We’re grateful during this holiday season to have so many fabulous writers sending us their works, whether new contributors such as Carrie Allen, Astrid Bender, Joanne Hardy and James Stark, or familiar voices such as Olga Kronmeyer, Howard Feigenbaum and Jon Sindell. We’ve devoted some extra space in this issue to the works of Rodney Nelsen, whose poetry is so spare and searing it feels like Dakota winter cutting through you.

You may have noticed the eclectic if not somewhat raucous nature of our selections. We have chosen to take an inclusive rather than exclusive approach. To restate, our mission is to look for new talent, to publish the unpublished, to encourage those already published. We know there are plenty of writers looking for avenues to showcase their works, and we hope to be able to help.

As always, we’re grateful to Vicki Allen-Hitt, whose amazing paintings grace the covers of our publication.