Editor's Notes

Editor s Notes What intrigues me most about creative nonfiction these days is how writers are helping to define as well as extend the boundaries ofthe form. In my previous "Editor's Notes," I've tried to identify specific aspects of creative nonfiction and then discuss some of the ways that writers are utilizing them. In our second issue, for example, I found several pieces where writers used their personal experiences as catalysts for further exploration , discovery, and self-scrutiny In another issue, the majority of essays and memoirs had very flexible and unconventional structures. And in the last issue, I noticed that a number of writers took uncommon risks with language. As I was reviewing the galleys for this edition, I found several pieces where the writer's personal presence was particularly distinct and compeUing. Let me explain what I mean by "personal presence." Scott RusseU Sanders has written that "the essay is distinguished from the short story, not by the presence or absence of literary devices, not by the tone or theme or subject, but by the writer's stance toward the material." I agree.Whether the writer is at the center of the work, ifhe/she is a witness or observer, or if the piece is subject-matter driven, we want to know who the writer is and where he/she stands in relation to the narrative. There are a number of essay/memoirs in this issue that Alústrate ways in which writers can establish their personal presence. Let me cite a few. In "Lunch," Sue AUison discloses her irrational fears to us as if she were confiding in a long-time friend. Betty Hyland narrates "A Thousand Cloudy Days" in the third person so that she can distance herselffrom a particularly painful subject. In Brenda MiUer's "How to Meditate," the author is giving us neutral directions at the same time as she's aUowing us to eavesdrop on an intimate interior conversation. In "Baked Alaska," Karol Griffin is a both Editor's Notesvii witness and participant in her own story. And in "Goodbye to AU This," Rebecca McClanahan lets us in on the ambivalence she feels about a proposed move from her hometown to NewYork City. Other writers, I noticed, establish their presence by revealing the process by which they grapple with complex issues and problems—both personal and aesthetic. Debra Gwartney and Darrel ManseU, for example, are selfinterrogative narrators. Amy Sickels and Kathleen Lee's pieces reveal more pensive personas. And Philip Gerard and Mimi Schwartz maintain an emotional and psychological distance from their subjects. But whatever stance these writers take, we are weU aware oftheir presence, because their voice is intimate, personal, and singular. As Phülip Lopate writes, The hallmark of the personal essay is its intimacy. The writer seems to be speaking directly into your ear, confiding everything from gossip to wisdom. Through sharing thoughts, memories, desires, complaints, and whimsies, the personal essayist sets up a relationship with the reader, a dialogue—a friendship , if you will, based on identification, understanding, testiness, and companionship . In addition to the twenty-five essays and memoirs, there are other pleasures to note in this issue: namely, Peter Glendinning's cover photo and photo essay and the informative roundtable discussion, "Character in Nonfiction"—a transcription ofa recentAssociatedWriting Programs panel that included talks by Donald Morrfll, Richard Terrül,John Hfldebrand, and Judith Kitchen. Some final notes. Recently, Fourth Genre has undergone a personnel change. Laura Luptowski, our founding Managing Editor, has taken another position. Laura's vision helped launch this journal three years ago, and her hard work and dedication have enabled us to grow and flourish. It's an understatement to say that she'U be missed. But we're very fortunate to have Margot Kielhorn as the new Managing Editor. In addition, we're grateful that Laura's fine assistant , Lynn Anderson, wfll continue to work alongside Margot. FinaUy, I'm deUghted to announce some recent accomplishments and awards. Last April, Bret Lott s "Toward Humility" (Fourth Genre vol. 1, no. 2) was chosen for a 1999 Pushcart Prize.The essay appears in this year's Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small...