Are there
"imaginary gardens with real toads in them?" Like Marianne Moore,
the editors of Bloodroot Literary Magazine think so. The first
challenge we faced, though, was to find a name for our new literary
magazine. With many suggestions on the table, we knew we wanted an
unusual title that would make a symbolic statement that reflects the
writer's craft and the natural world.
The names of birds, animals, and wildflowers sprang up. The bloodroot
flower struck us as especially fitting because, like the struggling
writer rooted in language, the plant is rooted in the wild, struggling
to push through layers of old leaves. From its poisonous, bloodred
root, it produces a solitary, multilobed leaf. When it unfurls, a small,
beautiful spring flower emerges with five to nine white petals that
extend gracefully from its golden stamens. Similarly, the writing
process unfurls from inspiration, imagination, and the love of words.
Writers, like all artists, must perform their profession just as the
plant must bloom.
As writers and editors, we hope that this plant will remind all of us
to look with a wakeful mind at the words of contemporary writers who
work to inspire and engage the reader. For these are the authors
exploring ways to help create healing, balance, harmony, beauty,
pleasure, and truth.
We hope you enjoy the spirit of sincerity we bring to Bloodroot
Literary Magazine.
The Editors - "Do" Roberts, Editor; Deloris Netzband, Contributing
Editor; Nomi Waldman, Copy Editor