Bartleby: Spring 2002 Creative Arts Journal

I happened to get this book (actually a literary magazine) by chance from my daughter as she was clearing out her room years after graduating from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I had not planned to read it, but recently I was captured by the first piece of fiction as I was browsing through the first few pages so I decided to read through the entire book.

The book itself contains fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and photographs. Its strength lies mainly in its fiction. I liked all of those short stories. I was less impressed by the photographs, literary nonfiction and poetry, although one poem did stand out. That poem was untitled (of course!) and about driving a Honda alone home from the ocean after suffering a show more hangover. Although not named, we know it's the Atlantic Ocean, route 50 and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. We assume the venue is Ocean City, Maryland. This poem stands out for its imagery for anyone who has ever been to Maryland's eastern shore as a young adult and left for home being totally strung out, whether it be by sunburn, lack of sleep, partying, booze, or any other condition which is presented at the beach. There's great stuff in the three pages of this poem by Casey Miller. For a taste of it, this is how it begins...

"Pulling out of a late night rendezvous
Crawling from a bed for three
Which sadly slept a lonely two
Slipping through the sliding door
Off the porch into the car
Rain drips down so dreary at the shore
I'm the last to leave the beach today
Last to cross the bridge
Last guy in a line of cars
And I'm listening to Sole Coughing
Bass bump bumping
In the rhythm of my heart beat..." show less