Julie Shigekuni

Daniel Mueller

In stories, poems, and essays, Blue Mesa Review Issue 16 explores the relationship between art and the viewer. As Editor Julie Shigekuni notes in her foreword, "While a work of art begins with the intimate bond between artist and subject matter, once the creation is formed--published, sold-- different kind of relationship ensues. Once it becomes the object of speculation for audiences, literature exists both within the world as we know it, and within the world of the story." Issue 16 features fiction by Alison Kinney, Antoine Wilson, and Thomas O'Malley; creative non-fiction by Daniel Chacon, Blas Falconer, and Geoffrey Becker; and poetry by Ellen Wehle, Hadara Bar-Nadav, Gaylord Brewer, Robert Clark, and James Doyle. Hector A. Torres' interview with novelist and poet Demetria Martinez figures as the centerpiece of a volume that, piece by piece, reminds the reader, as central character Celeste in Alison Kinney's mesmerizing story "Sistina" cannot forget, "there will be an end to looking."

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