A Letter From The Editor

To the readers:

Write me a letter!

A little over a year ago, I quietly unfolded the Neworld Review to the public. During that year I carefully avoided issuing a mission statement in my ‘Letter to the Reader,’ but decided instead to let the publication speak for itself; not that I, and my small staff, didn’t have a clear, well thought-out concept for the kind of publication we wanted.

Like the rest of my staff, I hoped that the real mission statement that would emerge from our efforts was that the reader would see that the Neworld Review served both the literary community, as well as the larger arts world.

To my delight, our efforts have been well rewarded with much support. My staff and I truly thank you.

In this issue we have much of note. Theater editor James Petcoff took a trip to London and caught a world premiere at the Old Vic, of Joe Sutton’s new play, Complicit, which, from James’ review, I hope that we will soon see produced in New York City, or somewhere else in America.

Also, Brenda Greene offers an excellent review of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (how I wish I had the genius to come up such an enchanting title for my next novel. Orphans will have to do for now.)

Madeleine Mysko contributes an interesting, and highly informative essay on the lost art of letter writing.

It’s hard to believe that I once lived in a world, however briefly, where every would-be writer I encountered had in the back of his or her mind that every time they wrote someone a letter–even if it contained a mere complaint about the lack of heat in their tiny, rat infested apartment in the East Village–that it would one day end up in a collection, or an anthology, backed by a major publisher.

Those days are long gone. Now, letters are summarily dismissed as mere “snail mail”. The electronic revolution has clearly won, and email is king, or queen, as the case may be.

Maybe soon a thought-provoking collection of emails will arrive in the mail at the Neworld Review and boldly challenge the sheer supremacy, and growing reputation, of people sitting quietly alone, often by just candle light, pen in hand, recording how they felt that day, or night; quietly pouring out their hearts, or merely gossiping about their colorful day.

I am convinced that the long gone age of letter writing will continue to grow in literary importance, and email will remain the lowly art form it clearly deserves to be; mainly because real writers, in the deepest recesses of their inner being, profoundly question the permanency of this electronic world.

So, with Madeleine’s essay in mind, take a pen or pencil in hand, and write me a letter back. I would love to know what you are thinking.

There is much, much more. Thank you for picking us up.

Fred Beauford

Editor-in-Chief/publisher

Neworld Review
Vol. 2 No 6

Editor-in-Chief/publisher

Fred Beauford

Art Director

Bernie Rollins

Managing Editor

Jan Alexander

Editor-at-Large

Margaret Johnstone

Senior Editor

Herb Boyd

Contributing Editors

Jane M McCabe: books

James Petcoff: theater

Rona Edwards:film

Russell Burge: visual arts

Loretta Campbell

Brenda M. Greene

Madeleine Mysko

The Neworld Review is a publication of Fred Beauford, 3183 Wilshire Blvd,
Suite 196,
Los Angeles, CA. 90010.

Material in this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers.

Manuscripts should be accompanied by a self-stamped envelope. Online submissions are accepted at [email protected].

Neworld Review cannot be held responsible for unsolicited photographs or manuscripts.

All correspondence to:

Fred Beauford
Editor-in Chief/Publisher

Neworld Review
3183 Wilshire Blvd,
Suite 196,
Los Angeles, CA. 90010

E-mail

Archives

VOL. 1 NO. 1 2008

VOL. 1 NO. 2 2008

VOL. 1 NO. 3 2008

VOL. 1 NO. 4 2008

VOL. 2 NO. 5 2009

This Month's Articles

REVIEWING

A Dominican Family in the African Diaspora

Review By Brenda M. Greene
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
By Junot Diaz

Junot Diaz, the young Domicican Americn writer who is a representative of the hip hop generation.....Read More

A MEMOIR

An Excerpt from a Memoir

By Fred Beauford
CHAPTER TWO
TIME ON THE CROSS

I remember vividly the first night in the place we would call 'home' for almost the next.....Read More

REVIEWING

On (Avant) Garde

Review By Loretta H. Campbell
Susan-Lori Parks
By Deborah R. Geis

An iconoclast and one of the innovative playwrights of her generation.....Read More

REVIEWING

Hubert Harrison-The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883-1918

By Jeffery B. Perry

Review by Herb Boyd

Given the time in which he lived, his color, coming to America....Read More

ESSAY

In Possession of Letters

By Madeleine Mysko

In A.S. Byatt's novel, Possession, the character Roland Michell-the young, literary......Read More

REVIEWING

Coming to Americay

Review by Jan Alexander
Galway Bay
By Mary Pat Kelly

Trust an Irish writer to turn a lyrical phrase out of toxic assets.....Read More

REVIEWING

The Middle East Conundrum

Review by Jane M. McCabe
Dreams and Shadows-the Future of the Middle East
By Robin Wright

During the 1970's I attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota. There I....Read More

BEYOND BOOKS (Film)

Rona's Reel Take

To Strike Or Not To Strike?
(a question not easily answered)
By Rona Edwards

This has been an interesting time for the entertainment industry. A year ago.....Read More

REVIEWING

Great Scott!

Review By Loretta H. Campbell
Hazel Scott: The Pioneering Journey of a Jazz Pianist from Café Society to Hollywood to HUAC
By Karen Chilton

;.83, "Until my fight at Columbia, no Black person had.....Read More

BEYOND BOOKS (Theater)

COMPLICIT

Review by James Petcoff
Complicit
By Joe Sutton
Directed by Kevin Spacey

On a recent trip to London, I happened to stop by the Old Vic Theater....Read More