Each spring is a rebirth, full of potential. Some opportunities are found in creation, others in reinvention or closure.
This month, as she makes her farewell, we say thank you once more to Mary Friedel-Hunt, Voice founding publisher and editor who passed the torch of this magazine to us in 2012 and returned as a contributing writer in 2015. At first monthly, then every other month, Mary’s wisdom in “Living Well, Dying Well” has grounded us. We’re grateful for her sustaining support.
We also want to recognize other significant contributing voices to Voice of the River Valley who remained committed through much of the wild ride of the pandemic. Jennifer Moore-Kerr brought much depth to these pages and connections among neighbors in her “Building Bridges” and “Time Capsules” columns. Last year you may recall savoring the final contributions of regular “Garden Blitz” contributor Patrice Peltier — who made us laugh out loud month after month. And we’re grateful to Etienne White, whose musings in “Where the Land Meets the Sky” often had us brushing away tears. You can revisit all of their contributions at voiceoftherivervalley.com.
The content of these pages has continued to evolve over the past nearly 16 years with contributions of fresh ideas, voices, photography and art. Nevertheless, we’ve determined that the best course forward for us during this time of reflection for many is to hit pause and take time to ponder the best course forward for Voice as a print publication. The beautiful miracle of this magazine is its quintessential grassroots nature that for nearly 16 years has sustained it month after month. The miracle of this publication is you: you the contributor (writer, photographer, artist, poet), you the advertiser, you the volunteer distributor, you the subscriber, you the reader — and perhaps there’s a you out there who is now ready to take up the torch as editor or even publisher as we leave off printing Voice in August. That issue will mark our 10th anniversary dedicating our nights and weekends to this labor of love.
If you’re reading this and thinking you can’t imagine this nook of the Driftless Area without a magazine dedicated to the nature, culture, people and events that inspire, inform and enrich life in the Lower Wisconsin and Sugar-Pecatonica River Basins, please get in touch. Contact us at info@voiceoftherivervalley.com or call (608) 588-6251. We’re open to creative possibilities for Voice’s future.
In the meantime, there are three brand new issues ahead to look forward to. We wish you happy reading of this May issue featuring the voices of Kelli Emerson, Mary Friedel-Hunt, Doris Green, John Heasley and Corey Ritterbusch, photography by Rick Graves and more. As ever, we remain grateful to the advertisers whose support makes the printing of these pages possible, the volunteer distribution team who helped get it into your hands, our subscribers and you, our dear readers.