A
trip through Big Muddy is much like a float down
its namesake. The magazine’s concentration on the
Mississippi River and the ten states that border it provides
a natural cohesion to each issue while celebrating the
variety of flavors found along the way, from the toughness
of the bison jerky famous in Minnesota, to the spice of
New Orleans gumbo.
Most
recently out is Big Muddy 7.1. It opens with
an excerpt from Murder on Rose Hill, Alan Terry Wright’s
new historical docudrama, set in 1920s Missouri. Other
fiction includes C. D. Mitchell’s short story “Ferdinand
C. Posey.” This heartrending but humorous piece
is told from the point of view of a young waitress, who’s
serving the title character—a man once known as
Handsome Kenny King, the King of Memphis wrestling. Also,
Louis E. Bourgeois of Mississippi provides two short pieces,
“Crabs” and “Pirogue Races,” the
latter about racing pirogues into Lake Ponchartrain.
“Down
the Great River with Old Bones: a dream song with Mr.
Berryman,” a poem by Arizonian Richard Sederstrom,
is a must-read, as is “Rivers,” by David Radavich.
“Rivers” captures the spirit of the magazine,
urging the reader to “carry me with you, / paddle
or steam, raft / or river-boat, / down to the Mouth /
where everyone celebrates / and opens / like tomorrow.”
In
the reviews section, be sure to check out Missouri native
Jason Brown’s reading of the “subtly tragic”
Amy Hempel collection The Dog of the Marriage.
And no river trip is complete with encountering bridges;
Gerry Mandel’s photographs of Eads Bridges are scattered
throughout the issue.
Past
and current issues can be ordered from
Southeast Missouri State University Press. Big
Muddy 6.2 features a J. T. Ledbetter poem, “Mississippi
Headwaters,” and Mary Cantrell’s short story,
“Gifts.” Favorites from issue 6.1 are Daniel
Crocker’s poem “Camping in Missouri”
and C. D. Mitchell’s short story “Memphis.”
Big
Muddy 5.2 includes Ryan G. Van Cleave’s poems
“The Kudzu Queen” and “Confession #32,”
and the issue closes with Philip C. Kolin’s Katrina
poem, “The Last Transfers.” Joseph Spring’s
essay, “Falling River: The Weight of the Mississippi
at Winona” in Big Muddy 5.1, captures the river’s
“powerful forces, hidden beneath its calm, pleasing
surface” as seen from a Minnesota bluff.
Big
Muddy, subtitled “A Unique Collection of Issues,
Events, & Images from the Great River Road”
was launched in 2001 by editor Dr. Susan Swartwout, who
also founded and runs the award-winning Southeast Missouri
State University Press.
The
magazine’s upcoming issue, 7.2, will feature Big
Muddy’s first contest winners. Pat Landreth
Keller’s “The Magician’s Assistant”
is the winner of the Mighty River Short Story Award. “Shimmering
City,” by Lauren Savit, won the Wilda Hearne Flash
Fiction Award. Mandy Henley, long-time Assistant Editor,
promises that Tim Bass’ short story “Home
Remedies” is laugh-out-loud funny.
Each
wind of the Mississippi River leads its travelers to a
new and unique perspective. Like its namesake, Big
Muddy encompasses a variety of focuses, ideas, and
styles, which sets this little magazine apart from others.
Lynn Watson is an Associate Editor
at Mississippi Review and fiction writer whose
work has appeared on 971menu
and elsewhere.
