Winter Issue Editorial

Winter is a hard time. The poems in this issue describe in personal ways the obstacles we face daily from the difficulties and degradation of tenuous jobs, to the struggle for the basic security of food and a warm home. They reveal the resentment, not of the rich, but of the stilted and corrupt reality that denies opportunity to so many for the benefit of so few.

These are exciting times as well. It is a rare moment when the things we've been saying -- the working class reality this journal has been publishing for decades -- is being heard from a major party Presidential candidate. Even more uplifting is the record support and state landslide victories a candidate calling himself a "socialist" is receiving.

What we are witnessing is the growth of class consciousness and the potential for an organized movement. We are seeing the rejection of corruption, greed and the corporate economics that impoverish us and which feed global climate disaster.

Partisan Press is a not-for-profit publisher and is officially non-partisan, meaning that we cannot and do not officially endorse candidates. That said, it is obvious to anyone in the working class movement for economic justice, peace and sustainability that there is only one candidate really addressing these issues vital to our survival and who has a consistent record of doing so.

Hillary Clinton stated during one of the debates that one campaigns in poetry but governs in prose. The poetry of the Sanders campaign in speaking truth, is touching a nerve. As the he himself states, it will take all of us to govern if we are to effectively confront the monstrosity of this system. As with poetry, creative thinking is vital if we are to be successful in saving ourselves as a species and creating a more just and enlightened society.

This is our annual fund drive season. If you are only viewing online, You can support us on our website. If you are a subscriber or being published, you will find in this issue a slip asking for donations of support. We do not beg during the holiday season like most other not-for-profits, because as working people, we know how strained a time that is for all of us. We wait until spring because we know that some of us can expect a refund on our taxes. Our staff is small but we do have expenses. We need to cover the costs of producing this journal. We must cover the increasing price of mailings and we have to pay for supplies as well as basics like rent and keeping the lights on.

We've been publishing this journal, as well as poetry collections by some of strongest voices of our working class for going on 20 years. We have succeeded where many have not because of your support. The things we've been saying for years are finally catching on. Something is working, and while we cannot claim all the credit, we can claim that we've been a part of what has made this moment in the struggle possible.

Progress cannot happen without a change in consciousness. much of which is culturally defined. That is what Partisan Press is all about, as our mission states: "We hope to create an awareness of and involvement in working class culture as well as to promote a progressive vision that will move our class and our society forward toward a more just and peaceful future."

The truth is, we cannot do it without you. Our editor is an impoverished, unemployable radical and our co-editor is retired on an inadequate income. We cannot afford to do this. We struggle on out of an obsessive dedication made possible by supporters who find our collective efforts worthwhile. Like the Sanders campaign, this isn't about our selves -- it's about all of us. It's about what kind of society we want to live in. It's about shaping consciousness in a way that only poetry can do. Thank you for your support.