Friday, March 17, 2006

Wilmington, N.C. - The University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Creative Writing announces the second edition of Ecotone, its national literary journal. The Winter/Spring 2006 issue will be available in this month.

A party to celebrate the publication will be held from 7 to 10 p.m, on Friday, March 24 at the WHQR Studio Gallery, 254 North Front Street, Wilmington. The event is free and open to the public and will feature a talk by Bill Roorbach, Ecotone contributor and author of multiple books including the most recent Temple Stream. Paintings by Ecotone artist Barbara Fisher will be displayed throughout the gallery. The night will continue with a silent auction to benefit the journal, as well as beverages and hors d'oeuvres by Tango du Chat chef Jacob Hilbert.

As described by editor-in-chief David Gessner, Ecotone celebrates the edges and borders "between science and literature, between land and sea, between the civilized and wild, between the earnest and comic, between the personal and biological, between urban and rural, between the animal and spiritual." Through engaging and intimate writing, Ecotone evokes a textured sense of place.

Ecotone's debut issue included the poem "Homesick" by Gerald Stern, which has been selected for the Best American Poetry 2006 anthology, to be published this coming fall.

Building on this success, Ecotone's second issue explores migration, both literal and figurative. It features the poetry, fiction, and nonfiction of Ann Darby, Sheila Kohler, Sebastian Matthews, and David Rivard, among others, and an interview with Rick Bass, in which the author discusses place in his works. Barbara Fisher's lush paintings, adding a visual element to theme, reveal movement through stroke and color. The issue culminates in a three-part meditation on flight: Alan Poole following the sanderling on its amazing journey; Jason Lee Brown creating a world of swarming monarchs; and Henry David Thoreau pondering what it means to travel.

Contact Information:

Editor-in-Chief David Gessner 910.962.7489 gessnerdm@uncw.edu

Managing Editor Bryan Sandala - bcs6927@uncw.edu