Over the last few weeks, my colleagues in the history department have been preparing their offices for a move. We’re going to be located somewhere temporarily and then moved back into renovated offices in our current building. The new offices are going to smaller than the ones that we have now and as a result, my colleagues are sorting through books and papers and things that they neither want to move to temporary digs nor find a place for in our new offices. This means the hallways are filled with books which are free for anyone who wants them. 

One thing that always strikes me as bittersweet are when I see little stacks of North Dakota Quarterly among the free books. It makes me happy that sometime in the past someone subscribed and read our little magazine, but there’s something a bit sad to seeing them cast off like that.   

In any event, by coincidence there was a copy of NDQ 58.1/2 from 1990 on a table, and I picked it up and leafed through it. Two stories stood out.

The first is titled “Starbuck” and it’s by Debra Monroe who will publish an essay with us in our next issue. You can read “Starbuck” here. It’s gritty and the rhythm of the prose is remarkable and deeply engaging. It makes me happy that  

In the same issue, we featured a story by Deb Marquart titled “The Moon.” It struck me a perfect companion to “Starbuck” and you can read it here.

There’s also a interview with the late poet Amy Clampitt which was conducted about five years before. The interview offers some fascinating insights into Clampitt’s poetry and it begins in Greece. The interview, and Clampitt’s poetry, are well worth a read. 

NDQ 88.1/2 is almost ready to head into production. Page proofs will circulate in March and with a little luck, it’ll appear in April.  

58.1/2