A Letter from the Editor
Cora Saddler
M.A. Candidate, English
University of Maine
Welcome to Spire’s eighth issue! We are ecstatic to announce Caitlyn Dauphinee as the winner of this year’s cover design contest. Her brightly colored collage, “The Lakeside Local”, is interspersed with whimsical texture and shape and acts as a gentle reminder of the playfulness of the natural world. Whether that be the soft slopes of snow sliding down the mountain side or a certain lakeside local playing hide and seek in the foliage, this year’s cover embodies the joy of nature and its simple pleasures. This issue, whose submissions range across many different fields and forms, highlight this community’s emotional and intellectual appreciation for the wonders of Maine and the flora and fauna within it. Carefully crafted by Mainers new and old, each poem, art, photo, and essay demonstrates a great sentiment for the beauty of Maine and becomes, in its own way, a collective call for its continued conservation and sustainability for years to come.
This issue is a collection of reflections, filled with the insights of individuals grappling with their experiences in a world that gives as much as it teaches. Eddie Nachamie’s “Reflections from a Season in the North Woods” reckons with the lessons of solitude, care, perseverance, discipline, awareness, and joy that one summer in the woods can teach. Olivia Box’s “Imposter Forestry” explores similar themes in its attention to the “natural gift of the wild,” exploring the sights and sounds of awe that echo through the forest, if only the stewards of it will listen. Sara Delaney’s “I Can Be a Dop” compels us to consider the rippling effect a single drop can make, while Alice Hotopp, Bailey McLaughlin, Hannah Mittelstaedt, and Melanie Prentice’s collection of unconventional, scientific “Abstract(s)” asks us to reconsider what research can teach us about the natural world and, ultimately, ourselves. From the Stillwater River to Plummer Point, from the smallest hermit crab to a flock of birds, our authors call on us to find and protect the pulse of the future that has inspired all the work you will see here.
Of course, the release of our journal wouldn’t be possible without the help of our dedicated editorial team. A special thanks is given to our editors—Aaron Thibodeau, Catherine Mardosa, Erin Victor, Gladys Adu Asieduwaa, Harrison Goldspiel, Hermés Diou-Cass, Jessica Wibby, Kaleigh Kogler, Karina Cortijo-Robles, Kathleen Spear, Mania Mohseni, Michelle Hoeckel-Neal, Sara Delaney, and Val Watson—for all the time and insight they contributed from the very start of last August. You have my deepest appreciation for making my first time as Editor-in-Chief seamless, and I am astonished by not only your generosity but your genuine passion and enthusiasm for this journal and the pieces you read. Each author should know that every piece received much care from our editors, who are committed to the excellence of this journal and to its cause. Additional thanks is also given to our faculty director, Dr. Dan Dixon, and Spire’s co-editor-in-chief, Clinton Spaulding, for their ongoing support, kindness, and guidance during the publication process. Thank you for trusting me with the journal, and for all the work you do to ensure its continued success. Cheers to Spire and its many future editions.
Happy Reading,
Cora Saddler
Editor in Chief