Our Latest Issue - The Pandepic Project (June 2020)
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ABOUT THIS ISSUE

       Oak Orchard Review hasn't published a new issue since 2014; however, the magazine is still available online, and its mission remains: "Oak Orchard Review is named for the Oak Orchard River, a river that flows [throughout our region.] More than simply a body of water, a river is a thing that sustains, connects, and nourishes the land, the body, and the spirit. Our journal is meant to similarly sustain its artists, authors, and readers...It is our mission to inspire and connect with our readers; ...to promote artistic endeavors in our community; and to encourage and recognize emerging artists and writers." The Pand-EPIC Project is just such an endeavor.

       The Worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic meant that schools had to be shuttered; in New York, the school shut down began on March 16, 2020. Schools everywhere were forced to cobble together at home instruction as best they could, and to modify and vary their approach to learning. One way was via this: The Pand-EPIC PROJECT, a writing workshop led by Medina High School Creative Writing Students seniors and their teacher, inviting other members of our school community to explore with us how to use creative writing as an outlet for reflective thinking.

       In our hour-long online Google Meet workshops and independent writing, we worked on brainstorming techniques, metaphor development, and revision strategies. The thematic question we considered was this: In all this time you've been away from school, socially distancing from others, What have you learned about yourself? What have you learned about other humans? And we asked writers to respond in any creative format they liked. In all, there were 30 members of the workshop. We had one first grader, along with fifth graders, seventh graders, sophomores, and seniors; as well, we had teachers from two buildings and five different disciplines. Those who chose to write and edit their work, along with the Creative Writing seniors, were rewarded with publication here, in this journal, and everyone was invited to an online Open Mic Reading on June 10, 2020.

       We at the magazine are delighted with the result of such hard work and thoughtful, reflective writing, and we are confident you will enjoy it, too. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for future writing showcases!