Dear Reader,
As you read this issue, we hope you’ll feel the same thrill and inspiration we felt while putting it together. These works represent a variety of voices and styles, all with something important to say. These pieces surprised us, struck us, or wowed us with a brilliance of form our editing team simply could not deny. But this issue is about more than the pieces inside of it. Our goal was to push boundaries and allow ourselves to get a little uncomfortable, but in the best ways possible. We do not live in a comfortable world; this issue comes at a time of uncertainty, anger, fear, and anxiety. So this issue is about lending perspective to those who need it and letting others know they aren’t alone. There is a resonating thread of optimism here, too, a feeling that no matter how bad things get, no matter how much apprehension, there are ways to rise above.
Thank you for reading.
Sincerely,
Sophie Amering, Julie Bowker, Kayla Guillen, Jason Peisahovitch, Riss Stone, James Yomtob, and Katie Wilhite.
Editors, Issue IX