Congratulations to Ray Malone! Ray's poem, "Cinder 136" was accepted from our nomination and will be published in the 2024 Best Spiritual Literature Anthology , due out in December from Orison Books . You can also read the poem  here , in issue 11.2.

It's that time of year again, when I have the difficult decision of nominating a handful of pieces from a wealth of good stuff. The best part is that I get to revisit all the work, rereading all the issues and delighting in the poems, stories, and artwork all over again. Here are the nominations for Best Spiritual Literature  to be published in 2023, formerly known as the Orison Anthology nominations. Good luck to all! Spring II. by Gloria Frym http://www.star82review.com/10.1/frym-spring2.html Aquatic Ape Theory by Lily Beaumont http://www.star82review.com/10.1/beaumont-ape.html Caught. Lifted. by Martha Christina http://www.star82review.com/10.2/christina-caught.html Fireworks on Mute by Jimmy Huff http://www.star82review.com/10.3/huff-fireworks.html Shiver by Linda McQuarrie-Bowerman http://www.star82review.com/10.3/mcquarrie-bowerman-shiver.html Kálo Neró (Good Water) by Ivars Balkits http://www.star82review.com/10.3/balkits-water.html

The Orison Anthology is an annual publication from Orison Books, seeking spirituality and the sublime beyond religion. Every year editors from other magazines may nominate poems or stories for possible inclusion. Here are the nominations from works published in 2020 in Star 82 Review . Accepted contributors receive a copy of the Orison Anthology. It's out of my hands, now. Good luck! Issue 8.1 (March) "red roses in winter" by M. Shayne Bell red roses Issue 8.3 (September) "The Boxer" by Sandra Kacher The Boxer "After the Fires" by James Gering After the Fires "These Wire Cages" by Micki Blenkush These Wire Cages "Side Oculus" by Rachel Prizant Kotok Side Oculus "Making Up" by Trivarna Hariharan Making Up

Every year, as an editor, I have a chance to nominate work to other presses. Orison Books , which describes itself as "a literary press, focused on the life of the spirit from a broad range of perspectives," puts out a call to editors for works that have a "transcendent effect" and "leads the reader into profound contemplation." I feel this way about nearly all the works that are featured in Star 82 Review , so, as usual, it's a hard call. Here are the nominations, from 2019, for the 2020 Orison Anthology. From 7.1 " Still, it's gone " by Simon Perchik " Timbrel Flowers " by Yoram Naslavsky, translated by Anthony Berris From 7.3 " Why We Sing " by Oak Morse " Time Over " by Nicholas DelloRusso Good luck to all!