Kirkwood Sunrise Ann Sunde Wilson

Contributor Notes

Jorja Allen is a visual artist who composed Carnivorous, Life Goes On, and Hollowed Threat. She is currently working towards an Associate of Liberal Arts degree and then plans to pursue a tattoo apprenticeship. Allen is grateful for spending the time to cultivate her art skills further while at Kirkwood. Regarding Carnivorous, Allen says, “I used the Japanese firing method called Raku Firing in order to attain the smoky and cracked surfaces of these.” This was followed up with an iron-oxide enriched paint and final clear glazing to top it off. Of Life Goes On, Allen says, “This was my first ever full-piece oil painting. The bright colors contrasting with the skeleton in the greens and pinks and blues are something I generally do not do in my paintings… It also has some artistic symbolism to it that I think everyone could perceive differently.”

Myanna Carmody is the artist who created Narcissist and Golden Pomegranate. She is also a valued staff member of the Cedar Valley Divide. She has been drawn to art since early childhood but only began taking painting seriously after attending Kirkwood in 2019. She says that being around like-minded creatives in art history and painting classes encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and “drastically changed how I showed up to my easel and canvas.” She currently works primarily with Open Acrylics and charcoals, drawing inspiration from artists such as John William Waterhouse, Edward Robert Hughes, and Edmund Leighton. She plans to use still life, fabrics, and figure studies to gain the foundation she needs to create genre paintings as she works towards furthering her art career. Regarding the inspiration for her piece, Narcissist, Carmody says, “this is a piece that surrounds religious trauma and narcissistic abuse… The meaning behind it for myself personally revolves around spiritual leaders and role models using false spirituality to tear the woman apart.” More of Myanna’s work can be found at: artbymyanna.com

Terri Carter, who works at the Kirkwood print shop, is the creator of Sweet Bees and Untitled. Sweet Bees was created using fused glass. Untitled was composed of paté de verre (paste of glass) and a sugar fire finish. Carter says, “Glass is an intriguing art medium. It can be smooth and flowing, rough and sharp, shimmering or dull. Learning techniques and processes to create the art will never end. I enjoy trying new ideas and discovering the results when the kiln is opened.”

Carma Close is currently enrolled in the horticulture program at Kirkwood and enjoys taking photos in her spare time. On African Daisy, Close says, “Plants so often get overlooked but being able to stop and appreciate them can be a life-changing feeling.”

Alena Diercks is a Kirkwood student who plans to pursue a career in mortuary science. She works as a part-time body piercer and loves to read, create, and learn just about anything, with a particular emphasis on the study of languages. She also says, “Writing is something I love dearly, but most of that energy is reserved for school assignments. Still, I dabble here and there.” She finds Victorian literature very inspiring and is a collector of antique books. Regarding “Citrus,” Diercks says, “This piece of poetry, along with many others, is one I have written with a burst of inspiration.”

LA Felleman is currently a financial analyst at the University of Iowa, prior to which she worked as a seminary professor and a pastor. She credits the Free Generative Writing Workshops, the Midwest Writing Center, and workshops offered through Iowa City Poetry with her growth as a poet. To give back to the writing community, she organizes a writer’s open mic at the public library (or via Zoom during pandemics). She serves on the advisory council of Iowa City Poetry, is the author of the chapbook, The Length of a Clenched Fist, from Finishing Line Press, and blogs at http://lafelleman.blogspot. com. Regarding the inspiration for her poem “A Fleeting Common Good,” she writes, “This poem is an attempt to bring others into my experience of a deep violet sky. I wanted to express the wonder of the moment, as well as the regret that many of us live too rushed to notice awe-inspiring details.”

Mark Hanley, author of “Clouds,” is a Kirkwood alum living in Cedar Rapids and studying at the University of Iowa. He likes to write about everyday life, as well as the transcendent, especially when the two topics coincide. When he’s not writing, he enjoys reading, playing the violin, and listening to music. He is known to enjoy a nice, strong cup of coffee. You can learn more about him at https://markthepoet.com.

Carmen Harrington is a US Navy veteran and retired officer’s wife, mother of two, and grandmother of four. She began writing in her late 40s while taking creative writing courses at Mount Mercy University, where she studied for her BA in English. She obtained her masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Northern Iowa in 2017 and now works as an adult education English as a Second Language Teacher at Kirkwood while serving the Grant Wood area communities as a Spanish interpreter and translator. Her poetry, prose, and photos are inspired by nature, family, and events in history, and have been published in the Inner Weather, the Cedar Valley Divide, and various editions of the Paha Review and Mercy Creative Review. Her poem “What It Is to Be a Mother,” was written in honor of her beloved mother and matriarch after the discovery of her adoption.

Emily Hiner, the creator of Cracked, would like to some day own her own ceramics studio. She says, “What I love most about art is knowing that you can express yourself in different ways without speaking a word. Art has become another language to me, and I am proud to speak it.”

Evan Konig is a current Kirkwood student and future creative writing major. He is interested in writing poetry, short stories and novels. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, painting, and drawing. He is inspired by Lady Gaga and her ability to create despite what others have to say about her and her work. The inspiration for his poem, “What They Said,” was derived from his experience in high school. He says “When I was younger I wasn’t treated equally by my peers because I was gay. I wanted to write this piece to tell others who are in similar situations that they are not alone and that it’s ok to speak up about your feelings when you feel ostracized by anyone else. I also wrote to bring awareness to the topic of violence and suicide in the LGBTQ+ community and how not much has been done to stop it.”

Rustin Larson, who wrote “Not James Joyce,” has had work published in the anthology Wilds Gods (New Rivers Press, 2021) and in London Grip, Poetry East, The Lake, Poetryspace, Pirene’s Fountain, and Lothlorien Poetry Journal. His chapbook The Cottage on the Hill was published by Cyberwit.net in April 2022. He is on the faculty of Maharishi International University’s MFA in Creative Writing program. He says his poem“Not James Joyce” was born from trying to write [a] sestina” and that while most of his sestinas “partially or fully failed...I found enough in the efforts to keep, edit, and call poems.”

Rachel Peters is currently in her sophomore year at Liberty High School. She works at the Big Picture Gallery and Studio and is currently developing her AP Studio Art portfolio. She also does commission work as well as makes and sells jewelry. Regarding her essay “How to Give a Cat a Pet-i-cure,” Peters says, “I wrote this essay… with the intention of creating something entertaining for my audience, and for cat owners specifically... I wanted to submit this piece to go along with [one of] my art piece[s], Feline to Feminine... This particular piece is about the relationship I have had with animals throughout my life, specifically cats… This piece is done in a much more abstract style than I typically use. I created this piece out of of mat-board, using acrylic paint and Posca Paint Pens.” On SelfDestructive, Peters says, “it is supposed to represent my struggles with self-destructive tendencies.”

Te’a Ritchie was initially a psychology major at Kirkwood. Regarding her short story, “Father, Brother, Sister” she says, “I am fascinated by the psychological aspects of the individual, how their past affects their present and the inevitable future. Nothing makes me feel better than watching a nameless individual of my own design suffer because they are themselves.”

Tevin Slippy is a Kirkwood student and author of “Anxious Touch,” “Son of a Preacher,” and Second Gift.

Timothy Stammeyer is an avid creative writer with aspirations of teaching creative writing at the collegiate level. He has found writing to be his way of making sense of the world. He particularly enjoys writing literature for young audiences and believes that the future of the world deserves stories that they can see themselves in. Of the inspiration for his short story “Heaven Is Full of Elephants,” he says it “originally [was] an attempt to grapple with life after death, I decided to narrow my gaze to the event itself, discovering that tragedy and comedy are connected.” He has previously been published in Expressions, DMACC’s literary magazine, and has produced an original play for young performers, which has since been accepted for publication by Pioneer Drama Services.

Ann Sunde Wilson is an avid amateur photographer who captured Kirkwood Sunrise. Ann also enjoys gardening and is a Kirkwood graduate with an Associate of Arts. She currently works in the Mail Services department on Kirkwood’s main campus.

Kevin L. Van Dee is an adult student at Kirkwood who is taking classes to enrich his life. He actually began his college career at Kirkwood in 1983 while farming full-time in Iowa County. He says taking classes at Kirkwood has been fun, challenging, informative, and extremely helpful with his personal and professional growth. Regarding his short story, “A Boy Named Sioux,” Van Dee says, “I wrote this autobiographical essay for the advanced college writing course at Kirkwood. My professor asked the class to write, ‘essays [that] help readers appreciate the event’s uniqueness or special importance in [our] lives by using vivid images and sensory details.’ I thought back to an important year in my life when a lot of change took place both personally and around the world. I thought these events might create a great deal of tension on several levels that would make for a good essay. I also wanted to write a story about my childhood friend who moved away suddenly, and whom I never saw again. This transitory relationship was one that I later learned was far too common throughout my life, especially as a member of several college environments.”

Submit to the next issue!

Deadline: Dec.15, 2023 www.kirkwood.edu/cedarvalley