Nancy Holochwost

Family Inheritances

Poetry in Our December Issue

What we inherit from our families can take many forms—intangible, difficult, or surprising—as you’ll find in our December poems. Frederick Joseph remembers an enduring lesson learned from his grandmother, his “maker of miracles,” in “Making Luxury Out of Flat Soda.” The narrator in Mickie Kennedy’s “Guarding the Coop” battles a tendency for violence passed down from his mother. And in Joseph Bathanti’s “Right Guard,” the author conjures his father’s spirit from a can of deodorant his dad left behind.

New-Release Roundup

November 2024

The books put out by Sun authors over the last several months include a few out-of-the ordinary offerings, such as a collection of short stories about Alaska and a literary field guide that combines poetry with scientific notes. If you’d like a preview, you can read some poems and stories that first appeared in The Sun at the links provided.

Conversations with Family and Strangers

Poetry in Our November Issue

In C.L. O’Dell’s poem “Driving Upstate with My Father,” we’re taken inside the cab of a pickup, where the narrator wishes for his dad to tell him “the good stuff” from his past. Erik Tschekunow also envisions a conversation in “This Call Is from an Inmate at a Federal Prison”: with hesitancy and hope, the narrator imagines the voice he’ll hear on the other end of the line when he calls a woman who’s volunteered to talk to incarcerated men.

Tree Season

Evergreen Selections from the Archive

Every October I find myself paying a lot of attention to trees. Fall is my favorite season (bring on the crisp air and hot tea!), and the best part, as far as I’m concerned, is watching the leaves change. It was with pleasure that I read Sparrow’s essay “Thoreau and Me” in our October issue, in which he describes his autumn excursions, and Todd Davis’s memoir “The Next Peak” that takes a more poignant view of trees, as the author hikes the woods accompanied by the spirit of his departed father. This month’s selections from our archive are pieces that explore the beauty, consolation, and meaning humans find in these sheltering plants. We hope you’ll enjoy spending time with trees in these pieces and out in the world this month.

Family Ties

Poetry in Our October Issue

In Cameron Barnett’s poem “Grandpa’s Gavel,” a family heirloom transports the author back through memories of his grandfather’s social-justice work, convening NAACP meetings and orating in church. The gavel is like a magic wand that brings this beloved mentor to life. Lance Larsen’s poem “Bring Me a Horse” also involves family bonds, with an even stronger dose of magic: a group of boys tinker with protective spells to keep their dads “alive and cussing.”

Listen to Poems from Our August Issue

The two poems in our August issue are like mirror images of each other, taking the same theme in reverse directions. In Nadia Colburn’s “August at Forty-Three,” a mother looks to the future, wishing for a child yet to be. The speaker in Jim Moore’s “Better Yet” looks back to his own origin, imagining a return to his “mother’s ocean.” You can enjoy these complementary visions by listening to the authors read their poems.

Loosening the Strings

Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum on Craft, Curiosity, and Letting Go

Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum’s story “Clean Breaks,” which appears in our August issue, is her first publication in The Sun. When Kirsten and I spoke by video call, she was in an eight-by-eight-foot room in her yard that her husband built for her. She referred to the space as a sanctuary, a place where she can teach and write without interruption. The idea of closeting oneself away for solitude reminded me of Sonja, the main character in “Clean Breaks,” who, after experiencing a traumatic event, leaves her home and nursing career behind to live alone on a sailboat. Kirsten and I discussed the inspiration for this story as well as her writing process for her forthcoming novel, Elita.

Listen to Poems from Our July Issue

Our July issue features two captivating—and very different—poems about animals. One is a gorgeous, ruminative piece that makes me feel as grounded as a stone in a stream. The other is a loving ode to a headstrong pet who can teach us all a lesson about taking charge of our lives.

Taking Care

Selections from the Archive

The Sun’s June 2024 issue opens with Mark Leviton’s interview of Emily Kenway about the prevalence of people providing at-home care for loved ones. Caregiving is “a fundamental fact of loving someone with a human body,” Kenway observes, and many other pieces in the issue reflect how universally that care is needed. Keep reading for selections from our archive that explore the kaleidoscope of emotions that come with being responsible for another person’s well-being—devotion and grief, fear and comfort. Whether you’re giving or receiving care, we hope you’ll find a piece that speaks to you.

Listen to Poems from Our June Issue

Some of the poems I enjoy the most are about relationships. It amazes me how, in ten or twenty lines, authors can capture anything from a single memorable encounter to a lifelong connection. Three such poems are featured in our June issue with recordings of the authors reading their work.