2023 Bread Loaf Journal

Opening remarks:

We arrived in a drizzle. The light, misty rain welcoming us to a cluster of yellow buildings amidst green mountains: our home for the next weeks. We thought the weather would be its usual summer pattern of warm, sunny days with possible showers or an occasional thunderstorm in the afternoons. No one expected the deluge.

Soon, the innocent drizzle turned to a week of rain, punctuated by thunderclaps and downpours. Followed by a blackout. The destruction was evident on a drive down 125: a house pushed 500 feet onto the road; hillsides caved in; guard rails clinging to eroded roadway edges. Elsewhere: flooded towns; extensive blackouts; destroyed homes.

Recovery is a slow journey. It requires resources, time, and, as shown in the pieces that follow, humanity. We hope you will join us on this journey toward renewal—the rainbow on the other side of a storm—through the works in this volume.

Katherine Welch, Coeditor