Issue 8: What I Wish You Knew
Cover art: “Empty Nest” by Sara Bell of SB’s Artistrees
Editor’s Letter
Dear readers,
Welcome to Issue 8 of Heimat Review!
As I write this letter, I find myself reflecting on the turmoil and uncertainty that many have faced in recent months—both globally and personally, here in the U.S. From the tension of an election season to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and Milton, we’ve all experienced an overwhelming sense of loss and division. In the midst of these challenges, the urgency of finding ways to connect, understand, and care for one another becomes ever more apparent. This issue, titled What I Wish You Knew, is our invitation to do just that.
Much of this issue grapples with loss and the profound human need for connection. Our featured artist, Sara Bell of SB’s Artistrees, is from Asheville, North Carolina—a city deeply affected by Hurricane Helene. Her cover image, Empty Nest, reflects both the pain of change and the beauty of letting go. She writes, “As my children approach adulthood, the image of an empty nest is carrying more and more weight. There’s loneliness as they aren’t with me as they used to be, but also a sense of accomplishment that they are able to fly on their own.” In the wake of tragedies in Asheville and beyond, Sara’s art reminds us of resilience and the healing power of expression.
This theme is woven throughout the sections of the issue. We begin with the pieces in “I heard your silence—still and present” and encounter the strength of what is seen and wished for. Nicole Fegan’s poem speaks to yearning to be truly known: “mother, i believe you have never really seen me,” expressing the desire to be truly known, while Jordyn Perazzo’s “Seer,” assures, “whatever future / unfolds, you will never walk / this wide earth alone.”
In “In the Wake Of,” we explore grief, not as an end, but as a pathway toward deeper connection. Poems like Barbara Krasner’s “Chagall Dreams” and “Kinesthetics” where the search for identity is intertwined with the memories of those who have come before us, a reminder that loss deepens, rather than erases, our bonds.
In “The Paths We Chose,” we delve into the choices we make—or the ones made for us—and the regrets and wishes we carry as a result. Eileen Nittler’s reflection “What I Wish You Knew,” encapsulates this poignantly: “We told only good stories and kept things light. I’d like you to know so much about my struggles. I’d like to hear about yours.”
Issue 8’s final section, “Threads of Tension, Togetherness,” closes with Alina Zollfrank’s piece “A List of Those Things,” where she writes, “There’s a lot of dark in the world right now, and maybe this wordy celebration of connection and love can comfort others as well.” I can’t say it any better than that. In this time of division, we hope that this issue offers not just a reflection of our collective grief, but also a reminder of what truly matters—connection, understanding, and love.
Welcome to Issue 8.
Hannah Cole Orsag
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief
Discover the stories behind the stories!Dive deeper into the creation of each piece with our Artist’s/Author’s Notes, located at the end of each work, where the creators share insights into their favorite lines and reflections on this issue’s theme of flight, movement, and visions. |
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"I heard your silence-still and present"
Scallops by Sarp Sozdinler // Fiction
Seer by Jordyn Perazzo // Poetry
After the Fall by Nicole Fegan // Poetry
No Words by Emily Simmons Key // CNF
Milk Thistle by Jess Golden // Fiction
It’s What’s Inside That Counts by Warren Benedetto // Fiction
Seer by Jordyn Perazzo // Poetry
After the Fall by Nicole Fegan // Poetry
No Words by Emily Simmons Key // CNF
Milk Thistle by Jess Golden // Fiction
It’s What’s Inside That Counts by Warren Benedetto // Fiction
In the Wake Of
On the TV in a Planet Fitness women’s locker room, Ree Drummond says to her helper chefs, laughing, I don’t think I’m ever going to make lasagna by myself ever again! by Livia Meneghin // Poetry
Exposed by Jane McKinley // Poetry
Detour by Jane McKinley // Poetry
Talking to the Blind about Colors by Jane McKinley // Poetry
Poem for the Study for the Programme by Robert Fillman / /Poetry
Pasture Statues by Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi // Fiction
Yard Sale by Lori Cramer // Fiction
Exposed by Jane McKinley // Poetry
Detour by Jane McKinley // Poetry
Talking to the Blind about Colors by Jane McKinley // Poetry
Poem for the Study for the Programme by Robert Fillman / /Poetry
Pasture Statues by Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi // Fiction
Yard Sale by Lori Cramer // Fiction
"I had a dream once" // I Want to Know You
Chagall Dreams by Barbara Krasner // Poetry
Kinesthetics by Barbara Krasner // Poetry
I have wishes in my sleep by Andrea Maxine Recto // Poetry
Holding Hands by William Cass // Fiction
Pick-Up Sticks by Christian Barragan // CNF
Kinesthetics by Barbara Krasner // Poetry
I have wishes in my sleep by Andrea Maxine Recto // Poetry
Holding Hands by William Cass // Fiction
Pick-Up Sticks by Christian Barragan // CNF
The Paths We Chose
Empty Nest by Sara Bell // Visual Art
One Thing Missing from My Regrets by Patty Somlo // CNF
What I Wish You Knew by Eileen Nittler // CNF
Attachment by Sara Bell // Visual Art
One Thing Missing from My Regrets by Patty Somlo // CNF
What I Wish You Knew by Eileen Nittler // CNF
Attachment by Sara Bell // Visual Art
Threads of Tension, Togetherness
Sharing the Story by Sara Bell // Visual Art
Priority by Addison Schoeman // Poetry
Come-to-Jesus Meeting by Donna Cameron // CNF
Wings by Alannah Tjhatra // Fiction
Our Collective Permanence by Katie Robinson // Fiction
A List of Those Things by Alina Zollfrank // Poetry
Priority by Addison Schoeman // Poetry
Come-to-Jesus Meeting by Donna Cameron // CNF
Wings by Alannah Tjhatra // Fiction
Our Collective Permanence by Katie Robinson // Fiction
A List of Those Things by Alina Zollfrank // Poetry