Editorial

Christine Lee Zilka

Dear Readers:

It is a pleasure to read all the submissions and it is my responsibility and privilege to sort through the inbox (the fiction, at least) and decide which of the numerous stories to include in an issue of Kartika Review.  But amidst the submissions there are always a few pieces that pierce my psyche; there are perfect stories, perfect words, and talented writers, but I seek the dizzying moment where I fall in love, where I can sense the writer behind the words opening their heart out and laying themselves bare for the world to witness.  And in turn, I want the readers of Kartika Review to also witness that art of feeling.

I had the pleasure of reading Molly Gaudry’s short short story, “The parents, they have lost their daughter,” a spare piece but not without the heft of deep feeling.  And Jill Widner’s child characters find a sudden connection through dreams, a manifestation of subjugated desire, in her novel excerpt entitled “Fina’s Dream.”  I’m happy to share those discoveries with you.

There are also two gorgeous pieces outside of fiction in this issue: Ocean Vuong’s “Dear Vietnam…” and “The Nikkei Yellow Line” by Akito Yoshikane have me reeling with excitement as a reader and editor. 

Ocean Vuong’s poem, “Dear Vietnam…” and addressed as such, is a love letter that makes me also fall in love with his home and makes me homesick as well, for a place that no longer exists in present time and only exists in memory. 

In “The Nikkei Yellow Line,” Akito Yoshikane utilizes structure and imagery to investigate the theme of identity, boundaries, and geography to great effect.  I’m so proud that his piece appears in Kartika.

This issue’s interview features one of my favorite writers, Peter Ho Davies, who authored numerous award-winning stories; his multicultural, multi-ethnic identity also embodies how I experience Asian American literature today.  There is no one voice, no one experience, and no one perspective or theme that singularly defines Asian American literature, and the diversity within Kartika Review’s pages attests to our many different voices.

Also, I do not want to end this note without mentioning Kenji Liu, whose poem, “Poem to Myself as a Newborn” appears in this issue, and whose debut poetry chapbook, You Left Without Your Shoes will be out this coming fall from Finishing Line Press.

Happy reading,

Christine Lee Zilka