers don’t always love their daughters,” says Ruth, a character in Cindy Knoebel’s short story, A Tall Glass of Lemonade on a Hot Day. And what happens when they don’t? This chilling story is set on a sweltering, summer day, somewhere in the South. Ruth, perhaps seeking a second chance, has plans for her granddaughter Delia, but they don’t include Delia’s mother Patty. Where does it all end? “It’s only a matter of time before it all goes to hell in a hand basket,” says Ruth. Maybe, but she’s hardly a reliable source. Interested readers may wish to pour themselves a glass of hard lemonade before wading into this one. Families are distinguished by their idiosyncrasies. None are exactly alike. And neither are the stories inside Vistas & Byways. Scroll the screen and you will find myriad other subjects explored, spread across each writing genre, as well as a host of photos that evince an eye for the unexpected. Stories aren’t children, you don’t have to love them all equally, or even claim to. Unlike family, you can pick and choose. We are certain you will find much to enjoy in the creative offspring of our artists. |
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Vistas & Byways Review is the semiannual journal of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by members of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at San Francisco State University.
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State University (OLLI at SF State) provides communal and material support to theVistas & Byways volunteer staff.
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