Segurson on Travel and the Arts

I enjoy reading editor introductions to publications as much as the content itself sometimes. Readers and writers alike can be duly informed of the ‘sensibilities’ of a publication based on what they’ll find in those brief opening notes. In her opening letter to the Fall 2014 Catamaran Literary Reader, Founding Editor Catherine Segurson gives much to inform as well as contemplate:

“The freedome to move, to travel and explore, is core to our being. Pulling up roots and heading off to parts unknown frees us from our patterned lives and promotes growth. The journey can be both liberating and terrifying, filled with wonder and potential dangers, every step a lesson about the world and about ourselves – how we deal with the unexpected, how we cope with not knowing what the next turn in the road will bring.”
. . .
“We don’t have to travel halfway around the world or to distant planets to experience the wonder of what it means to be alive. As long as we are fully aware, even a walk around the block can inspire us; closely studying the structure of a primrose can add to our view of the world. These are lessons we learn from art and litearature as well. Writers, artists, and scientists are in the business of examining life and revealing what they’ve discovered – this, in turn, benefits us as readers and gallery visitors.”

Following these sentiments is much to support Segurson’s perspective, in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art (including photography, sculpture, paintings, mixed media, and more – all in full color!). Samples of the artwork and written works published in this issue can be read on the publication’s website.

[Cover art: Candy Tree by Michael Cutlip, 2011, mixed media on panel, 40 x 48 in]