Truth Teller Spotlight – Valley Haggard
Photo Credit: Mary Chiaramonte Valley Haggard, founder and co-director of Richmond Young Writers, is an avid writer and mentor in the creative nonfiction community. With a B.A. in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College, Haggard has pursued her passion for all things words. This has led her to write reviews and interview authors for Richmond-based...
The Power and Limitations of “Hiroshima”
The most celebrated example of long-form nonfiction in the post-World War II years was John Hersey’s Hiroshima, originally published in The New Yorker in August 1946 in its complete 30,000-word form, taking up the entire issue (to memorialize the fiftieth anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, the magazine has posted the full piece online). Hersey’s carefully...
From Our Pages: “Making Friends with Midge,” an essay on your best friend and Barbie’s. By Susann Cokal.
“Midge was, as all Mattel’s toys and books and marketing materials identified her, ‘Barbie’s Best Friend’— not simply herself. She never even had an essay written especially for her till now.” Spend some time palling around with Midge, Barbie’s best friend, and Barbie fan/scholar Susann Cokal. Besides being a literary critic, novelist, teacher, and Broad Street‘s editorial...
“Abby Is Tall and Blonde,” memoir by Abby Otte.
By Abby Otte. When people attempt to sum me up for a stranger, it usually goes something like this: “Abby is tall and blonde.” My parents like to say that when I was born I came out all limbs. My arms and legs stretched from my body like taffy. As I aged I used them...
From Our Pages: “The Lives of Strangers”: Paisley Rekdal Reflects on Marriage, Betrayal, and Murder.
A favorite essay from our first issue, formatted for online reading. Josh George, Buddy Patrol, mixed media on wood panel. “The Lives of Strangers,” by multiple-award-winning poet and memoirist Paisley Rekdal, explores the complexities of marriage and love—and the many forms of violence they can engender. The piece first appeared in the print version...
