The Way I See It by Marj Shannon
Welcome to Letters’ first 2022 issue! It’s great to be back after a long-ish time away—especially given that break included the Omicron surge. I can think of better ways to spend a winter break—fingers crossed spring break goes better.
You’ll see some changes as Letters kicks off another year:
• CAMP Arts has dropped its gallery and performance listings, to devote space to profiling an artist in each issue. “Artist” is broadly defined, as Doug Yetter notes in the column; you can look forward to meeting fine artists, crafters, dancers, actors, musicians—you name it!—in upcoming issues.
• The Health & Wellness column will be circulating among three or four contributors this year, each bringing his/her own perspective. This month’s writer is an epidemiologist with a column on (what else?!) heart health; next month’s writer covers alternative and integrative health and wellness. Stay tuned for a variety of topics as we broaden this column’s scope.
• Interested in local history? And a good LGBTQ+ story? Check out Tom Kelch’s first column on the Rehoboth Guest House! This will be a continuing series, delving into the guest house’s fascinating past.
• Maybe you’re a sportsperson? JuneRose Futcher gives us this month’s Be a Sport! column, focused on bicycling. She’ll cover sailing later this year; other columns will feature other sports. Maybe you have a favorite you’d like to suggest? Let me know!
• Mikey Rox, a frequent contributor, will now have a regular column: Byways. As someone who lives in and writes from his van, it’s a singularly apt title. This month he pays tribute to one of his (and our) lifelong favorites, Betty White. It’s a sweet piece.
Of course, given the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, we have other sweet fare as well. Beth Shockley celebrates her pandemic Valentine; Michael Gilles would do the same—if he could remember the date, that is. Looking for somewhere to have that special dinner? See Jennifer Rubenstein’s Dining Out column for one recommendation.
You’ll also find lots of your favorites in our pages—Ann Aptaker gives us a fascinating profile of Moms Mabley; Rich Barnett, Stefani Deoul, Michael Thomas Ford, Fay Jacobs, Eric Peterson, and others help us start the 32nd volume of Letters in fine style. Of course they do.
I’m pleased to report there will be more of Letters to love this year: after two years of a reduced publication schedule (10 issues in 2020; 11 in 2021), we’ve increased to 13 issues this year. We’ll publish monthly now till summer, pick up the pace to every-three-weeks during “the season,” then return to monthly.
Thoughts or ideas you’d like to share? Send them along to me (editor@camprehoboth.com). I’d love to hear from you!