The editors are proud to present the premiere issue of phati’tude, a new quarterly literary publication designed to present a multicultural array of writers who explore and challenge stereotypes as well as share viewpoints about their culture through prose, poetry and articles. The term “multiculturalism” has rapidly escalated into a movement which is bringing about recognition of, sensitivity to, and appreciation for the diverse cultures that comprise American society. This, combined with the general public’s renewed interest in literature is the premise of phati’tude, a word which means “emphatic attitude.”
phati’tude is a literary rainbow of various styles and techniques of both emerging and established writers of diverse origins. Their works exhibit social, political and cultural awareness and reflect personal experiences, ideas and thoughts. It is our editorial philosophy to encourage writings from this wide spectrum of people, including but not limited to African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, and Native Americans. Since “multiculturalism” spreads beyond the racial and ethnic sphere, we also reach out to the gay and lesbian community, as well as to senior citizens and the disabled.
In our attempt to attract a broad cross-section of writers, flyers were sent to colleges, press releases were mailed to local newspapers, organizations and associations, and announcements were sent to individual writers throughout the country. The results have been astounding. We have received over one hundred submissions, and letters of congratulations and enthusiasm has been forthcoming. We wish to thank each and every writer for their submissions to our first issue, and, most especially, thank them for their confidence in an unseen journal from an unknown entity.
Creating a new magazine is like giving birth to a baby . . . including labor pains and all. I would like to take this opportunity to thank India and Malcolm for their commitment for which I will be eternally grateful. I would also like to thank Mary Leheny for helping us in our editing crunch . . . she really came through and we appreciate her special efforts. Special thanks to Lorraine Miller, who gave us wonderful illustrations for the prose pieces in this issue. There are, of course, many other people to thank, and all I can say is thank you . . . your help is greatly appreciated and the fruits of your labor can be seen on every page of phati’tude.
We have labored diligently to select works of significant artistic merit, crafted by writers in a broad range of styles, experiences and origin. We hope you will agree that the works selected demonstrate variety in both expressive form and subject matter, and that this, the premiere issue of phati’tude will whet your appetite for more.
—Gabrielle David, Editor
