Fall 2019

Although the issue in your hands (this might be true, it might not; after all, you could be reading this on your phone or you could be reading it on desktop monitor, but the basic idea of intimacy still holds, I hope) is the third and final issue of 2019, the revitalization of Story began in 2018, and issues, events, and plans for 2020 are already under way. Taking the time to sit down, think, and reflect on the previous year feels indulgent when there still is so much to do.

There is an enormous amount of work to do, not just for Story, but to make sure our political system and our planet don’t become engulfed in flames, and sadly, that isn’t even a metaphor. Calming down and focusing has become a modern challenge. I find it easy to become distracted, both in good (basketball, my dog asking to go out into the backyard) and bad (social media, the news) ways. I’m not alone in my heightened state of anxiety and dissatisfaction. And while I shockingly have no clear answers on what to do about all of this, I do know that shutting down the digital world and immersing myself in an ol’ fashioned book is always a good decision.

We have published 32 contemporary writers, showcasing a full range of styles, lengths, voices, and themes, a full spectrum of the incredible in contemporary literature. We have hosted a launch party and a summer reading series, providing an audience for six writers to share their work with our community. In support of our mission to champion great storytelling, we received a grant from a local arts organization and donations from individuals across the country. We have resurrected—for the fourth time!—a literary magazine that simply will not die (insert your own vampire or Rocky metaphor here). We have, I hope, stood for something good and meaningful and memorable.

Sometimes, the simplest and most sincere thought is the hardest to express. What I think I am trying to say is that I am proud of these last three issues, thankful for our readers and supporters, and grateful for the wonderful writers who have contributed their stories and essays to Story. And that we are eager to continue this adventure into 2020 and beyond.

Michael Nye
Editor-in-Chief, Story

Photo courtesy of David Ohmer; see more of his work at Flickr