Art ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES Wrapping Freedom Mehdi Gassi Oil on canvas 16 x 12 in cover on print edition* Growing Out of Bounds Dean Wilson Photograph A Tasty Thank You Shane Allison Décollage 14 x 11 in 5 Off Your Order Shane Allison Décollage 14 x 11 in Abandoned Homestead Dean Wilson Photograph Amanita Kelley Wezner Watercolor on paper 4.5 x 6 in Astoria at Blue Hour Dean Wilson Photograph Bok Choy Kelley Wezner Watercolor on paper 12 x 9 in Death and Life Bailey Moore Diptych in charcoal on paper 24 x 36 in Drawing of Jessie Ed Vassilenko Chalk pastels on paper 24 x 18 in Duality Ed Vassilenko Chalk pastels on paper 24 x 18 in El Alcatraz Jacky Sanchez Lozoya Linocut on bristol 17 x 14 in First Impression Mehdi Gassi Digitalized drawing Farm House Laila Sheikh Oil on canvas 36 x 29 in Ice and Rocks Dean Wilson Photograph Mad Scientist Kelley Wezner Watercolor on paper 4.5 x 6 in Misty Voyage Laila Sheikh Oil on canvas 36 x 29 in Orange is the Loneliest Color Xiomara Mueller Self Portrait of Self Discomfort Ed Vassilenko Mixed media on cardboard 24 x 18in Sentinel Kelley Wezner Watercolor on paper 4.5 x 6 in The Thinking Mehdi Gassi Screen print and gold leaf on paper 12 x 12 in Untitled Mehdi Gassi Oil on canvas 16 x 12 in

The Bellwether Review 2020 Art Poetry Fiction Groundswell Archive Best Essay Winner

The Bellwether Review promotes original art and writing cultivated by authors and artists attending PCC. We value showcasing work that expresses a diversity of voice and thought. We encourage a passion for meaningful creation, and provide a platform for students to appreciate art. ART POETRY FICTION NONFICTION Thank you for visiting our website. The Bellwether Review is a literary journal that hopes to promote and inspire creativity amongst those not only at Portland Community College Rock Creek but also throughout the broader global community of writers and artists. We hope you take the time to review these great pieces that were sent in to us and selected for publication by our editorial team. Visit our Submissions page if you are interested in having your work considered for publication in a future issue. Email us at bellwetherreview@gmail.com with any questions. LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Reader, First and foremost, thank you for reading this year’s edition of The Bellwether Review . Students who submit their works for publication, as well as those who create the review, spend hundreds of hours working their craft, and we here on the editorial team truly appreciate the efforts that have gone into developing the outstanding works that appear in this year’s journal. One hundred and six works were submitted this year, and each one was reviewed and discussed by the editorial team, as we sought out what makes each piece special—what makes them beautiful—and ultimately selected those that stood out as exemplary to share with you, the readers of the 2024 edition. We here at The Bellwether Review team thank you for taking the time to appreciate the work of these contributing writers and artists, and we especially want to thank all those who contributed works to this edition. And with that, we hope to see you next year. Until then, take care. — The 2024 Editorial Team Copyright © 2024 Portland Community College Portland Community College reserves all rights to the material contained herein for the contributors’ protection. On publication, all rights revert to the respective authors and artists.

2022 Theme Meet the 2022 Editors Fiction Nonfiction Poetry Scripts Art Bellwether Review 2022 A Search for Meaning This year, we discovered that many of our submissions related to a search for meaning throughout year two of the pandemic. This search manifested in a cycle of experiences, as shown below. Experiencing Loss and Injustice Finding Strength and Surviving Discovering and Creating Finding Strength and Surviving A Cycle Feeling Trapped and Imprisoned Finding Strength and Surviving Finding Strength and Surviving Finding Strength and Surviving Works Browse our wide array of stories, poetry, and art. View all

BELLWETHER REVIEW Poetry Check out our prestigiously chosen works from the students of PCC. Here you'll find some of our beautifully written short stories Our Flash Non-Fiction pieces are sure to capture your attention. Our Spring Collection Fiction Nonfiction Art See our new pieces of photography and art that were phenomenally crafted. About Welcome Editors 2021 Contributors 2021 A Literary Magazine like no other. Cover Art by: Jessica Graber

Poetry Lavender Wedding Shane Allison Paying for that Free Cup of Coffee Dean Wilson In the End David P. Sterner Sea and Stone Dean Wilson Shamik Banerjee A Meeting No Relief David P. Sterner Small Town, America Alli Tschirhart Masjid Roaf Shamik Banerjee The Soul Jumps with Joy Slava Konoval Aunt Bobbie Is My Favorite on My Dad's Side Shane Allison Dear Creator Mercedes Shafer Sonnet Shamik Banerjee Patriarchy Sean P. Hotchkiss Street Glitter Gigi Giangiobbe-Rodriguez How Much Is 'Mass'? Randall Camden Stemple Litany for Jaret Keene Shane Allison Shamik Banerjee A Tale of Every Night Mechanical Pencil Sean P. Hotchkiss I Know Anger Well Alli Tschirhart Backstab in French Ambassador Slava Konoval Bully Shane Allison Fetal Position Alli Tschirhart Promise Rings Bailey Moore Fat Boy Shane Allison