If Good River Review had an aesthetic, it’s that they don’t embrace one aesthetic. Rather the editors, both on the masthead and among their graduate students, only look for writing that excites, writing that avoids sameness. Within this issue, readers will find an essay by Davis McCombs, arguably best known for his award-winning collections of poetry; “Lizard Dreams,” flash fiction by Norie Suzuki; Danni Quintos’s poetry for young adults; and a review of Paisley Redkal’s West: A Translation, which collects poetry and essays in one book-length work. The subjects in Issue 7 are as various as the approaches. Readers will find writing that launches with the Electric Slide to that which describes a good deal of twerking.
The editors also include a reprint work that has been previously published or produced in the hope of giving that writing the extra attention it deserves. This issue features an excerpt from Terry Kennedy’s beautiful book-length elegy, What the Light Leaves Hidden, which dares to suggest grief can be seductive. An excerpt from “Animal Kingdom” is also included, a short story by Kristin Gentry from her debut collection Mama Said. Set in Louisville, the story presents Derby rituals familiar to the locals’ hometown but lesser known outside our city limits.
