First up: Welcome to all who are here for Women’s FEST! We’re so glad you’ve come, be this your first FEST or just the latest in a long line of fabulous FESTs. There’s fun, entertainment, spring, and tradition galore—as well as new options. Bingo, anyone? The Speaker Series returns, there’s a Pop-Up Bookstore (complete with authors), and—of course—the fabulous FEST ART 2024! exhibit. It’s a chock-full four days; revel, refresh, renew—maybe even relax?!
Beyond that—a big welcome to all our other Letters’ readers, too! We’re equally glad you’re here, browsing our pages and engaging with us in-print or online. As always, there’s lots to browse.
For openers—remember the Six-word Memoirs some of our regular contributors shared in our March issue? Well, many of you accepted our invitation to submit one of your own—thank you! Read this month’s very (very) short stories, starting on page 44. And—head’s up—we’re working on more ways for you to engage with Letters. It’ll be fun!
We have (of course) FEST-related columns—see page 12 for a menu of what’s in store. And pages 22 and 24 for some FEST history—in one case, history of what didn’t happen. Remember FEST 2020? No; me either.
Also, some other timely pieces: April 22 is Earth Day; Jeff Dannis gives us the skinny on recycling (page 94). Stephen Raskauskas enumerates some of the ways the Earth benefits when people adopt diets that lean plant-based, even just intermittently. April is Autism Acceptance Month; Robb Mapou offers a primer on autism and autism spectrum disorder. We’re well into spring here in coastal Delaware; Eric Wahl has been reveling in his daffodils (as have I, in mine).
Lesbian Visibility Day (and Week) are this month; Mary Jo Tarallo tells us all about them on page 14. And Sharon Morgan’s “Between the Lines” (page 54) reminds us just how long it can take—and how convoluted the path may be—to gain visibility.
Once visible—well, there’s that first kiss! We remember that day on April 27; both Christopher Moore and Beth Shockley have tales to tell. And both seem to have enjoyed (well, more or less) a number of first kisses. It’s all in how (and what) you count….
Bike to Work Week arrives in early May, and Terri Schlichenmeyer is ready. You will be too once you take a look at her homage to the kickstand (page 90).
Comments and topic suggestions are welcome—you can reach me at editor@camprehoboth.com. Thanks for reading Letters.▼