Dear reader and friend,

Here we find ourselves again, at the end of another semester. And what a curious way to meet, when you consider it, poised on the surface of these pages—writer to reader, strangers yet friends. Alien partners engaged in a familiar dance. All of us on our own individual journeys, yet brought to the same destination. I can’t help but wonder about the reasons, all of the invisible forces that have brought each of us here. I have my own reasons, but what could yours be?

A simple explanation, and a starting point at least—a love of stories, of art, of language and expression. Stories have always fascinated me. As a little girl, my mother would tell me stories about her childhood growing up on the rivers in Louisiana before bedtime. These were moments of connection, bridges from past to present—and I treasured them. As I grew older and faced the growing pains of adolescence, the stories I read in books became a refuge for me—fueling my imagination and curiosity, pushing me to envision larger possibilities. This relationship I have with language and storytelling is at the core of who I am now, but I have been wondering, what with everything going on in the world right now, what our stories can really offer to the community.

It can be easy, at times, to feel as though our stories are unimportant. We might ask ourselves what they mean, in the grand scheme of things, these words on a page? What can they do to quell the great endless tide of suffering? Especially now, when this tide is particularly palpable, our stories can feel intangible and insignificant. 

And yet, we are here—writers and readers. So let us instead look at why our stories and works are important. Language is at the core of how we conceptualize our world and communicate with others, and the language we use has a very real effect on our understanding of this world. The words we use, the stories we tell—they have an impact. They are quite literally changing the way that we think. If you have ever spent time learning another language, you are probably already aware of this. Language has limits, but as much as it fails us, it has allowed us to reach boundless possibilities. It is a vehicle for communication, connection, and understanding. 

Seeing as we are the only known species with this ability, it would be crazy not to use it. The literary community is at the forefront of what language is being circulated and how it is evolving. We have the unique privilege to shape the landscape of modern literature, which can in turn shape the cultural landscape of our society. It is my personal belief that writing and self-expression can be extremely transformative on an individual and societal level, and working with Glass Mountain has given me the opportunity to play a part in truly realizing this expression, to make voices heard and bring stories to life. So continue to tell your stories, continue to find new ways of expressing all that demands to be expressed. We need your voices. We will continue to listen.

Yours Truly,