From the Publisher

Welcome to PATCHWORK: The Online Journal of Patchwork Farm Retreat. Each issue features the work of participants in Patchwork Farm's weekly workshops, weekend retreats and week-long international writing and yoga trips--in other words, all writers who have worked with me anywhere in the world. I am pleased to announce that this issue also includes pieces written by participants in workshops led by the Journal's excellent editors.

PATCHWORK is not an ordinary literary journal: our editorial process is designed to produce a first-rate online publication while serving primarily the needs of the writers. We hope to help writers become more successful in the highly competitive world of publishing: to gain experience in how to follow submission guidelines, meet deadlines, respond constructively to editorial comments, and for the first time for some, to risk bringing their creative work to public light.

We are blessed with a remarkable volunteer team of editors who make PATCHWORK possible. When we asked the writers for feedback on the editorial process, this is some of what they said:

Feedback from writers in past issues to the editorial process:

"[My editor] was extremely helpful—and if I disagreed with some of her suggestions, she respected my reasons as author. I learned from her as well as received insightful editing. I felt she was very involved, communicated clearly, and I can't really think of how to improve the process. My experience with Patchwork has been nothing but positive."

"The initial edit of my poem, which included WHY you made the edits you did was invaluable! How often do writers get that much information? It helps pull the writer out of her thinking/meaning world to see how others perceive the passage. I hope to be a part of this process again."

" This is one of the best online relationships I've experienced to date. Thank you. I think it helped to touch in by phone that one time…. I appreciate all this detail work. I am learning a lot here."

My great thanks to you for coming to read PATCHWORK online, and to my friends and colleagues, the editors and writers who send their work to PATCHWORK—their own journal.

With love and blessings,
Patricia Lee Lewis, Publisher