THE GUILDED PEN - NEW BEGINNINGS: SAN DIEGO WRITERS & EDITORS GUILD 2022 ANTHOLOGY

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

July 26, 2023 (San Diego) -- The San Diego Writers & Editors Guild is a nonprofit, member-supported organization dedicated to promoting the writing arts for youth and adults in San Diego. The Guild has been publishing anthologies of its members’ short stories, essays, and poetry since 2012. The 2022 version, New Beginnings, is the Guild’s best collection of stories so far.

“New Beginnings” is the anthology’s theme.

The book contains 19 short stories, 13 poems, and 13 memoir essays. For instance, a neophyte rower wins a league medal for his school, a washed-up detective looks for that redeeming case, an ex-con questions his self-worth, a new bride has second thoughts, and the world is saved by changing the past.

In the innovative entries, Guild authors have taken the “new beginnings” theme, spun it around, whipped it up, and turned it into something refreshing, stimulating, thought-provoking, soul-wrenching, or simply fun.

his reviewer found the majority of stories to be polished, inspiring, profound, or funny; some had a combination of these qualities. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys originality and variety.