GREAT RIVER REVIEW -- Fall/Winter 2003

Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies -- tpb
Red Wing, MN -- ©2003 -- 94pp
ISBN: 1-884102-14-x
Editors: Richard Broderick, Robert Hedin
#39
Cover Illustration: "St. Croix River Series: Upper Marsh, Looking West from William O'Brien State Park" by Perry Ingli

A magazine with essays, poetry, and fiction by: Lucian Vasiliu, Ephraim Glaser, John Minczeski, James Gurley, Katharine Jager, Julie Suk, Richard Robbins, Patricia Gordon Russell, Catullus, Jim Daniels, David Lloyd, Rene Char, Jim Barnes, Dixie Salazar, James P. Lenfestey, Wayne Johnson, Thomas R. Smith, Dave Johnson, Frank Eustis, Mark Neely, Michael Walsh, Terry Savoie, Joe Paddock, Carol Pearce Bjorlie, Tracy Sitterly, Claude Clayton Smith

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For the most part, I really enjoyed this issue (though there is still much more poetry than I care for). Of the longer works, "The Necessity of Returning" by Ephraim Glaser had me totally engaged in his life. "The Last Resort" by Patricia Gordon Russell was interesting and well-written (and thematically tied well with Glaser's memoir), but it didn't go anywhere and was left with the feeling of, "So?"

Wayne Johnson's, "Rhubarb" was just plain fun and a delight to read. The selection from "Lapping America: An Interstate Odyssey" by Claude Clayton Smith was very interesting, and an interesting premise, but I felt as though Clayton was the wrong person to take the odyssey. He came across as rather self-absorbed and not at all open to seeing and learning on his journey.

I never feel qualified to comment on the poetry. i don't care for poetry, 90% of the time. I find passages like "Poplar shed their ice in the windows/of the darkened homeless shelter" to be completely pointless. This passage doesn't even bring an image to mind. (I use this example because I actually liked another poem "Seven" by the same poet.)

It is because I don't care for reading poetry that I stopped subscribing to Great River Review many years ago. I am glad that a nearby library carries these back issues so that I can read the longer works. This issue made for interesting and engaging reading.