Has there ever been a literary journal dedicated solely to Antarctica? If so, it has escaped our thorough Antarctic and literary experience. Welcome to IceTongue, the southern-most literary journal on Earth, and the first place for new fiction and poetry for the seventh continent.
The human presence in Antarctica is young. One estimate holds that fewer than 200,000 souls have ever visited the place. Yet even before Ross or Scott set foot on the continent, we made it the subject of our literary imaginings. Unlike continents that support permanent populations, there is no autochthonous literature of Antarctica. But those who have traveled to the last continent include artists and writers who bring forth original work out of proportion to the Antarctic population, work that enlarges our understanding of our selves and the place, dazzles with poignancy or perspective, and sometimes quite simply entertains fellow Antarcticans.
So we begin with three fiction writers and seven poets writing about Antarctica. Some of them are professional writers who have traveled in Antarctica. Others write to express what they have encountered as they work on the seventh continent. They are scientists and computer technicians, poets, dishwashers and teachers. All of this work is new. Some of the authors are published here for the first time.
Several visual artists contributed imagery for this issue. Alan and Colin Campbell are the first father and son duo to be awarded a National Science Foundation Artists and Writer's Grant. They spent the austral springtime of 2005 painting and photographing the area around McMurdo Sound. "The most amazing things in Antarctica are what's in front of you and what's under your feet," Alan said about the images he photographed and painted this year. For Alan, the trip represented a return to a place that has inspired his painting on previous trips to the continet. 
For Colin, who has recently worked as a video game animator, Antarctica was an entirely new experience. The trip also provided a chance to work side by side with his father in oils, watercolors and photography.
Bob Champoux took a sabbatical from teaching surveying at the University of New Hampshire to come to Antarctica. He says that working as a surveyor for the United States Antarctic Program during 2005 and 2006 also gave him a chance to exercise his passion for photography.
"I'm happy to have discovered all of the striking detail in the snow and ice," he says. "Usually, it's thought of as just that: Vast amounts of snow and ice. But, looking closer, it's wild to see completely different patterns only a few thousand feet apart even though the areas are exposed to the same natural forces. Our description of the continent is evolving: From the common belief that Antarctica was a 'vast wasteland' to numerous generations, to 'a large mass of snow and ice that holds the bulk of the world's fresh water,' to a place of great beauty."
In addition to the harsh conditions that make protecting cameras difficult, Bob says the light brings special consideration as well. "...during the austral summer, there is 24 hours of daylight, so bright snow and high contrast scenes are the norm. Unlike photography in most other parts of the world, one can't wait for better light. So, the harsh light has to be embraced."
Photographer Michelle Ott began a project of removing imagery from the prints she created while working for the NSF support contractor at McMurdo Station. Her images of the Antartic landscape with human objects cut out prompt reflection upon how we alter the Antarctic landscape even as we study it. She is also the only photographer in this issue who works with traditional prints rather than digital.
"I like the tactile nature of photographic prints," she wrote via email. "Cutting them and peeling emulsion off of them is sort of the reverse - or my response - to the way that we place things here in Antarctica. Although all the buildings and containers are useful and purposeful, they alter the landscape in a way that is distinctly human. By removing these human items, I look at what it's like here with out us. Ultimately, even with out the actual structures, evidence of us remains."
Finally Ariana Owens, of Riverside, California, worked as an air traffic controller for the US Navy before she came to do the same job for the US Antarctic Program this year. She photographed a skua's battered feet at the control tower outside McMurdo Station.
The editorial board for this issue includes Tina Green, Bill Jirsa, Karen Joyce, Jeff Klein, Helen Paul, and Gavin Tierney, most of whom contributed to this inaugural issue (all submissions are read blind). IceTongue welcomes submissions for our June 21 Winter Solstice Issue.
So this month, as the sun sets on another austral summer and most Antarctic visitors return North, we offer our fist issue ever: a place for Antarctic literature.
Stay warm, and welcome to IceTongue.
Bill Jirsa
McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Mon 20 Feb 2006