Writer, band head Whitefish Review release party

Whitefish Review will unveil its 12th issue Dec. 13 with an evening of art, photography, literature and music at Casey's in downtown Whitefish.

The six-year anniversary celebration will feature author Rick Bass performing fiction to live music scored by Missoula-based Stellarondo. For this special evening, Bass and the band have worked up a new number from his acclaimed work, “Winter.”

"For this issue, our team read 594 poems, viewed 217 art submissions and read 176 entries of fiction and nonfiction, including submissions from around the world," said founding editor and publisher Brian Schott.

"We enjoyed working with Rick [Bass] as the guest editor on this special issue and are happy to share our work with the community. More than 30 artists and writers are represented in the publication, and we are also featuring a new original essay by Rick, examining the saga of Lincoln County."

"I'm proud of all the pieces, from the youngest writer to the oldest," Bass said of the works included in issue No 12. "Much of this special issue explores the natural tension between the seen and unseen, the known and unknown, the surface and the depth.

“Embedded in the matrix of this theme is the Lincoln County asbestos story, which has been going on for over 50 years, sickening people, and will continue to do so for at least 50 more. Nobody knows. But beauty still exists, within that story."

David Stevenson’s luminous story, "The Bear Outside the Door," was selected as the $1,000 prizewinner of the first Rick Bass/Montana Prize for Fiction award, which also appears in the new issue. Stevenson is the director of the creative writing and literary arts program at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and writes often about mountaineering. He has been published widely in journals such as Ascent, Alpinist, Isotope, and in The American Alpine Journal, where he has been the book review editor since 1996.

In the past, Whitefish Review has featured interviews and the original work of such literary and artistic powerhouses as John Irving, Terry Tempest Williams and William Kittredge, while also discovering and launching promising writers. Every issue features a younger writer chosen by the editors as part of their mission to discover and nurture budding writers. Whitefish High School sophomore Peyton Twete’s first published poem will appear in this issue.

The cover of issue No. 12 is a photo of work by internationally acclaimed eco-sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, who creates underwater living sculptures. His permanent installations under the ocean are designed to act as artificial reefs, attracting corals, changing over time in the underwater environment. The cover shot of the coral-covered statue was taken 5 meters beneath the Caribbean Sea near Grenada in the West Indies.

Guests are encouraged to come early and enjoy dinner specials at Casey's starting at 5:30 p.m. An art show from the first 12 issues will begin at 7 p.m., with the main performance starting at 8 p.m.

DJ Keishie will spin an eclectic mix of music to create a unique auditory experience both before and after the featured performance, and Sweet Peaks will serve a special "Beneath the Surface" ice cream treat after the show to cap the evening.

Casey's is located downtown at 101 Central Ave., Whitefish.

There is a $10 suggested entry donation. To help raise money for the nonprofit journal, editors will be raffling a Whitefish Mountain Resort season pass (a $1,100 value) plus artwork and other prizes.