The Blue Falcon Review, Vol. 2 | Spring 2015 | ISSN: 2331-5113
Editor’s Note
The fallout of trauma remains a brutal inheritance that most veterans share. With the high rate of military suicides progressing at a tragic speed, American society can no longer dismiss the voices of those who served. We must instead embrace new possibilities to help people cope with, and ultimately transcend, suffering. As a college writing professor, I’ve learned firsthand through my student veterans how the literary arts can function as an empowering means of overcoming trauma. These smart, hardworking young men and women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan consistently expressed a desire to write about their combat experiences, and even share those stories with their civilian peers. Through writing, my students were able to find expression for the traumatic war experiences that haunted them. This inspired a sense of agency over the past, and promoted healing.
As one who has led workshops for other witnesses of war—such as Afghan women through the Afghan Women’s Writing Project, and refugees from Somalia, Eretria, Nigeria and Palestine—I deeply believe in the transformative power of creative writing. Needless to say, I am thrilled with the rare opportunity of working with veterans through Military Experience & the Arts. MEA gives people a space to be heard, one not easily found in either the military or civilian world. As an editor, it is a source of tremendous joy for me to work closely with a writer and witness, draft by draft, the evolution and refinement of a story. The writers in this issue of The Blue Falcon Review have produced haunting literary works that are at once soulful and uncompromising. They encompass the very essence of what great literary fiction strives to accomplish—a rich expression of universal truth through individual experience. The stories of veterans help convey a deeper, more human understanding of war and its consequences, particularly for the larger civilian world. They are an invaluable presence to be heard and celebrated.
Olivia Kate Cerrone
April 2nd, 2015
Table of Contents
“The Fundamental Clarity of Light” by Michael Eltrich PDF HTML
“Minarets” by Kyle Larkin PDF HTML
“Veterans Day” by T.S. Kay PDF HTML
“Southern Grace” by Frederick Foote PDF HTML
“Thugs” by Frederick Foote PDF HTML
“Dear US Army” by Jeffrey Armadillo Forker PDF HTML
“Happy Birthday” by Jeffrey Armadillo Forker PDF HTML
“Green Eyes” by David P. Ervin PDF HTML
Cover Art: “From the Rising of the Sun” by Tif Holmes
Editor-in-Chief
David P. Ervin
Managing Editor
Olivia K. Cerrone
Associate Editors
Amira Pierce, Sarah Maples
No reproduction of any material within is allowed without the written consent of Military Experience & the Arts, Inc. (MEA). All rights revert to the author/artist after publication. MEA retains the right to republish works in print or online form