By Anne K. Kaler

The theme which the editors chose for the Fall 2018 issue of the Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal is that of Transformation.

The word itself suggests a two-part theme of before-and-after, then-and-now, which fit into the progression of any story, indeed, of any life itself. We are all transforming ourselves daily in small increments, often without looking back to see how each tiny decision led to the person we are today. Yes, it is a scary process, that one of making judgments on our present-day selves.

However, take a good look at the effects of recognizing those important points in our life’s path where, by chance or choice, we changed our “form” into something bigger than its former self. What changes us – praise, criticism, an overheard comment, an accident, a calling, a place, a person? “When I realized I was in love with you.” “You always do that to me!” “I’m tired of the rat race.”  “When will I have true freedom?” “I can’t be that person you want any more.”

All these transformative prompts should produce stories from each of us.  Certainly Pearl Buck herself struggled in trying to identify the person her parents wanted her to be, her husband wanted her to be, her children wanted her to be.  What seemed to transform her most as a writer was the need to produce works that would both satisfy her family’s need for money and her inner need to save children from loneliness and suffering.

We hope that this short explanation will help you identify the transformations in your own lives, your own writings, and your own beings.

The deadline for our Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal’s Fall 2018 issue is October 31, 2018. Click here for a link to the Submission Guidelines.