Letter from the Editor

Dear Barnstorm readers, returning and new,

What a year! We have been lucky enough to publish some beautiful work, from the comedic to the emotional. I am honored to have taken part in such a wonderful curation process and could not have asked for a better first year as Editor in Chief.

Sappy stuff aside, I want to welcome you to our final issue of Volume 15. Issue 7 is a bonus issue dedicated to our first ever call for experimental submissions. Appropriately (and to the dismay of some pun-hating colleagues), we have named this special collection of works our “Experi-May-ntal” issue!

We are thrilled to announce that Barnstorm Journal is now open to experimental submissions, seeking work that breaks form and questions the boundaries of genre expectations. Have a lyric essay that doesn’t quite adhere to nonfiction guidelines? A shopping list that is poetic, but not quite your traditional poem? We want to see it.

To celebrate, we have chosen to highlight three outstanding, experimental pieces. These were submitted to our “Experi-May-ntal” contest, and each of them blew us away. From bingo cards to comics, this issue features a range of writers willing to break form in order to convey their message to the audience, and that alone is worth celebrating.

We also have three craft pieces from our editorial staff, including an interview with FAU-affiliated literary magazine, Swamp Ape Review.

Finally, Barnstorm Journal will soon be welcoming a new masthead! Though these editors are already gearing up for our October issue, we’ll save the formal introductions for now. I am beyond excited to work with such a talented group of writers! Stay tuned to meet the new family :)

That’s a wrap on a wonderful year of literary excellence here at Barnstorm. I can’t express my gratitude enough for the masterful work sent our way.

With love,

Cari Elizabeth Moll

Editor in Chief, Barnstorm Journal