I can hardly believe it’s been over a year since I decided to start a literary journal focusing on the relationship between writing and spirituality. I had no idea how the project would turn out—or how many people would be interested. And I wasn’t entirely clear when I started what creating a literary journal would entail. But I muddled through—and the first issue of The Whirlwind Review is scheduled to go online next month.
It’s been a rich, fun, exciting experience–but not an easy one. I faced some difficult questions. When and how should I advertise the journal? How would I fund the review? How would I choose among the submissions? What did I even mean by “spirituality”—or, for that matter, by “writing”? I was delighted with the response to my tiny classified ads, but I was also overwhelmed with the tasks of reading, selecting, and responding to all the submissions. At times, the whole thing reminded me of one of my favorite bumper-stickers: Oh no. Not another learning experience.
Of all the things I learned over the past year, this stands out: There are many, many talented writers out there. The essays, stories, and poems I received were fresh, original, and well crafted, and they were written with sincerity and depth. Deciding among them was not merely difficult, but wrenching. Many times, I thought, This writer is going places—even when I could not accept his or her work.
As I work to prepare the first issue of The Whirlwind Review, I am now accepting submissions for issue # 2. And, despite the difficult decisions I’ll face and the large amount of (unpaid) labor, I can hardly wait.