But isn’t that how life is? Full of moments when we are so high that we are enjoying a different type of air, and others where we feel like we’re falling fast and furiously toward a diverted destination.
Jennifer N. Shannon, guest editor of just released Yellow Arrow Journal Vol. IX, No. 1 ELEVATE, is so thankful to the women-identifying writers who submitted to the issue and to those who joined the Yellow Arrow community by letting us include their pieces on our pages. She writes in the introduction to ELEVATE:
“From the poignant cover of ELEVATE to the brilliant words that adorn each page, this issue is like flying above the clouds, in a never-ending sky, over terrain that’s both foreign and familiar. Work that’s about overcoming and accepting where we are. Stories about loss and love. There are poems that allow us to be in the sky while we march here on the ground. And creative nonfiction that gives us permission to cry and proclaim that we are not afraid.”
We are excited to release the latest issue of Yellow Arrow Journal and happy to share the voices included within our ELEVATE issue. Paperback and PDF versions are now available from the Yellow Arrow bookstore. Discounts are also available (here) if you would like to purchase copies for friends and family (minimum purchase of five). You can also search for Yellow Arrow Journal on any e-book device or anywhere you purchase print and electronic books, including Amazon and most other distribution channels.
Photo by Danese Kenon
Jennifer N. Shannon has published three books: Silent Teardrops; for the LOVE, short stories and poems, vol. 1; and for the LOVE, short stories and poems, vol. 2. Her poetry, short stories, photographs, and essays have been in an anthology and literary magazines, including North Dakota Quarterly, Yellow Arrow Journal, Deep South Magazine, Auburn Avenue, and others. Jennifer was a 2022 Baker Artist Awards finalist, a poetry fellow at the Watering Hole, and in 2023, she was selected as a Maryland State Arts Council Triennial Artist for Literary Arts. Jennifer is a proud South Carolinian and Gamecock who lives in Maryland with her son and fiance. You can connect with Jennifer by visiting her website at jennifernshannon.com or follow her @writerjns on Instagram and Facebook.
The artwork on the cover (cover design by Alexa Laharty), “As I Am” by Lizzie Brown, was created of acrylic on canvas. According to Lizzie, her painting “depicts a woman embracing her flaws and scars, represented by a gold-filled crack down her back,” inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi. “As I Am” is an incredible “reminder that our imperfections make us beautiful, and our scars tell a story of what we’ve overcome.” Don’t forget to check out a conversation between Jennifer and Lizzie on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/AOSpTHqvs7k.
We hope you enjoy reading ELEVATE as much as we enjoyed creating it. Thank you for your continued encouragement of Yellow Arrow Publishing and the women involved in ELEVATE. On June 26 at 8:00 p.m., please join Jennifer, Yellow Arrow, and some of our contributors for the live, virtual reading of ELEVATE. More information is forthcoming.
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Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women-identifying writers through publication and access to the literary arts. You can support us as we AMPLIFY women-identifying creatives this year by purchasing one of our publications or a workshop from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, for yourself or as a gift, joining our newsletter, following us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or subscribing to our YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 65185, Baltimore, Maryland 21209). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.