Archives

Volume No. I (Nov/Dec, 2006):

Volume No. II (First Quarter, 2007):

Volume No. III (Second Quarter, 2007):

Volume No. IV (Third Quarter, 2007):

Volume No. V (Fourth Quarter, 2007):

Volume No. VI (First Quarter, 2008):

Volume No. VII (Second Quarter, 2008):

Volume No. I - Features

At the Survivor's Review, we strive to publish a variety of voices, perspectives and themes. Initially, we attempted to group our features so readers could more easily select pieces according to their interests. However, we found it difficult, if not impossible, to categorize our features.

Carol, for example, expresses the ambivalent relationship she has with her scar. Shirley discusses feeling better, but also touches on her ambivalence during recovery, as she walks "a path between joyfulness and fear, gratitude and trauma."

In "Wigged Out," Lynda unearths humor in a number of challenging situations while engaging us with the possibility of finding new love during illness.

Candice speaks of the variable moods and the grieving that accompany surgery; while Sally Jean finds beauty in the mirror after the bandages are removed.

In "The Old Man and the Sea," Sheree is overcome by fear, intense sadness and a touch of neurosis during her state-of-the-art biopsy.

Next, Laura shares both fear and love while waiting for a second pathology report. Karen expresses her anger over a shell she received as a prompt to spark her muse. And Carolyn's "Dispatch from a Dark Place" describes how her cancer diagnosis and the events of 9/11 are inexorably linked.

In "Red" Marcia writes of the bold, joyful experience of her first holiday after surgery. And Trice finds the strength to attack her cancer head-on.

Phyllis delves into her heritage and the benefits of denial, while Susie discusses her personal experience with the word "STOP," and its connection to cancer.

Joan creates a world in "Wild Card," that explores randomness, fate and cancer. And Nancy reveals the moment she first felt like a survivor.

We hope you will understand why we abandoned our attempt to categorize these pieces, and that you will appreciate them in their complexity and honesty.

If a particular piece stays with you we'd like to know. Please click here to submit your comments.

Volume No. II - Features

The response to the inaugural issue of the Survivor's Review has been terrific. Our readership is growing exponentially and we have received far more submissions than we expected -- from survivors all over the country! We applaud each of you for digging deep and giving voice to your experience, and we wish for all of you continued health and healing through your writing.

As always, we strive to publish a variety of voices, styles, perspectives and themes.

In our first issue of 2007, we'll present "Diagnosis," by Ann, who uses the metaphor of an oncoming train to describe the shock she felt upon learning she had cancer. Charlotte describes the evolution of "The C-word." from "crying" to "cured." Virginia reaches out to a newly diagnosed woman in "Sister." And in "The Calf," Christopher considers the cycle of life while waiting for his wife's pathology report.

Also featured are two poignant pieces written by family members who have lost loved ones to cancer: Anne's "Theology of a Pediatric Cancer Patient," and Martin's "Exposed." We found raw honesty in their expressions is at once humbling and inspiring.

In "The Titanic," Elizabeth speaks of learning to know when to push through obstacles and when to let go. Karen's "The Club" examines the conflict between living every day to the fullest versus returning to normalcy.

Leslie explores her need for temporary escape from her son's illness in "Tethered." And Ric, who continues to wage his own battle against metastatic prostate cancer shares the poem, "A Word For Survival," penned in dedication to another.

In "Daffodils and Me," Ruth writes of her cancer as it relates to her students and the changing seasons, and Maureen shares an epiphany about what is and isn't relative in "Relativity and Human Relations."

Rebecca explores cancer's unanswerables in "750 Words about Cancer," while Marsha writes of learning to live with the unknown in "Stark." Sheree attempts to cover all of her bases in "Just in Case."

We hope these features touch your soul as much as they have ours, and that they inspire you on your journey of writing and healing.

Volume No. III - Features

Once again, we have received many wonderful submissions from survivors across the country. The variety of perspectives, voices, styles and themes that are included in this issue clearly illustrates how anger, gratitude, mourning, love, fear and strength can be expressed in an infinite number of creative ways. We would like to thank all of those individuals who have submitted to us. We would also like to encourage all readers to write. And remember to write for yourself. The decision to share or not should come later.

We wish for all of you continued health and healing through your writing.

In this issue, we present "Helping Hands," by Mara, a two-time breast cancer survivor and poster child for early detection with enough gratitude to fill an ocean. And John tells us his fascinating story through the innocent eyes of a twelve year-old boy in "The Sixth Grade and the Big C."

In "Do You Love an Apple?" Lori captures a moment of intense love and fear four days before her surgery. And, from her adversity, Virginia refines her scope and emerges much stronger in "Survivor."

Dianne tells the story of how her new arrival appeared at just the right time in "My First Grandbaby." And Sheree finds an oasis of calm in a crowded cantina in "The Search for Equanimity."

In "Cancer and Cigarettes," Brian presents a candid and humorous observation of the "cancer conversations." And Alison Timmons mines her experience for a list to which many of us can relate in "To Say or Not to Say." Karen Jandorf compares treatment options to a fast-food menu in "Diagnosis."

Ann shares the many hues of her experience in "26 Colors of White," and Mary Jo's spirit perseveres despite unrelenting forces in "Oceans of Chemo.". In "The Process of Living," Marylyn describes an epiphany that occurred during a lonely moment in the x-ray room.

In "Melanoma," Beebe describes the feeling of a hanging diagnosis in an oblivious world. In "They Called her 'Lukie'," Delores remembers a remarkable woman whose spirit was contaminated by cancer, until it was set free.

And Jane describes how her cancer experience propelled her through a momentous journey in "To the Top of Half Dome and the World."

Volume No. IV - Features

We want to thank each individual who has recently submitted his or her work to the Survivor's Review. Our readership is increasing exponentially both in the U.S. and abroad, which speaks to the universality of the importance of creative expression for healing. However, it was particularly challenging to select fifteen stories, essays and poems from the increasing pool of heartfelt, powerful prose. Please continue writing and thank you all for considering the Survivor's Review.

In this issue, William writes of a tender moment of disclosure between sisters in "The Taste of Water." In "Cancer Prayer," Michael captures the intensity of each fervent hope. In "Wish," Ali explores the foremost desire in the minds and hearts of so many.

What does perfection matter in the face of cancer? Krystyna begs the question in her piece, "Perfect in Every Way." At 21 years-old, Jamie was diagnosed with Leukemia. "Jamie's Journal" brings us face-to-face with the challenges thrust upon her. And Carol speaks of the difficulties inherent in both passing and keeping the cards in "Recombinant Hearts."

Kim paints a vivid picture of her treatment in "Daily Radiation." And Julio writes of his unexpected introduction and continuing relationship with cancer in "Me, A Cancer Survivor?"

Lea's poem, "Vigil," is crafted from the perspective of a loving observer. In "Survivor to Thriver," LauraLynn describes her shift in both perspective and direction. And Lois gives voice to her most personal thoughts and complicated feelings in "Taking Care of You and Me."

Maria wrote the poem, "Post-Cancer," when her hips couldn't sway due to surgery, yet she felt the joy of dance. V. Jane's piece, "Margins," illustrates her conflict between loss of body and peace of mind. And Sheree reveals her hidden fears in "My Secret."

We hope these features touch your soul as much as they have ours, and that they inspire you on your journey of writing and healing.

Volume No. V - Features

We are pleased to offer our readers fifteen new features, and a new Guest Contributor Column presenting the work of author and educator, Barbara Abercrombie.

In this season of celebration and Thanksgiving, several of our contributors share stories and poems inspired by their mothers' cancer journeys. Read about these enduring lessons in Katy's "Mastectomy," Christina's "Indian Pudding," and John's "My Mother's Optimism."

The lessons continue from Michael's wife in "Teacher of Grace," and from Rebecca's beloved friend, in "Special Relativity."

Jeanne pays homage to the caregiver in her piece, "In Hospice." Ric speaks of a profound change in perspective in "POOR DEVIL!" And Marylyn explores the real meaning of graduation day in "Five Years Later..."

In "Cancer as Fire," Joan explores her cancer journey with the San Diego wildfires as her backdrop. Heather writes of experiences all-too-familiar among survivors in "Waiting." And Colleen explores a child's conflicting feelings in "A Child Meets Melanoma."

Laura shares a poignant scene with a friend in "Car Ride." And Paula recalls a less complicated time in "First Love."

Last, but not least, in "The Exchange," Candice describes the unexpected gift of learning to receive. And Sheree writes of points A and B along the challenging road to "Acceptance."

We hope these works inspire you on your journey.

Volume No. VI - Features

Volume No. VII - Features

Dear Readers:

I hope you have been finding time to relax and enjoy some of the freedoms unique to summer. A treasured time for many, this season can also be a challenge for those dealing with acute or chronic illness. I have powerful memories of struggling to be there (emotionally and physically) for my children's swim meets and reunions with family while undergoing a demanding schedule of surgeries, scans and chemo sessions.

In this issue, you will find several pieces contributed by those whose treatments continue far beyond a season or two, including Ellen, who candidly describes her strong feelings about the word "survivor." With Ellen's permission, I share her note with you:

I wholeheartedly agree that "survivor" is not a one-size-fits-all word. We at the Survivor's Review use the term in the broadest sense, as our mission is to encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer to use writing as a tool for expression. I would like to thank Ellen and all of those who wrote on the topic. I hope our readers find these widely varying perspectives as enlightening as I have. Consider Deborah, who, although living with metastatic disease, embraces the "S" word in all of its manifestations in We Are All Survivors of Something." Alternatively, Sandy, while not condemning "survivor," expresses a distinct ambivalence in, "Am I A Survivor?"

You will also hear from Lucy and Kelly, who speak not of semantics, but of their challenges and choices in "A Blessing," and "Living With Hope," respectively.

Medb expands on what might otherwise be a routine radiation appointment in "This Breast," while Jan paints us a picture of the rich decade she was told she wouldn't have in "Ten Years."

Blossoms figure prominently in the work submitted by three caregivers, including Melinda's poem, "As If," Grace's story, "How We Wait Through Winter," and Cara's piece, "The Dogwood Tree."

Michael shares bursts of impressions during a visit with a loved one in "Quiet Hours Passing," and Shawn expresses her struggle helping her best friend in "Remission."

Yoga instructor, Roberta, describes an awesome afternoon in Harlem in her story, "When do Black, White and Latina Women Wear the Same Hairstyle?" And Joanne grapples with a nagging question through the eyes of her childhood self in "My Mother's Gift."

In "Sidelined" Sheree describes how a recent injury led to changes in her post-cancer routine, and Bonnie takes a refreshingly whimsical turn in "Hymn to a Lost Breast."

We hope you enjoy this issue. Please forward our link to anyone you think might benefit from sharing in the Survivor's Review.

Sincerely,

Sheree Kirby
Editor, www.survivorsreview.org