Table Of Content

Review Lee «n ^^*ilHi 1 % — ip$ . Hi ILL fl <% w SL :; 1 «»«* . *tf , ^^V7co Pfl 2 <y*x /\tuiipersaj~i/ Issue 1 Editors MalloryLeonard DanielleMitro-Cox FictionEditor KaitlynKachmarchik PoetryEditor BenHurst NonactionEditor KristenBurkett ArtEditor BrittanySines DesignEditors MycahBanks Lance Buchanan AnniversaryReadingsEditor KimMcDuffie SERIALS DEPT. RECEIVED ScriptEditors LanceBuchanan orp i o onn MalloryLeonard n r NOTTO BE TAKEN OUT CopyEdi,t.ors CLEVELAND,TN3731 MycahBanks WILLIAM GSQUIRES LIBRARY KimMcDuffie BethanyWood PublicRelations BethanyWood EditorialAssistants OliviaBeck TiffanyBuckler AliciaMartin AmberMassey MackenzieOberndorfer LaurenTyler Table ofContents CoverartbySuzieBurkett LetterfromtheEditors 6 OLIVIABECK NumberedDays 7 TYLERBECKETT TheGeekTakeover 10 BRUCEBILLINGS MiddleMan 14 KYNDALLBLAKE CropRows,SteelMills, andaPassport 25 LANCEBUCHANAN ThePerfectCrime 32 DANBUCK PainfulFoliage 39 NEILCOONEY SundaySchool 40 DANIELLEDEDERER Zoom 41 LYNDSEYGRAVES LyndseyGoestoBangkok 43 BETHHARBIN Nasiriyah 48 Terrorism 50 WILLIAM HURST B. Clutch 52 1July1916 53 ASHLEYJONES Sharmoota 54 KAITLYNKACHMARGHIK TheHoarders 60 MALLORYLEONARD Cinnamon 63 Death ConstantBeyondLove 64 PsychosisofDesire 65 KIMMCDUFFIE LifeisNotaBoxofCrayons 67 UnsettledThaw 69 KRISTINMUELLER ObjectsAsTheyAppear 71 KEVANO'CONNOR Hearing 82 NewYearsFuneral 83 MACKENZIE OBERNDORFER Meraki 84 CHADSCHROCK APrinceComesHome 85 MementoMori, or, OnDiscoveringThree-Quarters 86 ofaMouseUnderneaththeRefrigerator ToneofanEvangelicalPoet 87 ALLISONSHERWOOD Tied 88 AMELIASMITH The Veil 101 JOHNWATKINS ChristmasBauble 102 TheHomeless 103 DEVINWHITE NotSilence 104 DREWWEIGHT Topheth 106 BETHANYYANKIE AnOdeto Umbrellas 108 MATTHEWYOUNG Heroes 110 Art COURTNEYBISHOP RiverMug 122 SUZIEBURKETT SnowGlobe 123 RusticSimplicity 124 LAURENCARROLL EvolutionofStonehenge 125 Spoons 126 BRITTANYPRINCE Light 127 Cambridge 128 SHASHANKSHRESTHA EndofFall 129 InsidetheMystery 130 AnniversaryReadings CAROLYNDIRKSEN BeforetheLeeReview 132 ERIC BIDDY EnvelopePoem (ForWes) 134 DR. CHARLESW. CONN TheLostThought 136 CARAEDENFIELD TheLightWentOutin YourEyes 138 LUKEHANKINS IShockedtheHills 139 uncridanslaneige 140 acryinthesnow 141 DYANAR.HERRON VerseContainingCalculus(WhichisConcerningMe) 142 JEFFRINGER Moving 144 CHRISHANSEN Interview 148 Incelebrationofourtwentiethanniversary,thestaffoftheLee Reviewsetouttocreateajournalthatreflectedthehistoryandpresentof LeeUniversity. Asweobserveourcampustoday,weareastoundedbythe diverseanduniquevoiceswehearfromthestudentsandprofessors. Tous, thisissueisatributetoperception,howthepeoplewithintheLeeUniver- sitycommunityseeandunderstandtheworld. WhenyouperusetheLee Review,youwillfindvisualartthatrevealsthevisionofourcontributors, andhopefullyyouwillseewhatwe sawaseditors: realityinfocus. Bothin thephotographsandinthecreativewritingpublishedinthisjournalyou willfindindividualperceptionsthat,whenputtogether,forgeanartistic whole—amuraloflifeasahuman. And, ashumans,weareallaffectedbyourpast,atruthourstaff membershavebecomealltooawareofinthecreationofouranniversary issue. EspeciallyasChristiansintoday'sworld,weareaproductofour heritage, acombinationoftheoldwiththenew. Forthisreason,wechose SuzieBurkett'sphoto, "EvolvingCity,"toappearonthecoverofourjour- nal. Inourprogressasartists,thosewhohavecomebeforeusarealways presentinthecreativeprocess, andwepayhomagetotheminourart. This year,wehavechosentoacknowledgethecontributorsoftheLeeReview fromissuespastinaspecialsection, includingpiecesfromDr. Charles £ ConnandDr. CarolynDirksen. Everyyearwereceivedozensofsubmissions, andweaseditors wefeelthatthisisourmostimpressiveissueyet.Wehavechosenpieces 2 thatexemplifystrongartisticabilityandpiecesthatstrivetoexpandthe frameworkofcontemporaryChristianart. Forthisreason,wehaveselected BethanyYankie's "AnOdetoUmbrellas" andJohnWatkins's "Christmas Bauble"forourEditor'sChoiceWinners. Bothpoemsdisplaythe skillful weavingofwordsandimagesandthemesthatepitomizethevaluesofthe LeeReview. Wetrulyhopeyouenjoyreadingthe 2011 editionoftheLee Review, andwealsowishthat,whenyouhavefinished,youwillfeelasense ofwherewe, asthecommunityofLeeUniversity,havebeen,whereweare, andwherewearegoing. MalloryA. LeonardandDanielleMitro-Cox Editors Olivia Beck Numbered Days Settingaforearmontheedgeofthewindow,Lance Carsonleaned hisheadoutandletthewindscourhisface. Histireschewedthegravelroad, andhe staredataflockofbirds startledskywardbythe shadowsofwolves glidinginandoutofthetrees. Therewerenohousesformiles, onlydense forestoneithersidethatstretchedfromthemountainsliningthehorizon. LancehadloggedinthosewoodswiththeAckermanLoggingCom- panyfortwentyyears, fiveofthemwithhisfatherbeforehediedofastroke. ThedayRustycalledhimintotheoffice,hehadbeenshockedto seethe jumbledstacksofboxesandstarkvacantwalls. "BlackPineboughtusout." Rustysathunchedinhisrattyswivel chair,hishandsclenched. "Lance, inthis economy,therewasnothingI coulddo. Nothing." Lance staredintoRusty'sblearyeyes,buthewasseeingCara. He couldtastehercelebrationdinnerforhisfirstjob,burntinherexcitement. Hecouldfeelthewarmthoftheeveningtheyspentdancingbarefootinfront ofthefire. "Youdon'tunderstandhowsorryI am. Letmeknowifthere'sany- > thingIcando,won'tyou?" Rustysaid. •£ Hehadstoodfrozenatthedooruntiltheoldmanlookeddownand <* pointedlyrustledthe scatteredpapersonhisdesk. $ — Lancepoundedthe steeringwheelwiththeheelofhishand. "Noth- ing!" Hestaredintotherearviewmirroruntilthesun'sglaremadehiseyes ' water. Asheroundedabend, ashadowemergedfromthetreesanddarted intotheroad. Lancebrieflyregisteredtheflashofcaramelcoloredfurand reflexivelywrenchedthewheel. Histires slid, sprayingdirtandclumpsofgrass asthecarshuddered. Cracksextendedalongthewindshieldasaheavyweightcollidedwithit. He jerkedforward, andhisheadhitthe steeringwheel, snappingbackatthe impact. Panicked,hepressedthegasagain, causingthevehicleto surge Olivia Beck towardsthe steepembankment. Thefrontwheels shotovertheedge, shower- ingdirtandgrassastheyspun. Balancedprecariously,thetruckshiftedfor- wardasthebodyofthedeerrolledoffthehood,theweighttippingittowards thebottomofthehill. Everythingshook. Lancegrippedthewheel,bloodstreamingfrom hisheadandchokinghim.Asitgainedmomentum,thetruckhitaboulder buriedinthethickgrass. Thebackendroseabovethefront, sendingitintoa spiral. Timebecame sluggish, andapeacesettledoverhisbodyasithovered abovehisseat,weightless. Theedgesofhismindblurred, andmentalimages flickeredpasthiseyessofasttheyalmostmergedtogether. Cara'sfrecklesinthe sunshine. Hersmilewiththecrookedtooththatmadeherself-conscious. Maddie'swispybabyhair, curleddelicatelyatthebackofherhead. ButitwasthelastconversationhehadhadwithCarathatcontinuedtoreoc- curuntilitwastheonlymemoryrotatinginhismind. Lancesatatthekitchentablewithabowloftepidoatmeal,reading hisnewspaperforthethirdtime. Caradroppedthephonebackintoitscradle andrubbedhereyelids. "ThatwasMom. Herback'sactingupagain. Shewon'ttellme,but £ she'sobviouslyinpain." Shepickeduparagandbeganwipingthecounter, runningtheragvigorouslyoverthesame spot. "IthinkImightgostopby thisafternoon,maybespendthenight." 5 Lancekepthisgazeonthepaper. "Weren'tyoujustthere?" Outofthecornerofhiseyehecouldsee Caratiltherheadinhisdirection, 8 poisedwiththeclothinherhand. Heslowlyturnedthepage, shakingthe papertokeepitfromfoldingover. "Yes, shewantedto seethebaby. YouwereatTommy'sallweeksoit didn'tmatter." Shesatdownwithherbowlofoatmealandstabbedatitwith herspoon. "Passmethesugar." "Tommy'sgenerousenoughtooffermework, soItakeit." He reachedforthechippedbowl,andthelidrattledasheshovedittowardsher. "Generous,barelygivingyouthestartingpayeventhoughyou've beenloggingyourwholelife. Yeah,he'srealgenerous." Lance'sbreathrushedpasthisteethinasilenthiss, andhescanned