Back to Issue Eight.

Editor’s Note

 

Welcome to the first-ever online issue of The Adroit Journal. We’re so glad you made it! Please, take off your hat, grab a seat — perhaps leave your shoes by the door?

For a number of reasons, this issue excites us. It’s vivid. It’s vast. It’s frank. It’s strange. The people who populate the world of this winter issue live in borders, bars, the backs of their own heads; the pieces that fill it are imagistic, imaginative, honest. Quite simply, it is this select group of pieces that we couldn’t let go of, that unequivocally commanded our attention and feeling. Most importantly, the work in this publication represents what this amorphous and excited collection of young editors see as the future of literature.

But, beyond the writing itself, the past few months have been quite hectic on-board S.S. Adroit. Our decision to transition to becoming a primarily online publication was a difficult one, but also one that was grounded firmly in our commitment to the writers we publish. Moving online has brought them a greater audience and has made our journal more accessible–much thanks to our illustrious web designer, Holiday Campanella, for creating our gorgeous new site.

That’s not to say, however, that you’ve seen the last of us in print. Notably, we have acquired significant funding from the University of Pennsylvania’s Kelly Writers House, with the ultimate goal of releasing an annual print issue featuring online selections every Spring. The changes continue: we’ve also welcomed nearly thirty new high school, college, and graduate students onto our team, not only as readers but also in marketing, legal, community service, interviews, and social media. We’ve revitalized our longstanding commitment to human rights, with a feature in collaboration with Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights. We’ve witnessed these and other staff members arrive, unpack, leave, return, and grow. Yet, even amidst this exhilarating period of expansion and discovery, we have been forced to say goodbye to unforgettable and truly magical members of the Adroit community. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Issue Seven contributor Ned Vizzini, who–we feel sure–will continue his long-lasting legacy through the countless established and emerging writers his literary genius has inspired. Specifically, we hope to pay our respects by dedicating this issue to him–a small contribution, perhaps, but one we feel is necessary.

We have also continued to grow as a community. With staff members garnering both accolades and acceptances (both from peer magazines and, of course, from colleges), we feel more connected to the literary world than ever. And our aesthetic continues to develop, our journal to grow. From our guidelines: “We’re looking for work that’s bizarre, authentic, subtle, outrageous, indefinable, raw, paradoxical. We’ve got our eyes on the horizon–send us writing that lives just between the land and the sky.” So do that. And enjoy this new work. You’ll love it… we promise.

Swimmingly,
The Editors