A Few Words of Introduction

Welcome to Volume 1 of Writers House Review, an online journal showcasing the creative work of Writers House students at Rutgers University! This inaugural issue goes live–and was largely formulated–in the shadows of a pandemic that upended the spring 2020 semester, forcing students, faculty, and staff to precipitously evacuate the physical confines of our New Brunswick campus.

In the midst of the chaos, it was heartening to watch our community regroup and trudge to the virtual finish line of remote instruction. It was especially gratifying to witness many Writers House students turn to filmmaking and the written word to document and process the unprecedented moment.  In this volume, we are honored to feature some of these student pieces, including two short stories ( “Day 27 of 121: Virtual Birthday Party” and “It Starts with a Cough”), a sestina, and a special selection of documentary films created in response to the first haunting weeks of the COVID-19 experience.

In addition to these pandemic-themed works, Volume 1 of WHR highlights a range of student writing representing the full spectrum of Writers House course offerings–from drama scenes crafted in the Intro to Creative Writing classroom to poems included in the final portfolios of our graduating seniors.  Like our student body, this volume is also rich in diversity–from a documentary about Liberated Gospel, a student-run African-American ministry at Rutgers, to a satiric film that challenges stereotypes about Asian culture.

I would like to offer special thanks to John Hulme, our digital media editor, for selecting the films featured here from a pool of excellent video submissions and for providing abundant digital support; Aimee Labrie, our fiction editor, who advised and guided on all matters related to the journal; Paul Blaney, our celebrated non-fiction editor. Thanks to all the Writers House instructors who graciously selected and shared their students’ work with us (especially Joanna Fuhrman, Susan Miller, and Richard Murray). And thanks to Dan Fernandez for his lovely cover design.

It is our hope that the publication of WHR Volume 1 introduces a new and welcoming home for the work of our Writers House students and inspires an ever increasing number of students in the Writers House community to send us poems, stories, nonfiction, and film work.

 

With Best Wishes for a Wonderful and Healthy Semester,

Josh (Yehoshua) November,

Poetry and Managing Editor