What an exciting time at SLQ! I’m talking about this issue, of course (more on that, below) but also the upcoming anthology, which will celebrate ten years of SmokeLong Quarterly. We’ve been reading and re-reading stories going back to the first issue, struggling to choose from so many wonderful stories, and we are so excited about how it’s shaping up. In addition, two of our editors have their own soon-to-be-released collections. Tara’s Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons (Matter Press) will be out in October and Ashley’s The Way Home (Dancing Girl Press) in November.
And this issue! It’s always interesting to see what common elements show up in the stories selected by our guest editors and permanent staff, and for a while we thought we would have a Texas issue, though it ends up that “lost at sea” wins out as a more common theme. This is not to say that there is repetition: the stories (the watery ones and the not-so-watery ones) vary in range from the ruminative and fast-paced “Wreck” to quieter stories like “Pianola” and “A Collector,” with their fragile imagery of moths and eggs. I’m sure each reader will have their own take on the similarities and differences, so I’ll just say, “Happy Reading!”
Nancy Stebbins
Senior Editor, SmokeLong Quarterly
September 24, 2012
A SmokeLong Summer 24!