Because of our production schedule, I am writing you this letter a few months in advance of when it will be published. It is now mid-March, and many of us are just beginning an indefinite period of staying at home as much as we can to protect ourselves and our communities from COVID-19. I tend to think of home as a magical, comforting place. But when I’m home too long, or when I’m forced to stay home, it can start to seem more like a jail than a haven.
The two short stories in this issue, both of which revolve around leaving homes and creating new ones, helped remind me of how lucky I am to still be in my familiar, comfortable home—or, as Juliet Del Fabbro writes in her poem “morning,” in “the warm calming cave / that is my bed.” And this month, the last installment of the novella Elana ends—like many stories—with a homecoming. We hope you have enjoyed reading about Elana’s adventures!
Finally, whatever is going in the world, it is still almost summer vacation—yay! If I were a kid again, I would be spending these hot, lazy days writing, drawing, reading, and playing outside as much as possible.
Till next time,
