SmokeLong Quarterly

I came across this photo a few days after the presidential election night and knew it had to be our cover.

In the days following what was one of the worst nights I’ve lived through in recent memory, I, like millions of other Americans (and friends abroad), felt betrayed, hopeless, angry, sad, horrified, anxious, fearful. We still do. The road ahead feels very long and dark. For many of us, our country’s lights have gone off. We have to navigate the parking lot alone in the dark, worrying about the shadows.

A friend posted a quote from Harry Potter on his Instagram account that week—”Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” It’s Dumbledore speaking to Harry after his first battle with evil. Its message is clear: don’t lose hope, don’t lose your joy. There’s always a way forward, even when things feel lost forever.

There is light here. Even though the parking lot is empty and dark, a light still burns on. It can stay on if we keep fighting for equality and justice, if we can stay kind to each other and to the Earth, if we can protect our children and call out bullying and intimidation, if we continue to learn and seek out the truth, if we can create art and speak out, if we remember our humanity. I have to believe that.

Hold fast to your values and beliefs, keep your loved ones close, reach out to strangers. Keep making art and saying beautiful and meaningful things. I wish for all of you a safe, happy, mindful, energetic, purposeful, creative new year, one that always has a bright spot ahead.

Every new issue of SmokeLong Quarterly brings a little more light into the world. As we round out 2016, I’d like to once again express my gratitude to all the fine writers that continue to send us their words. We are in the process of selecting our next Kathy Fish Fellow and the competition is outstanding once again. So many wonderful applications to choose from. It’s going to be an exciting 2017 for us.

I’d also like to give a standing ovation to Shasta Grant, our 2016 fellow. In addition to publishing with us, Shasta has placed stories this year in Outlook Springs, Pithead Chapel, matchbook, Third Point Press, and Hobart. She is going to be the spring 2017 writer-in-residence at the Kerouac House in Orlando, Florida. Her chapbook Gather Us Up and Bring Us Home was selected by Sara Lippmann as the runner-up in the Turnbuckle Chapbook Contest and is forthcoming in June 2017 from Split Lip Press.

Shasta’s been a pleasure to work with this year, and I speak for all our staff in saying we’ve been blown away by her writing talent and keen editorial eye. We are absolutely thrilled to keep her on staff with us in 2017 and beyond. Starting in January, Shasta will be our associate editor working with our guest readers.

Congratulations, Shasta!

Now! Go forth and read the 21 stories in Issue 54. May they linger with you long after you’ve read them, like they’ve lingered with us.

Happy holidays and a merry New Year,

Tara Laskowski
Editor, SmokeLong Quarterly