Dear Reader,
As we publish this issue, we are near the end of the fall 2022 semester and the winter holidays are around the corner. Many of these holidays involve gifts or presents and today feels like these holidays have come early for we have a full, glorious issue for you, the biggest one yet, and these works all feel like presents.
Thank you to the artists, published or not, for submitting their work and allowing us to interact with their art. As editor, I feel a distinct responsibility to treat each work with great care, knowing someone put some of themselves into that work. We had so many works submitted this issue, more than any other, that we didn’t have the ability to publish all of them, which is always hard, but we have more issues ahead of us, so I hope artists continue to submit. To the review team, thank you for your time and effort. And reader, thank you for taking the time to engage with these works.
While we haven’t had an official theme for any issue, some issues seem to make their own and this one was no exception—there are works of light, warm humor; works observing the natural world and its beauty; works reflecting the coming winter season. I was especially struck by how deeply personal many of the works in this issue are, some cutting to the quick, exposing raw vulnerability, some poignant and bittersweet. It is an honor to be able to hold these works and their histories and truths up to the world.
Please enjoy and have a lovely winter; we will be back in the spring.
Warmly,
Lia Vellardita
Managing Editor