The last half-decade has been a renaissance period for Bryant College, marked by new programs, new buildings, and a greater commitment to an expanded liberal arts curriculum. The Bryant Literary Review stands as evidence of our continued transformation.

As a student of Finance at Bryant, I have been taught to invest in lesser-known companies along with the established stars. Rather than base my decisions solely on a company’s historical financial data, I’ve been instructed to take a good look at the company itself to measure its worthiness.

While this principle is freshly preached and applied in capstone finance courses, it has been canonized in the literary world for ages. This is why I am excited to welcome you to the fifth anniversary issue of the BLR. Consider this a diverse portfolio of literary talent, ranging from first-time names to literary figures of national reputation. Bryant students Steven Proulx and Jon McColgan can see their work stand under the same cover as that of Poet Laureates Baron Wormser (Maine), David Evans (South Dakota), Anne Hanley (Alaska), Marie Harris (New Hampshire), Joe Survant (Kentucky), and Mary Crow (Colorado). Although these pieces have come from a diverse set of writers, one standard of quality brings them together: their ability to stand on their own.

I would like to offer my personal thanks to all the contributors in this issue, as well as those we could not publish at this time. The quality of submissions, and subsequent difficulty in the selection process, serves as an indicator of our steady growth. I also extend my thanks to The Pawtucket Times, The Woonsocket Call, Bryant College Division of Academic Affairs, the Department of English and Cultural Studies, and the Faculty Development Center for their continued assistance. Without their help, the past five years would not have been possible.

Cheers to five years and beyond!

Thank you and enjoy,

Dan Dabrowski
Student Editor

EDITOR: Tom Chandler FICTION EDITOR: Mary Prescott MANAGING EDITOR: MJ Kim ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Janet Proulx STUDENT EDITOR: Daniel Dabrowski DESIGN & LAYOUT: Rebecca Chandler

EDITOR'S NOTE

It’s Simple, Tim Bellows
Horowitz in New York, Tim Bellows
Billy Moran Stands in His Back Yard, Saying His Prayers Over One Last Glass of Bourbon, Michael Scott Cain
The Reverend Henry Evers Has Been Conducting A Lot of Funerals Lately, Michael Scott Cain
Dawn Camping, Steven Proulx
My Grandmother’s Slops Bucket, David Thornbrugh
Written on Water, David Thornbrugh
America’s Most Wanted, Erica Olsen
Poem Written in Revlon’s“Fire and Ice” Lipstick, Marie Harris
Workout, Dave Evans
Same Old, Mary Crow
Homage to Montale, Baron Wormser
Palden Gyatso Comes to Town, Anne Hanley
Owl, Joe Survant
The Widow of War, Jon McColgan
St. Viggo, Karina Fuentes
The Red Chiffon, J.T. Ledbetter
After Hearing There Are Only 7,000 Stars Visible to the Naked Eye, Charles Rafferty
The Hospital Ships, Carmine Sarracino
The First Seven Pregnant Women I Knew, Jim Daniels
Things Pulled Off Refrigerator Doors, Charles Harper Webb
A Persistent Error, Dorinda Clifton
Touching My Reflection, Michele Heather Pollock
Dress Rehearsal for Utopia, Karen Donovan
The Wounded, Dave Capella
The Boys of Night Winter, Paul Sohar
The Snow Moon, Rebecca Lilly
The Hills of Laura, Billy Lombardo
In a Field Near Sardis Dam, Louis Bourgeois
In Oxford Cemetery, Louis Bourgeois

CONTRIBUTORS