Volume 12 (2011)

Editor's Note

Thank you for taking the opportunity to open this issue of the Bryant Literary Review. This collection is a testament to the power that writing and the liberal arts can have on the wholeness of an individual. Each year the BLR receives thousands of submissions from dozens of countries and all across America. This poses a great challenge to the editorial staff, since we can only publish a small percentage of what we are sent. I am confident that you will enjoy reading each piece included in this year’s issue.

Bryant University prides itself on providing students with skills in both business and liberal arts, a strategy that makes us unique. In our efforts to promote the liberal arts, the Bryant Literary Review extends the opportunity for Bryant faculty and students to be published as well. Writing is an especially critical skill, regardless of the career path one has chosen. A strong writer is able to express ideas effectively, and has the potential to influence the world. The stories and poems in this 12th annual issue have been selected for just such power and resonance.

As an Entrepreneurship major from New York City, with minors in Psychology and Literary and Cultural Studies, I have experienced the power of liberal arts through various academic and extracurricular interactions. The integrated business and liberal arts curriculum at Bryant has helped me achieve my personal best as a DJ, actor, singer, and student. While everyone in the concrete jungle strives to achieve great things, I am thankful to say I am making progress toward my goals. I have personally grown as a writer through Bryant’s Literary and Cultural Studies program, and appreciate being given the opportunity to serve as Student Editor in my second year of involvement with the BLR. I hope you thoroughly enjoy this edition, and recognize the importance of creative writing and the power of the human imagination.

Kevin Javier
Student Editor