A Review of Fiction, Poetry,
and Creative Nonfiction

Announcement

It is with sincere regret that the editors of River Oak Review announce the closing of the journal after 19 years of publication. Etta L. Worthing and the River Arts Organization created and nurtured the Review from 1993 to 2003. At that time, constraints on the Organization compelled them to seek a new home for it. Elmhurst College offered itself as this new home, and in Fall 2004 we brought out Volume 2, Issue 1: a new beginning.

A literary arts journal is a delicate plant and requires just the right conditions to thrive and flourish. For the next several years, the English Department of Elmhurst College provided that environment. We had the personnel, the funding, the equipment, and (just barely) the time. Most of all, we had the continuing inspiration of the works our authors submitted to us, and the pleasure of showcasing the most remarkable of these.

The arrangement of the stars, however, that made this work possible has shifted. The economic drought that has undermined so many arts organizations has hit us as well, taking with it our ability to pay our large-hearted printer, or even to make necessary upgrades in our equipment. Members of the staff, furthermore, have been drawn into new responsibilities and new pursuits. We have tried many means to enable us to continue producing the journal, but the crew that is left is no longer enough to handle the ship. We fear we would only end up doing our writers and readers an injustice in the attempt.

As a result, River Oak Review will be publishing only one more issue, Volume 2, Issue 8, based on material that has already been accepted. That we invited submissions over the past year speaks to our stubborn hopes that we would find a way to carry on, but since this has proven no longer realistic, we will no longer be accepting submissions.

Mixed with our unhappiness, however, is profound gratitude for all those who helped make River Oak Review a showcase for literature and the arts over the years: our many dedicated interns, our unfailingly helpful English Department secretary, Maureen Sapinski, our colleagues at the Elmhurst Art Museum, our various readers and past collaborators, the Illinois Arts Council, Elmhurst College, and above all, our readers and writers.

We look forward to a vibrant final issue of River Oak Review, which we hope you will purchase, read, and keep. The cover, table of contents, and sample writings of that issue will appear on this website, and we won't be in any hurry to take it down. It has been a privilege associating with all of you in the cause of fine writing and art. We would not have missed this adventure for the world. And it is now time to move on "to fresh woods and pastures new." Many, many thanks.

Updated: February 12, 2012