Songs of Abundance: A Turnip Truck(s) List
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Abundance
Abundance abounds in our environment and culture and is a sign of greed and sickness and fortune and health. The abundance of diverse life indicates a healthy ecosystem, but the abundance of an invasive species signals imbalance, often at the cost of other species. The more is more culture in the United States is evident in the abundance of freedom ranging from laissez faire economics to the number of cereal brands to choose from at the grocery store and the exabytes of data the government collects in the name of “national security” (or “freedom” from terror). The media generates voluminous noise with countless social sites and reality shows that exploit hoarders and junkies or pay tribute to the rich by showcasing their extravagant lifestyles. When we learned the tragic lesson that too big does fail, we didn’t adopt the ideology that less is less but rather that less is more. Flocks of people ditched their belongings to live in tiny homes made from shipping containers and dumpsters, and the notion that the whole is more than the sum of its parts fueled the “spirit” of minimalism. Thus, spiritual abundance helps us feel value in the unvaluable, which is not always different than the spirit of Wall Street. But since feelings can’t pay the bills, must we embrace the happiness paid for by a fat savings or can an abundance of equilibrium exist?
For this issue, we seek work that wrestles with the theme of abundance in any or all of its forms. We welcome submissions in various fields and all literary genres. Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2017.