A Message from the Incoming Editor-in-Chief

It’s that time of year again! As our summer contest begins, our editorial board has passed on their duties to the next round of elected editors. Before I welcome our new editors, I’d like to thank our outgoing team.

Thanks to Tatiana Duvanova and Ruben Rodriguez for their hard work and dedication over the past year as the Fiction and Poetry editors. They made sure the best work rose to the top of our submission piles for Issues 36 and 37.

Thank you to the brilliant Lydia Wassan, our Managing Editor, for organizing a successful year of Works in Progress readings, and editing and curating our fantastic blog content.

Finally, a huge thank you to Steve Howe, our Editor-in-Chief, who improved so many aspects of our magazine this year. His passion for producing a high-quality literary magazine shows through in Issues 36 and 37.

I would encourage submitters to read through our recent issues for great examples of the work we like to publish. While aesthetics can change from year-to-year based on the editorial staff, we’ve always been looking for writing that pushes boundaries, tells a complex story, and teaches us how to move through our lives in new ways.

As I move from my role of Nonfiction Editor to Editor-in-Chief, I look forward to working with our incoming team, who will, without a doubt, continue pushing Blue Mesa Review to be an inclusive magazine whose pages reflect not just one type of story, but many.

Introducing our new editors…

Mitch Marty, who has been working toward giving BMR a fresh look for the past year, is stepping in as Associate Editor. Fun Fact: Mitch can pretty much jump over anything you put in front of him. Tree. House. Car. Whatever.

Ryan Murphy, whose experimental limitations know no bounds, is our new Nonfiction Editor. Fun Fact: Ryan can read approximately a zillion words per minute. Has been fact checked.

Ari McGuirk, who has the clean prose and natural voice we all strive for in our writing, is taking over as our Fiction Editor. Fun Fact: Ari can make a mean raspberry cheesecake. Decadent AF.

Tori Cárdenas, master of pun and wit, and also of tackling some of our most complex social issues with words, will take on the role of Poetry Editor. Fun Fact: This is what Tori’s dog looks like. 15/10 will invite to be BMR mascot immediately.

Be on the lookout for the next few blogs, where our genre editors will discuss their aesthetic and tips for submitting this year! For now, you can learn more about the team on our Staff page.

We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to publish your work and can’t wait to see what you send our way.

Check out our summer contest submission guidelines here.

Hayley Peterson