Edition No. 9 / Summer 2021

“Windmill at Sunset” by Roger Camp

Summer is a time of retreat, rest, and relaxation. At least that’s what they say. In too many ways, the past 18 months have not offered anyone much in the way of those three Rs. However, it is the arts that keep us all going in so many ways. 

Here, Backchannels is pleased to offer our readers poetry, prose, and art in the hope that you will relax and enjoy what our contributors have offered us this summer. We encourage you to be inspired to create and share your work with the world. 

Looking into the fall, we will be having a short fiction contest. As with our poetry contest, there will be paid prizes but no entry fee. We believe in accessibility. We will follow that contest with a traditional issue in January 2022. 

So, enjoy this edition and get your work ready to submit this fall. 

Peace,

Laura, Leslie & Mary

P.S. Special thank you to our guest fiction reader for this edition, Paula Johnson.


Jim Zola – art

Randy Brown – poetry

Darren C. Demaree – poetry

Robert Beveridge – poetry

Kent Jacobson – Hard Men – nonfiction

David Duer – poetry

Tom Barlow – poetry

Chris Dungey – Shore Leave – fiction

Kyle Hemmings – art

Glen Armstrong – poetry

Shelby Stephenson – poetry

Andrej Bilovsk – poetry

Sue Brennan – Bus No. 8 – fiction

Jessica Bowdoin – poetry

Heather Lyke – poetry

Ann Christine Tabaka – poetry

Leah Sackett – The Liquor Shack – fiction

Shoshauna Shy – poetry

Bruce Gunther – poetry

Ken Meisel – poetry

Kent Jacobson – Goodbye, 1979 – nonfiction

John Davis – poetry

Stephen Mead – poetry

Kenneth Pobo – poetry


Artist Statement: As a photographer, I was trained in film. My preferred medium was Kodachrome 25 for its archival properties, color balance and sharpness. When digital imaging became available I converted. I have divided my time between pursuing an idea inside of a studio, sometimes working on a project for several years or more or documenting the world around me while traveling.  I have never traveled with an idea in mind, rather I prefer to respond to the environment around me as it unfolds.

This particular photograph was taken on a back highway in Iowa. I was on my way home after a day of photographing and the sun was behind me. I happened to notice the light in my rearview mirror.  I pulled off the side of the road and took the photo just as the light was fading away.

This image was originally taken on film. I have since scanned it digitally but nothing has been altered.

About the Artist: Roger Camp is the author of three photography books including the award winning Butterflies in Flight, Thames & Hudson, 2002 and Heat, Charta, Milano, 2008. His work has appeared on the covers of numerous journals including The New England Review and Southwest Review. His photographs are represented by the Robin Rice Gallery, NYC. More of his work may be viewed on Luminous-Lint.com.


Issue list


Masthead

Mary Bardsley, Editor
Leslie Caton Frey, Editor
Laura Johnson, Editor

Cover art by Roger Camp

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