About God: A Journal Searches Higher in Everyday Life
New Millennium Writings has been published since 1996, edited by Don Williams, who birthed the literary magazine from Knoxville, TN. With the 2005-06 issue, New Millennium Writings settled into its annual publication.
The 2011 issue features fiction (3), short-short fiction (5), nonfiction (4) and a big poetry suite (80), as well as featured essays on William Burroughs’ Naked Lunch at 50, and Nikki Giovanni’s Surprising Roots.
Editor Williams writes in the introduction, Context for Content “Maybe it’s a reflection of my own obsession and dreams that so many stories and poems in this book strike me as ‘about God.’” The cover art, a painting titled “Devotion” by contributing editor Will Rickenbach reflects Williams’ thoughts about the 2011 issue. The fiction and poetry that touch deity seem less about God than about humanity’s understanding of God, especially as the subject approaches end of life. There are actually quite few of the 96 contributions that are literally about God, and Williams instructs us to think of the rest as worldly context for “such notions.”
Deirdra McAfee writes in a sidebar to her superb 2010 short-short fiction First Place winner Hydroplane, that “fiction brings us the news, bright or dark about life on earth among human beings.” Her summation best describes the contents of the 2011 edition of New Millennium Writings. The collection is easily digestible, not too spicy, not too exotic. It will comfort a reading palate that enjoys not putting too much effort into the repast. For those with a yen for the adventurous, a Cirque du Soleil of word choice, spinning unusual artifacts on weird and wonderful sticks around the literary stage, well, it will take you longer to read this anthology.
R. B. Morris’ discussion of William Burroughs, 50 years out from Naked Lunch and the Beats is a fascinating read. Published in 1959, the birth process for Naked Lunch began around 1910, according to Morris’ recollection of Burroughs contextual discussion. “After WWII, America took the lead role in art, music and literature, converging around the motif of improvisation, a notion both intuitive and big spirited,” Morris evaluates. Jazz birthed Bebop, and Abstract Expressionism was the offspring of Surrealism. The Beat writers took the cue from jazz, and hit the streets. Morris meditates on Burroughs’ influence in the current century. This essay was first published elsewhere in 2009.
"hide and seek", the Winter 2009-10 First Place nonfiction story by Amy Andrews is breathtaking in its cadence and imagery, and the editors did one heck of a job keeping the spacing she doubtless dictated. Ellen Graf’s First Place "The Resiliency Gene" in the same category for Summer 2009 is an absorbing study of her husband’s effort to master English after 43 years in China. He chose a 2-year EMT program because the brochure said EMT graduates enjoyed 100% employment placement. Her husband’s challenge was not to make life or death decisions or keep a level head in turmoil. He had those abilities. His challenge was to find the right words.
The fiction selections cover 90 pages, and include short-short fiction, among these the excellent Hydroplane. The longer fiction choices are not New Millennium’s finest showing, in terms of diversity, narrative location, range of composition, style, character, and evocative imagery.Given interesting—and in the case of "Cerberus Sleeps", exciting— scenarios, the stories stretch spare into flat; the tenor languid and sparse. The climax is muted by the opening in "The Most Wonderful White Stockings", relinquishing impact.
It is the poetry pages that shine brightest. "Climb in Me" by Ruth Hill, with its singsong word choice, its ethereal rhythm…”so this dark green scene with fog screen seems” creates a ship at sea so emphatically, you’ll want to grab the gunwales to steady yourself.
"Spirit of New Orleans" by Devreaux Baker brings the sumptuous perfume of The Big Easy to your olfactory spirit with its opening line: “This morning I called down the twin blessings of black coffee and French toast.” Monastic Dog penned by Josh Cooper will make you dream of your favorite canine companion consecutive nights.
"The Missionary Position (or Unity again)" by LaVonne Natasha Caesar is powerful statement poetry—a voice on paper that you can hear reverberate basso profundo in an acoustically dynamic concert hall.
There are three poems to do with ships, sails and seas; all worthy of their homage to the majesty of mighty water and little boats with cloth lungs.
The cover blurb promises humor, but there is only one poem thus categorized, although Michael Meyerhofer’s "Oasis" has a touch of the wry and bittersweet family of humor. Four individuals are first published in New Millennium Writings 2011—three poems and one fiction piece. Fiction writer Travis Ladoneul is listed on the copyright page as editorial contributor. Of the three first-published poets, one is an MFA candidate, one is a widely published writer from Knoxville, TN, and one is a new writer, published after a 30 year career doing something else. One writer is a new voice.
Of the 96 submissions published, 49% are contributed by MFAs, professors/teachers or widely published writers. 38% are written by folks who write regularly, and are published elsewhere with varying citations and awards. 8 contributors only indicate where they live, or with whom. Significant that 15% of the writers have engaged in writing craft later in life after long careers in other disparate fields. 50% of the contributing editors are writing contributors as well.
This is an anthology that covers ground perhaps covered in previous editions. There are 2009 winners, 2010 winners whose work is included. Perhaps it is the first publication of these awarded stories. Several of the other selections were published elsewhere first.
New Millennium Writings accepts general submissions from January to April only, and only by mail; award submissions for each year from January to June can be submitted electronically. The editors are especially interested in freelance interviews, profiles and tributes to famous writers, living or dead. Check their website for more detailed writer guidelines.
