Letter from the Editor

Issue 48 • Fall 2023

Dear Reader,

It’s a bit surreal, a bit joyful, a bit nerve-wracking, to be writing to you as the current Editor-in-Chief of Blue Mesa Review. This is my third year with the magazine, and with each year of service I’ve come to admire the magazine and the people who make it possible more and more.

Two years ago, I began my tenure with the magazine as a graduate reader. For two semesters I led a small team of passionate readers to discuss submissions and recommend our favorites to the editorial team. Last year, I sharpened my editorial instincts as the magazine’s Fiction Editor. Beyond the immediate pleasures of reading so much great work, I became increasingly occupied by questions of how my selections might do work beyond the pages of the magazine. What stories do I want to see out in the world? Which voices do I want to highlight?

Since stepping into my current role as Editor-in-Chief, I’ve left those decisions to the new genre editors: Amy, Joe, and Kani. Without their tireless work, this issue would not exist, and the voices in these pages would still be searching for an audience. I’ve been reading and re-reading this issue with delight. With each reading I’ve become increasingly proud of how our magazine promotes voices that deserve to be heard by as wide an audience as possible.

The editorial work on the magazine doesn’t end there. I’m deeply grateful for the work of our Associate Editor, Kyndall, whose promotion of the magazine and website have kept Blue Mesa Review’s presence alive in our chaotic and attention-sapping cyberspace. I also want to express my sincere gratitude for the Managing Editor, Gwyne, whose keen strategic eye and aesthetic sensibility have been essential not only for curating the issue before you, but to help steer the magazine’s future into even more exciting and fruitful territories. With the help of Gwyne and our genre editors, we have also picked out some truly wonderful pieces of art that grace the pages of this issue. I would be remiss not to thank our faculty advisor, Marisa, for her wisdom and publishing experience. Her knowledge has been instrumental in keeping this magazine running smoothly throughout a hectic and resource-intensive academic year.

Lastly, I express my gratitude for you, the readers of this magazine. Without your interest in this magazine and your commitment to the world of contemporary literature, Blue Mesa Review would not exist. There is a lot to admire in the pages of this magazine, and I hope the poetry and prose we’ve worked hard to present to you will bring you some measure of joy, relief, catharsis, and beauty. Read on to make an urgent trip across the US-Mexican border, sink into a languorous, romantic summer in the Mediterranean, and revisit the memories of a childhood loss, among other adventures and meditations.

With love and gratitude,

Anthony Yarbrough

Issue 48 • Fall 2023

Fiction

Poetry

Fiction

Poetry