Since the Vietnam War, violent conflict has been made visible to even the least likely victims, on televisions, then phones, now raging across social media—and laden with passionate opinions, well-informed and not. From politicians and universities around the globe to PEN America to Oscar Awards speeches, emotionally bloody conflict—about conflict—reigns over solutions, while innocent civilians suffer.
Hence our enthusiasm, with a bit of trepidation, when former Writers Resist editor DW McKinney suggested this special issue. DW wrote, “I really want to help create an archive so to speak of writers who represent countries and regions that are actively being destroyed right now.” Would we be open to this, DW asked?
“Of course” was the obvious response, and so it is that we celebrate the launch of “Amplified Voices.”
We are grateful to all those who bared their trauma to the submission process; to guest editor DW McKinney; to Writers Resist editors Debbie Hall, Sara Marchant and René Marzuk; and to the brave and generous writers whose work is published herein.
Our profound thanks,
K-B Gressitt, publisher
Amplified Voices Contents
“From the Editor of Amplified Voices” by DW McKinney
“They Are All Terrorists” by Lori Yeghiayan Friedman
Two Poems by Saheed Sunday
“Caught in the Crossfire of a Madding Crowd” by J.D. Harlock
“Gauze” by Lisa Suhair Majaj
“Ofrenda for Resistance” by Jordan Alejandro Rivera
“In Pillars, the Prized City” by Maira Faisal
“Zoo” by N. de Vera
Two Poems by Lonav Ojha
“18 Jennas” by Jenna Mayzouni
“Jannah is a single strand. My father is the complementary prognosticator strand.” by Abdulrazaq Salihu
Map credit: International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch Map.
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