The Vortex - #27

Issue #27 features 40 writers, artists, and photographers from 13 different states, as well as international submissions from Finland, Germany, and Switzerland. The issue also features a short essay and interview with Garrison Keillor, as well as an interview with retired NFL hall of fame quarterback Drew Bledsoe, conducted on the chairlift at Whitefish Mountain Resort this winter. Chrysti “the Wordsmith” Smith opens the issue with a dive into the language of the vortex and its word origins.

Mark Gibbons' custom "Vortex" poem sets the pace for the issue, including a merry band of Montana poets that includes Robert Lee, Sheryl Noethe, Kurt Sobolik, and David E. Thomas. Poets Ana Maria Spagna and Ron Smith also contribute work. Chris La Tray's essay dives into the echoes of displacement from land stolen from the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in the modern day. Whitefish High School's Gracie Hickman shares an essay about growing up and mental health.

Other features include an excerpt from Doug Peacock's new book, Was it Worth It: A Wilderness Warrior's Long Trail Home (Patagonia Books, 2022), and an excerpt from Butch Larcombe's book Montana Disasters: True Stories of Treasure State Tragedies and Triumphs (Far Country Press, 2021).

The cover of the issue is a composite photo created by overlaying two images of a supercell thunderstorm building in intensity, shot one hour apart in 2010 on the Hi-Line near Hinsdale, Montana by Sean R. Heavey.

Issue #26 (Summer/Fall 2021) of the Whitefish Review gives voice to how the arts can help us find a path forward that includes restoration, healing, and hope. Nearly 50 artists and writers share their vision for a brighter world across 200 pages, including a 16-page color art and photography section.