Although I’ve had the pleasure to edit the Lowestoft Chronicle regularly for the past thirteen years, I’ve not been quite so consistent when it comes to the magazine’s anthology series. The previous collection, The Vicarious Traveler, appeared three years ago. Since then, I’ve been stacking up writing projects until my to-do list resembles a weekly grocery list. The tenth Lowestoft Chronicle anthology was shunted so far down the list it almost dropped off.
The abundance of quality poetry and prose in the magazine’s quarterly editions made me take a closer look at that gargantuan to-do list. It was time, I realized, to shuffle things about a bit and make time for An Adventurous Spirit. True to its title, it became an ambitious project—bigger, bolder, and, arguably, better than earlier volumes.
For starters, there are more poems and stories than before—practically double, in fact—with two pieces by each writer. There are even a pair of interviews with award-winning authors: Sheldon Russell and Abby Frucht. And following my unapologetic, rambling introduction, there’s also a splendid foreword by acclaimed poet James B. Nicola.
The anthology is finally out of my hands, scheduled to go on sale at the end of October. Pleasingly, it’s earned an early thumbs up from Kirkus Reviews, who called it a “refreshingly original collection of sharp tales.” Spotlighting some of the stories and poems, it had positive things to say about the wit, sharpness, and variety of work, saying, in closing: “Overall, it’s entertaining, varied, and clever writing.”
More can be found at the web link here. And the book can be preordered from the usual online bookseller, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher.
