The newest issue of Months to Years features eleven nonfiction writers, nine poets, and five photographers and artists whose works explore mortality and terminal illness. Two of the nonfiction writers in this issue use basic tools of craft to reveal grief from unique angles. In the “Tree of Judas,” by Jenny Flores, the narrator directly addresses her unnamed spouse as “you” throughout. The effect provides readers with simultaneously intimate and objective perspectives. Kathleen Quigley’s use of the imperative tense in “After Your Mother Dies,” takes readers along on the relentlessly practical tasks that must happen in the immediate aftermath of a death, regardless of the fact we may be consumed by grief. Months To Years‘ Design Director and Photo Editor Barbara Labounta found that “The Empty Chair” by Frances Fish juxtaposes the now-forever empty chair with the cultural imperative to just “be happy.” Poetry Editor Joseph Paulson noted that Liz Grisaru’s poem, “Grief Came in Torn Blue Jeans,” offers a novel take on the unanswerable grief question: how long will this last? These are a just few of the works included in this issue, which readers can access fully online for free.
