From the Editor-Q1 2022
Knowing that you are different is easier than knowing how you are different. As far as regional media sources go, the Owl Light quarterly is unique. I know we are different, yet I have found it challenging to define just how that is. I believe that part of the answer lies in my editorial style. From the earliest issue, I have encouraged those who expressed interest in the Owl Light to follow their instincts and write (or create) that which gives them the most joy (I have, admittedly, become a bit less flexible as we have grown). This creative freedom has resulted in a diverse community of regular contributors who offer a wide array of rural-focused content in every Owl Light issue—along with guest prose and poetry submissions from the wider community.
This diversity of subject areas and perspectives make it challenging to zero in on a specific demographic. I guess a broad category might be “informed rural innovators.” Our geographic focus is also challenging to define. Our focus has been on exploring the less populated towns, villages, and hamlets in New York State—and connecting with the people who inhabit and create in these areas. All of us who contribute to the Owl Light live, work, play, and create in rural NYS (or places with similar characteristics and “vibes”). We are part of the demographic we serve.
Within our (somewhat) broad demographic and geographic parameters we have, over time, narrowed our content to some common areas of interest: environment and the natural world, sustainability, social awareness and human empathy, leisurely pursuits, local history, and arts and culture. These interest areas are expanded by a myriad of sub-categories, and as the world around us changes so, too, do the boundaries that define us. As a result, what may seem to fit neatly into “environment and the natural world” could easily also fall into many other categories, depending on current trends, the direction an author explores in a particular issue, and how the disparate contributions intersect.
I love this dynamic and the thrill of seeing what comes in each quarter—both for our regular columns and guest submissions—and seeing how the pieces fit. I am good at free association (which some define as lack of focus) and can always find connections. There is so much in each Owl Light issue, and this abundance of quality content is another defining characteristic that makes us different. Our focus has always been on including as many contributors as possible in every issue, including new fiction and/or poetry from guest contributors.
It was a great pleasure to talk with and include George Guida as a feature author for this first issue of 2022 (along with several other writers who offered guest pieces). Writing and editing with intent are relatively new avenues of exploration for me, and, as with any art, being exposed to new work is exhilarating and freeing. George has been supportive of that endeavor. Thinking, creative people value diversity in its myriad of forms, and are often the outliers who challenge the status quo, spirit forward positive change, and have the most fun doing the things they love!
I have always been drawn to the arts (and the arts crowd). My arts interests are multi-faceted and often overlap in mysterious ways—I love that fluidity. Once we put a name to something, we automatically assign specific traits to it and, in doing so, inhibit inspiration and inquiry. Many of us learned this early on—and have spent considerable time unlearning it. This is why at Canadice Press we look at creativity as everything from creating a good batch of beer or spirits and growing a garden to writing a novel or centering a bowl on a spinning wheel. Everything we do is art.
As a small press we have, over time, narrowed our quest to this: Canadice Press supports creativity, innovation, and active inquiry as avenues for positive change in rural communities. With this issue, we fly beyond the constrains of newsprint and take on an exciting new look and feel but our core “mission” remains the same. There is something reassuring about print and we want to keep the medium alive—while morphing to adapt to these changing times. As you flip through, we want you to take the time to find inspiration within and to think beyond the pages—to explore and create more.
As thoughts or questions come to mind, share them! We would like to hear from readers of all ages about how creative expression adds meaning to your lives. We believe that, like print, arts and culture are not only alive in the rural areas, but they thrive here. Owl Light’s slogan is “Where Inspiration & Inquiry Converge.” We love the inspiration that we see everywhere we go and we strive to share that in every issue. We welcome more inquiry as well and hope many more will join in the Owl Light conversation in 2022.
D.E. Bentley, Editor