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Welcome to the second issue of the Bear Paw Arts Journal. We received a wonderful variety of poetry, flash fiction, and micro memoir submissions this year, and we are glad to promote a wide range of voices and styles which connect to our theme of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. From meditations on a splinter and a color television set, to a metaphor about chain restaurants and the chains that bind us, to an existential moment in a dog park, these pieces ask us to stop, reflect, and re-see the world around us.

We are also honored to feature two visual artists in this issue: Jason Geer and Cassandra Labairon.
Jason Geer's photographs showcase the beauty of Montana from small towns to wild places. Whether his focus is on a dragonfly or a sweeping field, Jason captures the spirit of the land that inspires the Bear Paw Arts Journal. Cassandra Labairon's work plays with color, repetition, and texture in quilt-like arrangements. You can see their work paired with literary pieces throughout this issue. We also decided to feature a writer this year: Casey Knott's memoir This Season, The Next, was released recently by Cornerstone Press. You can read an excerpt, "The Flock," in our micro memoir section. Be sure to check out our interviews with these talented artists and writer as well.

I am thankful for editors Roger Hart (flash fiction) and Becky Fjelland Brooks (micro memoir), who read, commented on, and selected pieces for this issue. Also, I want to thank Montana State University Northern graduate student Gryphon Guyant, who assisted in communicating with writers and who creatively paired images with each literary piece. Putting this issue together was a team effort.

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We are also grateful to the New Pages Blog for featuring our journal; you can read more about the journal and its creation here: Bear Paw Arts Journal.

We hope you enjoy the second issue!

 

Sincerely,
Gwen Hart