Posted by Alanna Kaplan, Nonfiction Reader for Issue 4.1
Attention all lovers of fiction, creative nonfiction, art, and poetry! After months of hard work, deliberations and debates, Gandy Dancer 4.1 is finally here and ready. The copies you can’t wait to get your hands on are now available on Amazon and will be at our upcoming launch party, December 18th from 1 to3 PM in Geneseo’s Hunt Room.
A sneak peak at the 4.1 cover!
We had a plethora of incredible pieces to choose from this year, with the poetry readers in particular grappling with an influx of poems (who said poetry was dead?) and we are incredibly proud to share the finished product. Readers will find pieces that speak to them individually, with some employing sharp introspection, others engaging in deep historical connections and all possessing a unique edge and fresh take on life’s greatest pleasures and pains.
Our Featured Artist this semester is Thomas John Magnus, whose photography forces its viewer to take pause in the richness of color, contrast, and distinctive angles. In one photo in particular, “Untitled,” we see Main Street’s own Livingston County Appliance. While many Geneseo students have walked past the shop many times, the way Magnus captures the scene leaves viewers wondering how we could have missed its true beauty.
Another piece that begs the reader to question whether they have fully appreciated an oft ignored beauty is the nonfiction piece “Hermit” by Kira Gregory, full of images of nature that force us into feeling as though we are walking right alongside her as she treks through the woods.
Should we need a break from reality, the short story “Bones” by Allison Giese is a promising cure, with narration and a slow buildup to a crushing climax that leaves readers on the edge of their seat. Giese’s use of setting is so convincing, the story feels real and vivid.
While our issue is incredibly diverse, with submissions from SUNY campuses throughout New York State including Fredonia, PolyTechnic, New Paltz, Geneseo, MCC, CCC, Stony Brook, Brockport, and Oswego, the journal builds bridges between art, poetry, nonfiction and fiction. We hope that readers will be as awestruck by these literary offerings as we were when choosing them and placing them within Gandy Dancer 4.1.