No. 4

Spring 2003

Reflections and a Not So Graceful Exit

Well, this is my second and last issue of nidus and already I'm jaded. You might recall that in this space in issue #3 I was a little ga-ga over how a relatively new journal comes into being. I now no longer wonder what makes nidus a veritable thing and not just a mishmash collection of stories, poems and interviews. And though I've had no hand in the final selections and features, I can confidently tell you that nidus #4 is all about reflection, on looking closely and knowing. As Marcus Aurelias said, "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they really are."

In his timely opening essay Tony Hoagland talks about "how hard it is to see clearly, how hard to shake this infernal fog out of my head." Following closely behind, Ruth Schwartz exhorts her poetry students to look and look and look. There is a sense of searching in this issue, which may be what fuels Sherrie Simpson's interest in explorers.

But when writers take off and arrive somewhere they write it down. What is found can then be discovered anew by the reader. Listen to this lovely description from Donna Vitucci's story, "Under the Moon," in a part where a young girl plays the harmonica:

What a goldmine of words that is. I don't want to uncover for you what else lies hidden in this nidus, just go back to the table of contents and surf around inside. And if photographer Larry O. Gay's small images of nature confuse you, click to enlarge them and you will 'know them for what they really are.'

The reality of growth requires what is no longer needed to slough away. The tadpole grows legs and its tail disappears. Next fall nidus enters its third year. Our masthead will change as readers become editors and editors move on. Such is the nature of growth. Thanks to all the editors: Brian Joos, Cara Ford, Dave Carillo, and especially former managing editor Erin Teegarden. Cara, Dave and Erin were founding editors of nidus and now graduate to join the real wide world of writers.

Tapping at the computer tonight, in a certain slant of light, I see myself going back to writing more poems. It's selfish, I know, but I'll end with a final stanza from one of my own:

Balanced on the wooden ladder now
she is washing walls, waving her hands
in long goodbyes.

au revoir
Lynn Wagner
2002-03 managing editor of nidus

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nidus is an online publication supported by the Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh's English Department.