Theresa Sokol
Al Carlson
We like to end each year with an issue in which we look back at the stories, poems, articles, memoirs, and–well, whatever–that we’ve published during the past 51 weeks. And we have a staggering variety this time around.
We’ll share them with you in a moment. We want to stress that these are not necessarily “the best” articles in their category–just the ones that stood out for us personally, sometimes for very subjective reasons. We hope that you have a list of your own favorites.
We all know about Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. Big guy. Very strong. Ruggedly handsome. More than a little vain. Not always the sharpest knife in the drawer. But good hearted. We also know that he wields a powerful hammer called Mjollnir. But few know how he acquired Mjollnir nor what Loki, God of Mischief, had to do with its coming into his hands.
Not everyone dresses up to read poetry aloud, but we have to say that we admire the touch of elegance it adds.
Reading a well-crafted poem to yourself–silently or aloud–can be a powerful experience. Hearing a poet read his or her own work can be even more moving. They know exactly which words to stress and precisely how long the pauses last. And, if you’re fortunate and they’re in a good mood, they might share with you what the process of creating a poem feels like for them.
Every year we devote our April issues to poetry for 
We hope you’ve enjoyed the poetry we’ve been able to share with you in our past three issues. National Poetry Month for this year is almost over, but you don’t have to give up poetry until next April rolls around. Check out our 