Letters from the Editors

Before I ever enrolled at Marylhurst, I read M Review literary journal online. I remember Chris Bolton's mesmerizing short fiction piece, I Wear the Horns of Destiny, Marian Pierce's poignant Our Beautiful Clock, and the evocative composition of Sophia Farrier and Benjamin Cline's photography. I surmised that this was a school which appreciated, and showcased, the literary and visual arts.

Two years later I found myself in the position of M Review editor, sharing responsibilities with Najwa Sweilem, one of my favorite people, and a staff of the most committed and creative people I know. M Review is a pure collaboration—from the readers who pored over countless manuscripts (I suspect one of the largest number of submissions ever), to the category editors who noticed the most minuscule errors. We worked hard to balance the content and provide a finished product that continues M Review's tradition of excellence. I have to include a special shout-out to Margie Doolan, Alisha Sumpter, and Nina Longfield who were particularly committed to the process of generating M Review. Without the guidance and patient amusement of Vandoren Wheeler, our staff advisor, myriad conundrums may never have been solved.

In her essay "Directions: Write, Read, Rewrite," the late, great Susan Sontag articulates the cathartic components of the writing process: "Writing is finally a series of permissions you give yourself to be expressive in certain ways. To invent. To leap. To fly. To fall. To find your own characteristic way of narrating and insisting: that is, to find your own inner freedom." There is no freedom I cherish more than that inherent in the act of writing.

Pamela and Susan Sontag are a tough act to follow. So, I will say ditto, what she said, and I concur. I would like to thank the M Review staff for their hard work and continual enthusiasm. It has been a great pleasure, in my final year at Marylhurst, to be a part of this amazing literary community.

Writing Contests

M Review Writing Contest

Marylhurst University Community College Writing Contest