Summer Issue Editorial
It's been another long, hot Summer. We have once again broken the record for high temperatures. We continue to witness the ravages of our self-pepetuating wars, worsening climate and the imperialist economics of greed and austerity. As a result, Europe is experiencing a crisis of refugees. Our own country has been facing a similar influx of refugees for years. The corporate media labels them "illegal aliens. Racist xenophobes of the right stir fear and hate calling for massive arrests and deportations, ignoring the criminal policies that create the problem. And the refugees are not always alien. Several poems in this issue remind us that poverty and homelessnes are increasingly criminalized. The poor and homeless fill our prisons.
As temperatures, climate-related disasters, violence and abuse rise, so too does the struggle for justice and sanity. From Greece to Guatemala, from Spain to our own city streets, new movements are rising and old ones are breathing new life.
Our summer issue focuses on war and on ecology. Given the state of our biosphere and the continuing assaults against it by this deadly, myopic and stubborn system of greed, we've been tempted to rename this journal "The Fossil Record." In spite of the mounting evidence of disaster, we are encouraged by the expanding consciousness of the real cost of capitalism. This is reflected in the massive and growing support for Bernie Sanders as well as for policies that address the looming climate catastrophe. The global conscious rejection of capitalist greed, gun proliferation, war and climate destruction gives us some reasons for hope.
Poems in this collection describe the misery and oppression of working conditions and the injustice many face on the job, as well as the desperation of unemployment.
Our Summer issue presents the winning poem of the Working People's Poetry contest. This year's winning poem was "Absence" by Diane Sahms-Guarneiri. This poem describes the loss of a loved one to job-related illness. Too many of us have stories of job-related injuries, disability, and lives sacrificed to greed. As usual, picking the winning poem was tough. Other contest entries appearing in this issue include Ed Werstein's powerful poem "Austerity" and "Portals in Alessandro's Restaurant" by Tanya Pilumeli. Her poem is a beautifully composed portrayal of the music and energy of restaurant work. It ran a close second.
This issue completes eighteen years of publication. We hope to see many more. For the first time since 1997, we have raised our subscription rates -- but not much. Subscriptions are now $20.00 per year or $35.00 for two years. We strive to keep this journal affordable and could not break even on subscriptions alone as costs of materials and postage have continued to rise. Partisan Press is a charitable not-for-profit institution. Not only does that make your contributions tax-deductible, it means we send 20% of our journals to those who cannot afford them free of charge. Let us know if the subscription price increase causes you difficulty. We will not cut you off.
We are grateful to those of you who have entered our contest and who continue to support this journal financially as well as with your writing. Whether we are a catalyst for conscious change or a fossil record of our times, we believe in the vital importance and power of poetry which speaks the truth.
posted by Jaded Prole at 1:13 PM
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