The Skipjack Review
The First of Many
Ope Here,
This newsletter is the first of many more to come. At least that is the hope. Skipjack Review is a new literary magazine created by myself and a few friends who are passionate about nature, conservation, and all things creative writing. They’ve elected me to be the magazine’s spokesman. Spokesfish? Whichever is fine.
We love to read and write and we love nature. My goal with this digital rag is to not only keep you in the loop with Skipjack Review but to also entertain you. I’m here to invite you along on this creative journey and hope you’ll subscribe to my newsletter.
Why Skipjack?
Conceived in 2022 at River Pretty Writer’s Retreat in the Missouri Ozarks, Skipjack Review is named after the phenomenon of skipjack herring chasing lights on the rivers at night. In the fall, local fishermen mount enormous floodlights on the front of their boats and trade fishing poles for fourteen-foot spears. The fishermen are after other fare entirely, but, fascinated, schools of Skipjack hurl themselves at those artificial suns to the point of jumping in and over boats.
Skipjack Review aims to highlight the Midwest, but our scope is global. We are environmental advocates who wish to start a conversation the world keeps putting off—and would keep putting off until it’s too late. While the world falls around us, we go on dreaming of escaping from this fast-paced, single-serving maze of days that end in “Why.” Isn’t there a better way? We need to slow down. Let’s get out of our heads for a minute. Take a breath. Make a change! Create something new! Write something!
I don’t know why we do what we do. You’re probably thinking we’re a little silly, throwing our bodies and everything we’ve got at those lights we see at night. None of us knows what’s waiting for us in space, and thus far it’s always been the same result.
I’ve landed in and been tossed out of more flat bottom boats than I can count and I can count high. I also know that I’ll never stop. I can’t.
All artists, including writers, are just like that. We are all skipjack searching for something brighter and are compelled to launch ourselves to new heights.
So don’t be afraid to jump out of the river. More often than not, you’ll land in some redneck’s boat and they’ll laugh or cuss and toss you back into the water. That’s okay. Don’t let them discourage you; one day, you might land somewhere beautiful.
